ableism

If you can commit to following the points in this guide, and to share and re-share this guide, you will be contributing to changing a culture that is indebted in the oppression of Black individuals.

Your Guide On How To Support Black People After Incidents Of Police Violence

This piece is for you, my non-Black friends, my non-Black family members, my non-Black activists, my non-Black educators, and my non-Black partner. This piece is for you, because whether you know it or not, you benefit from anti-Blackness.

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"Mr. Kinsey, a behavior therapist at a group home for people with disabilities, was outside trying to help an autistic man who had left the facility and needed to be taken back." Image: heavy.com

He Was Lying On The Ground With His Hands In The Air. Police Shot Him Anyway.

Let me begin by saying a name: Charles Kinsey. Mr. Kinsey is the latest Black man to be shot by police while a bystander filmed the incident with a phone. Unlike so many others, Mr. Kinsey — thank the heavens — has lived to tell the tale.

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Our braveness doesn’t make us valuable. Image: Christopher Campbell/Unsplash.

I'm A Rape Survivor — But Please Don't Call Me Brave

My story isn’t meant to hold a mirror to society and say, “You, too, can be strong like me.” It’s meant to hold a mirror to society and say, “You, too, are complicit in rape culture. Let’s work on that.”

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During each doctor visit, I was warned about the possibility of addiction that comes with prescription painkillers, but there was radio silence regarding the ways each alternative therapy would affect my life. Image: Thinkstock.

Concerns About 'Drug Seeking' Only Harm Chronic Pain Sufferers

If you have chronic pain, you are all too aware of the stigma surrounding the condition. Whether it comes from a disbelieving health professional, an intrusive pharmacy technician who does nothing to hide their suspicions, an employer who wonders why you can’t get off the couch today when you appeared “fine” the day before — it seems like everywhere you turn, someone is saying you don’t deserve pain relief.

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Some people understood me immediately. They too had been suicidal, and they could empathize easily. Image: Thinkstock

What My Suicide Attempt Taught Me About Love

Suicidality is a strange thing. Sometimes you think you’ve shaken it off, but it’s actually still there, quietly brewing under the surface until something triggers it.

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I’ve found that, when you’re depressed, keeping your hands and mind busy can be a lifeline. Image: Thinkstock

3 Ways Crafts Can Help You Manage Your Mental Health

The inimitable Alice Walker said, “When you are creating beauty around you, you are restoring your own soul.” As someone with multiple mental illnesses, I truly believe that crafting has soul-restoring properties.

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"Karissa’s mother told Time, 'Karissa really identifies with Elsa because she knows what it’s like to be different from everyone else.'" Image: Siena College

How Technology Changed This Young Frozen Fan's Life

Queen Elsa isn't the only one with magic hands anymore! Nine-year-old Karissa Mitchell was born missing part of her right hand and arm. And while she wasn’t born with a love of the movie Frozen, she certainly has plenty of that too!

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I’ve found that adulting is all the more important when you’re in a shared living situation. Image: Thinkstock.

Why I Never, Ever Want A Roommate Again

I’ve never had any serious issues with past roommates, whether they’ve been friends, family, or someone I found on Craigslist or something. I consider myself really lucky in that way; I know there are horror stories out there. But, having lived with my mom for almost a year now, I’ve realized just how much of a burden it can really be.

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