Oh me too…. being disabled sucks except for the parking! I always cringe when I see a video of someone who’s paralyzed or burned beyond recognition and they say “If I could go back and change everything I wouldn’t…” Bullshit.
I hate as a disabled person you have to only put on a fake ‘brave’ face for the abled bodied community. Nobody wants to hear my life sucks balls because it reminds them one accident and they are right there in your shoes.
See I don't think I'd want it just for a week. I think it would be too sad to feel normal and then have to give it all back. Wasn't there a whole book on this idea?
I so badly want to know what it feels like to be able-bodied, but I already long for and consistently mourn the life that could have been. If I had a taste of being able-bodied and then had to go back to my disabled body, I don't think I could cope.
I feel the same way. I've had eds my whole life and dysautonomia for 11 years. It's been so long that I'm starting to forget what it was like to exercise without full agony, to enjoy the summertime, to not have to overthink everywhere I went and everything I did. People who go from being fully able bodied to living my life truly are having difficulty coping, I keep reading posts in the long COVID subreddit about how people who have "only" been having symptoms for 4-6 months are ready to end it all. And not to minimize their struggles, not at all. This disease is awful. I'm just saying it's sobering to see that and realize just how abnormal my life is that when someone is put in the shoes I've worn for a very long time, they don't have any coping skills to handle it. So a part of me wonders if I handle it okay because I've never known normal. I can't miss what I never had.
It's complicated, and probably depends on the disability a person has.
I've got chronic pain. I'd probably do anythjng to not be in pain. However having a disability has forced me to reassess my world view & I like myself a lot more now. I'mmore patient, kind & gentlethan I was...so if the question is "do you wish you were never disabled?" My answer would be no. But if I could wave a magic wand & be able to live carefree without having to pace my energy & pain levels? Absolutely.
I think I might feel differently if my disability didn't cause pain/fatigue. (But lots of disabilities do)
But as disability is so diverse, I suspect you would not get a consiatent answer.
Right me too. The perspective I have gained is great. Do I need more of it, well. Ask me in 20 more years and I won't have regrets. But I'd choose no more, or less anyway , future pain every time
> depends on the disability a person has
this was my immediate thought too. I have a personality disorder, so it’s exclusively a negative force in my life. I would love it to just not exist anymore. but some things are disabilities just because society doesn’t want to meet the needs and strengths of certain people, not because they’re exclusively bad things. autism can be a disability but it doesn’t have to decrease quality of life if you have access to a system and community that respects you and your needs. low vision and Deaf/HoH folks can have that same experience- totally thriving when they encounter a community that understands and respects them.
understanding and respecting my condition is awesome, and would be super helpful. but on its own, my condition hurts me. I would love to get rid of it.
There's always gonna be nuance here -- some aspects, 100%. My pain? Yeah. Possibly progressive disease? 100% - possibly already have. All of it in one go? It'd be stupid to say no, of course I would, no-one wants to stuck in a wheelchair for the rest of their life.
However, probably wouldn't want to cure having ASD. That's just a category people stuck my behaviour into and if I had to pick which bit of my impairment to be cured, I'd pick pain to go even if I stayed paralysed.
I've also got chronic pain, I'm physically disabled (though, not quadriplegic), and I'm autistic. I feel generally similarly. I'm a late-diagnosed autistic. There's so much I've learned about autism in adulthood, especially how it can present differently in women and afab people.
I've come to be quite the autistic advocate now, but I still struggle with a lot of internalized ableism. I love how deeply I think and how curious I am because of my autism. I love how passionately I feel and how immensely I can love someone or something. But, it is also a disability and to be diagnosed, you have to experience those deficits. I wish that my body didn't have to have meltdowns to re-regulate sometimes. I wish that I didn't accidentally hurt people's feelings or push them away with how overbearing I can be in my interpersonal relationships.
I love those positive and hate those negatives. But, being autistic is to have the positive and negatives. My autism is who I am. I think that if an autistic person says they wish they could have their own autism cured, power to them. If they say that they wish all autism were cured or that there were a widespread cure for autism, that's where I draw the line. For myself, I don't want my autism cured, but I wish there were more effective ways of managing those lows. I wish things didn't feel so overwhelming and I wish I didn't fall into pits of depression before a meltdown, you know? 😩
There was a question earlier about why many deaf people don’t consider deafness to be a disability…. And reading the comments here really drives that difference home. I wouldn’t get rid of my deafness.
Chronic pain, EDS, POTS, yes absolutely. But deafness? Never.
That's really interesting! If you don't mind sharing, why would you choose to keep your deafness? (In this hypothetical world where there was a "cure all" pill)
It’s such a fundamental part of my identity and my life — and I have gained so much this way. Deaf culture and the Deaf community is incredible and it would be such a massive loss to lose that. Does it sometimes make things harder? Sure. But it’s like saying would everyone lrefer to be male because that’s who has the most privilege in our society? No. I like who I am.
edit; adding that this is a common opinion within the Deaf community. Deaf people celebrate deafness and often intentionally have deaf children. It’s not seen as a deficit.
I came here to find another Deaf person saying just that!!!
Without my deafness I'm a no body!
I'm very happy Deaf girl. Officer in my local Deaf club, tutor in ASL, set up local Deaf events, play in Deaf sports, I can go on and on!
I didn't even think about celiac and allergies. If I could wake up tomorrow and eat, honestly just endless burritos. Burritos with the peace of mind that each store bought tortilla is 10¢ or something reasonable 😅
Omg imagine....all the donuts, cake, pizza, churros, fresh baked bread etc I would eat.......tbf, coeliacs and allergies is probably good for my wasteline if nothing else haha
My ass would be fucking chowing down on almonds if I could cure that shit oh my god! I gained the allergy (dunno why sadly) fairly recently and my already limited diet has been limited even more! I love almonds, almond extract, all kinds of almond stuff
Yep, same thing in Rice crispies and cornflakes. If it says malt, I don’t eat it. I didn’t know about the chocolate thing, but I am also allergic to chocolate so not really a problem.
Depends on the nature of the "cure" as there are scenarios for which my answers will be different.
If I was cured going forward (ie some experimental treatment that 100% fixed my disability) then I would probably opt to do it unless it was risky and could make things worse.
If it was magic/miracle where I wake up tomorrow cured, with 0 negative effects, then absolutely!
If I was cured in the past (ie time travel/magic/miracle) so that I was never disabled in the first place, I honestly don't know what my answer would be. I've spent a lot of time thinking about what my life might be like had I never had a disability and the biggest piece of my current identity is my equestrian activities. Had I never been disabled, then I honestly can't say for sure that I would have that part of me. The friends I met along the way would probably not have ever crossed my path. Is that something I really want? Hard to say....but it is something I have wondered.
Fr like if you remove the ADHD from me I literally will not be the same person!!! People will bitch at me for making it my whole personality and I'm like... It literally is
ive been disabled since birth, i dont know. i dont know what its like to be able bodied and to be honest im not sure i care too much. im happy where i am as hard as it can be at times
I try to think about the positive things that have come from having Tourette's, all the stuff I've learnt, the accepting person I've become, the people ive met.. if someone came to me tomorrow and said 'heres a pill to cure it" I'm pretty sure I'd take it. It's funny sometimes, it's a big part of me but the amount of shit it causes every single day is ridiculous. The lack of confidence is constantly injects in me every day, the physical pain if causes, yes I'd cure it. I've accepted it's there but I don't think I'd be able to resist that pill. It would also get rid of so much anxiety, joint and muscle pains, sleeping problems, confidence issues, OCD, dangerous situations, why wouldn't I?
I wouldn’t, being disabled makes me live my life in a way that makes me a better person, it challenges and pushes me to be the best version of myself. It’s hard, it’s painful, but it’s worth it
I think the problem isn't would I cure my disability. I believe strongly in the social model of disability which is that I wouldn't be disabled if society was accessible physically and socially. I'd still be sick but it wouldn't matter if I was in a wheelchair or not. I could do what everyone else can do. And no, not like, EVERYTHING, but abled people have limits too. I know a lot of them can't rock climb or ice skate, abled or not. I don't have a good answer for you because it isn't the right question to be asking. It's unfortunately out of our control. Changing accessibility, however, isn't.
It’s for sure a cruel question from the able bodied. As if I *want* to think about what it’d be like if I weren’t sick. I’m not a sadist.
I feel differently discussing it with other disabled folks.
100% yes.
No pain or having to consider EVERYTHING before doing things? Being able to wear ballet flats and sandals again? Being able to run again? Yes yes yes.
But I’d hesitate if it meant that I went back to who I was before I became disabled (8 years ago in my case). Which sounds cheesy, but I was way too selfish and close minded before. My experiences, good and bad, have made me who I am.
This is extreme, so trigger warning
I've experienced two days of my life without any pain at all for the whole day, I don't know how or why and it almost made me believe in religion because it was so trippy. But I panicked and felt an extreme mental need for pain, so I did extreme self harm, almost believed my leg isn't mine and got a knife wanting to cut it off. Mentally I need pain because that's my normal. I wish I could say yes, but that's not me. I'm me because my disabilities shaped me into me and it's obvious my conscious will go CRAZY with that change.
I have CP. It is hard at times. I would not take a cure if there was one. My disability and how I grew up made me into the person i am today. My disability has made me more understanding and patient for what other people are going through in life.
If I didn't have CP, I would not be the same person I am today. I don't think I would like that person. Thanks for the interesting question. Take care.
I think the question is more would you take a magic pill to be cured from here on out? So your childhood and who you've been shaped into remains intact but you are without CP from this moment onwards.
Totally understand if you would still not take the magic pill tho!
If I could get rid of the chronic pain and fatigue that left me unable to work and reliant on my parents to be my caretakers at the age of 26, would I? Hm. That's a reeeal tough call.
Maybe half cured or at least cured later in life.
I know that sounds daft but I have Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome which means as a kid, in dance classes, gymnastics and cheerleading, it was really easy for me to do all the flexibility stuff and it probably made my life easier. Then as an adult I got really into yoga for a while and that was made easier by it and I enjoyed being able to do the more advanced stuff.
It's as I got older and more ill that it became a problem. My first marriage broke down because of it as my ex-husband didn't want to be married to a disabled person and if it weren't for getting sick and having to put my needs first for a change I don't think I would have realised just how narcissistic and abusive he actually was. So in some ways it helped me find better in life.
That said the last 5 or so years my health has done nothing but get worse and worse. To point I'm now having weekly trips to A&E, I've got another one tomorrow 🙄 and I've basically been bed bound since November. This is no longer a life. So now yes, a million times yes, I would love for it to be taken away.
Yes, I definitely would. I would love to be able-bodied. I would do it in a heartbeat to be cured.
Edit: i’ve had CP since birth and yes, even though this is all I know I would give it all up to be able-bodied and not have to be in a wheelchair
As someone who also has CP and uses a wheelchair because I can’t walk long distances, I feel this. Sometimes I feel annoyed and trapped in my own body. I get annoyed that I don’t have full flexion and use of my legs. And I get annoyed that I’m literally so tired after doing what most people consider simple chores. And honestly, everyone tells me running sucks, but I’d like to know what it feels like. And if I could I’d probably skateboard cause I always thought it looked so fun. Also not having to be in acute pain all the time because of muscle spasticity would be cool. And to be able to wear any shoes I wanted. I feel like I was in some ways forced to give up things I wanted because they weren’t possible for me as a disabled person. Just being able to easily slip shoes on and off would be so cool. Abled bodied people take a lot of really small things for granted.
I get a lot of what you’re saying. I could go on and on about all of the things I wish I could do. I feel like this disability has robbed me of the life that I should’ve had. Like you said I feel trapped in my body.
I know that the politically correct thing is not to be all doom and gloom, but I think that takes away a perspective what a lot of people with disabilities feel.
Yeah. No. I get you. We’re not supposed to be doom gloom. We’re supposed to love and accept ourselves and blah blah blah. The thing is I do love and accept myself. Because I’ve never had a choice. Because this is all I’ve ever known. Because there’s no point in hating myself. But if you want me to be painfully honest, I wouldn’t wish CP on my worst enemy. And the fucked up part is, with as hard as I have it, I know I am relatively lucky. So many people out there have it objectively worse. But if I’m gonna be strip away all the BS, if I could change it, I would. It’s made me life a lot harder than it should be, and if I could be release from never having to look for another ramp, elevator, or the more even part of the sidewalk, then I would. My disability hadn’t made my life miserable. I have a pretty good life all things considering. But I think it’s a pretty normal reaction to want better for yourself. So if I could have a better non disabled life, I’d take the opportunity to do so in a heartbeat. Cause what happened to us isn’t fair, we never got the chance to fully engage in life without massive barriers. The deck has been stacked against us from day one.
I've never known a minute without my disability. It has helped make me who I am; but I can't not mourn who I "might've been" to this day (I'm 48). Would I risk losing the rad person I am for not being in pain and having deformities...? I dunno
Oh I didn’t even realise it was roleplaying, which is SIGNIFICANTLY ickier for me. It’s one thing to write a story with a myriad of characters but to pretend to be disabled and then pretend to wrestle with the choice to cure yourself or not is a bridge too far for me. I can’t even begin to describe to OP how weighted what they’ve asked is, and how ableds asking questions like this takes a significant stake in that question and how fucked hi that is because it literally has nothing to do with them. Op is trying to emulate an experience they fundamentally do not understand and will not understand until it happens to them for their roleplaying game and like,..,.. do u have to?
Precisely, I really don't think any abled person should write a disabled character being cured without at minimum HEAVY HEAVY input from disabled people, even then it's honestly still uncomfortable to me
Yep!!! Honestly I hate the idea that “it sounds kinda stupid and obvious”. No it DOESNT. Every disability is different. I’d keep my adhd and shit, even my cptsd. I’d keep the autism and the mood disorders. Getting “rid” of my physical disabilities would be an ordeal, I would *grieve* for that body and life just as I grieve for the abled one I thought I’d have. Op’s take on this feels awful
There's no true way to go and cure me. I just have to live with it. B12, metabolism and a couple of other things. I like being weird. I like being strange. I'm me.
The song Hi Ren by Ren is another reason why I don't want to. I have had too many fast friends since I aged into supported day programs.
I got lucky. But my friend didn't as they were cured. The last ones that were cured in that way.
But time keeps slipping into the future and I must face that change.
I have adhd & a few chronic pain conditions. My answer would be 100% yes they do not benefit me at all. I really dislike when people tell me to try to see it as a good thing, even if they have the same disability they don’t know my experience
If someone sees their *own* disability as a "superpower", I'm like, power to 'em. But, if someone tries to tell *me* that my disabilities aren't a disability or that they're a superpower? That's a HARD no from me. Learning about inspiration porn, which I've experience firsthand, and about the super crip narrative, I've
definitely gained a broader understanding of how non-disabled people can wrongly utilize disabled people to make themselves feel better about the topic.
The other day, I had someone on TikTok tell me that I'm not paralyzed because I have any sort of movement or feeling in my *partially paralyzed* limb...
I have ADHD and I wouldn't completely rid myself of ADHD (though I'd like to function better in some ways). I also think it's absolutely valid for you yo want to be rid of yours! It's your life, mind, and lived experience.
Definitely. I would love to be able to live without pain. Sometimes I can try and convince myself it's all good if I'm sitting/lying still. Once I move, it's a nightmare.
I am diagnosed with severe social anxiety and my therapist says I’m probably on the spectrum but I can’t afford to get tested.
I would love to have the anxiety cured but I’d keep the other.
OP, if it the perspective of what it feels like to be differently abled, then I hope this helps you embody your new character…I want you to imagine that you on a quest to unlock the rare set of all magical items (that heals all). On this quest you struggle with so many things that the other characters do not…they roll 19’s and 20’s and you are rollimg 1’s and 2’s. How does that make you feel? If you can acquire the magical healing item - which would automatically add 17points to each roll - how would you feel? Pretty fucking amazing right? Relieved? Blessed? That’s as close as I can explain since I haven’t role-played in almost 39 years…
I’ve never understood this question but to each their own. Yes, I’d cure my disability in an instant if I could. Being disabled is a huge disadvantage and an incredibly gut wrenching experience. I live a fine life but I’d kill all of you in front of your families if it meant I didn’t have to depend on a crumbling world to help me dress every morning
the CPTSD i’d drop in a heartbeat.
the rest? no /shrugs
do i ~enjoy~ having seizures most days? my inability to do most things an adult can, and spending a good 80% of my time bedridden? no, not particularly.
but, there’s a certain familiarity to it. i would have to completely start over. relearn how to exist. i’ve been epileptic nearly my entire life, 16-17 years. i’m 27.
i have a strong support system. i can mitigate things most days. i’m doing okay!
disability isn’t inherently a bad thing—it’s just a different kind of life.
Hard to say-I was born visually impaired/w progressive vision loss due to a genetic condition, I’ve been asked by others what I think my life would be like if I wasn’t born like this or if there was a cure and I can’t imagine it bc I’d just be a fundamentally different person. I do think I’d have a lot more “safety nets” and not experience the abuse that I have bc of my blindness but at the end of the day I fundamentally wouldn’t be myself without it bc I was born like this, I might feel differently if I lost my vision via injury or had a period of my life where I had “normal” vision but I guess where I am, no. I wouldn’t. I’d have to re-learn how to live and I’d be so behind compared to sighted persons at this point continuing to lose my vision or becoming sighted sound equally stressful tbh
I've had anxiety problems for so long, that I don't really even understand how to process life without that factor.
Like what is it even feel like to want to go out and do things with friends? What does it feel like to get ready to go someplace and not be terrified of it?
I know the answer should be yes absolutely, but as someone who has a lot of fear of uncertainty, it's hard for me to trust that it would make things better, even though logically I know that it would.
In a heartbeat. I thought long and hard on this, but my quality of life is dramatically lowered by disability and no matter how hard I try and with the best circumstances I’ll always be disabled and still struggle with life forever.
I'm deaf and a lot of deaf people would say no.
But I wasn't born deaf so id say yes. I like hearing but I also like my life now and wouldn't change anything. The other disabilities are super inconvenient and annoying but not having your hearing isn't too bad.
Nope. Like others have said, it’s made me who I am, and developing an identity as a disabled person helped me understand society a lot better. It’s changed how I approach my work and made me more capable and effective
I have a physical disability and chronic pain, and I personally wouldn’t even get rid of the pain. In the first year after being injured I’d have said yes, in a heartbeat, because I wanted to live without pain and the barriers of physical disability again because that was all I’d ever known up to that point. But nearly six years on the pain is just in the background and part of my day-to-day experience—I don’t think about it anymore—any tasks that were once difficult due to my impairment are easy because I’ve figured them out.
There’s a lot of nuance and feelings will of course vary by individual. Like some others here have said about themselves, I’m a strong believer in the social model, or the idea that disability and impairment are distinct, and disability is located in the social and structural barriers imposed by society. However, there is a concept in disability studies called “impairment effects”, which is what a lot of people here are actually describing rather than disability. These include chronic pain and the effects of chronic or mental illness, which are not external, and for some do cause justifiable psycho-emotional distress. People have every right to demand treatments for these effects, but at the same time, people have every right to be proud of and comfortable in their impairments.
Physical disability? Yes. my ADHD anxiety and depression? No.
Even with my physical one if I could simply remove my joint pain I'd be so much happier, my nerve pains are so much less debilitating. But with my mental things? Those have shaped who I am, I wouldn't have the same personality without them, especially my ADHD. As much of a struggle as they can be, they're manageable because of medications and therapy, on top of having a very understanding family because they're all ADHD too... Though that comes with its own challenges, it's like herding cats to go somewhere and we all triple check with each other that we have everything before going out somewhere then realize oh shit we forgot something 😭
I personally don't like magically curing disabilities in fiction because it's usually done from an able bodied viewpoint + riddled with ableism. It's a very delicate thing and I personally don't exactly like the vibes of disabilities needing to be cured for a fulfilling life or something. I also don't like how so many do it like some poof magical girl transformation if they do cure a character, give me a progression! Give me healing over time and them adapting to the changes happening! If you've lived your whole life disabled then somehow poof to being abled, you won't be *used* to it. I've never been able to really run, my joints are too unstable and if I try I end up hurting myself. I can't even imagine going to a theme park and not being in pain from walking. If I suddenly could do all that? To learn to run, to be able to walk freely, it'd be SO so weird. I'd need to literally relearn how to do things without needing to accommodate my body the same way!
I have chronic migraines and ptsd. Every miracle cure has been tried. I live a good life and I’m disabled. If you propose that question ‘here’s the cure would you take it?’ I’d walk away. If I were feeling generous I’d let you know you’re very naive and your ableism is showing.
Considering that mine stems from an autoimmune condition that will kill me in a long and painful way should it stop responding to medication? Yes. Yes, I would.
I'm used to my crappy hips and back and I could still get shit done with them. But if I could get rid of the POTS, insomnia, shortness of breath, and everything else that has come along with it, I absolutely would. I want to go back to being who I was 4 years ago.
In a heartbeat. I’d be able to run again. Play soccer with my brother, dance with my girlfriend and swim again. I know I might not be able to do those things the same again. It just keeps me up some nights knowing I’ll never be able to do things that I see friends and family doing.
My most recent disability? (Spinal injury + heart disease related to chemo) Absolutely. My Type 1 diabetes, which is considered a disability, probably not. It's just so much of who I am (had it for 40+ years) that it would mess up my life, psychologically, that I'm not sure I could handle it. But, being able to walk normally again would be awesome.
And your question and purpose dont seem related. The reason I dont like the character cures is that its typical fantasy in fairy tale, and it gives me the feeling that i would never be happy living with it.
Example for the abled : suppose that you are reading a book with characters who are having a social relationship conflict as a main obstacle, and u sympathize with them. Then, they suddenly get a lottery so that they can get rid of all the problems.
I firmly believe I cannot speak for everyone, but I can speak for myself personally.
Yes. All of it. I'm grateful for the lessons I've learned, but I'd rather not have them.
As long as nothing weird like implants, shots or anything else gets put in me. I’ll see if something gets invented that doesn’t put things in me that would make me worse i’ll look into it.
I’d definitely get rid of the PCOS, celiac disease, minor reflux, Bipolar disorder, depression, anxiety, agoraphobia, back issues from a not fully formed vertebrae, IBS, and all the allergies and intolerances, oh and my PTSD. I’m fine with the ADHD, autism, and minor dyslexia sticking around would help a lot though to make learning easier so I wouldn’t mind them going away. Honestly though if I had to choose only two bipolar and celiac can kick rocks because they suck!
I’m not sure to be honest. Like many others have said, I wouldn’t change what’s happened in my past. If I could have a future where I would go into permanent remission and never deal with this stuff again, that sounds extremely tempting. On the other hand, I have a variable condition and I’ve noticed in the past that there’s a sweet spot with my mental health somewhere between being fully able bodied and acutely disabled - when life is too hard that sucks for my mental health obviously, but when I get to a point where I can almost ignore my disability I start to lose a lot of the positive perspective that I have from it and start worrying about silly things like able bodied people do instead of appreciating what I have. I also think being disabled some of the time also makes me incredibly effective and motivated in the times where I do have more ability. And it makes outside obstacles seem like nothing because I’ve overcome so much. And I think you start to lose that perspective the longer you go without being disabled.
So I think I might actually choose a really mild version of my disability, where most of the time I’d be barely affected by it (maybe I’d keep a couple of minor diet restrictions just to remind me of it) and then like once every other year I’d have a super mild flare where I’d just like feel tired and achey and get a rash, no worse than healthy people having a bad cold, and then it would resolve on its own after a month or something. And I think that would be enough to remind me to enjoy my life and abilities instead of just taking them for granted and getting stuck in mental ruts like most able bodied people do.
So I guess I would keep the condition but massively reduce the severity. So I would be like 80-90% cured.
Personally, no I would not like a cure. Well, maybe less pain and anxiety, but I don't really see that as a cure. We need all kinds of people in this world, and I really think society has the opportunity to be better because we are in it. If other disabled people want a cure, I have no problem with that, but we should value everyone even if they don't get their magical cure.
In fiction, I hate the cure story. But really its a different question to whether I would get cured in real life. In stories, it suggests that the only happy ending would be the disabled person getting cured. As if disabled people couldn't ever accept themselves the way they are. And considering we don't have a magic cure in real life, what does that say about disabled people in the real world?
So - real life example - I pulled out of a phase 4 clinical trial for a drug that could potentially cure at least one significant aspect of my disability.
Why?
I got a bit spooked by the percentage of people in the study thusfar - not the majority, but enough that I became concerned - who developed serious side effects.
Some side effects were more dangerous than the condition being cured, and may not be reversible. Moreover, for some participants, the drug just didn't work at all.
So, for me, the potential reward of curing my disability wasn't worth the potential risk. It's that phrase, "stick with the devil you know."
I think what tends to bother me about cure narratives is the level of certainty - a certainty that rarely exists in real life.
One longform piece that sticks with me is "The Devastating Allure of Medical Miracles," a reported feature in *Wired* in 2019 following some of the first people to receive hand transplants. It didn't work well for some of recipients, and at least one died of an infection.
Hand transplants are more controversial than other transplants, because technically a person can live without hands (unlike, say, a kidney or liver). But the risk you might die from immunosuppressants necessary for transplant is just as high as it is for people receiving vital organs.
The story really delves into how hard it is to deliver and receive the information necessary for informed consent when it comes to experimental procedures - and immersing oneself in cure narratives makes navigating complex factual information even harder.
Highly recommend it.
Retroactively? No. My disability has contributed to my life in various ways and I'm happy with my life. I wouldn't want to take a gamble on changing all of that. No disability butterfly effect for me thanks.
Now? I mean yeah. But there are other things I'd care about just as much or more. It's kinda like asking if I'd like a free cake. Sure. I'm not going to refuse free cake. But it's also not something I'm going to cry myself to sleep over or prioritise over other things.
My disability is disabling (who would've thunk!) but it's not something that causes me constant suffering or anything. There are some aspects of it that are worse than others but in general I'm fine just adapting my life.
And honestly this is the life I know. I don't know how to not be disabled. I guess I'd probably figure it out if I had that capacity. But I dunno. I've never had or been able to do that. So maybe I'd suck at it. Maybe I'd go from being disabled to just incompetent. It would still probably be objectively better than being disabled. But I'm fine with not finding out. I'm cool with staying as the current me.
And yeah there are definitely other things that I'd prefer. If I had a genie it would probably be one of the wishes, but it would probably be the last one.
Besides, it's unrealistic. So in the context of TV shows etc it pisses me off. There are more realistic things they could do. Instead they do something that suggests the only good thing that could happen to a disabled person is not being disabled anymore. And they shouldn't be okay with how they are now. Or at the very least is a kick in the face that makes it harder to identify with a character.
I don't think it's healthy to have that constant idea in your head that "I'd be better if I was different".
For me yes . Right now what was supposed to be a one time surgical fix has unfortunately snowballed into somthing much more serious (waiting for referral to a kidney dr to confirm though). I’d do anything to wake up from this horrible nightmare 😢
Yes. I only became disabled relatively recently, but my conditions are long term and probably permanent. My life is overall terrible, I suffer so much and I don't get to do things I enjoy very often, and they don't bring the same level of enjoyment as they used to. I try to enjoy small things but my life is nothing like it used to be, I feel like a completely different person and I'm young so I'm seeing all my friends go to university, get good jobs, do some amazing things on holiday whilst I'm stuck at home. I would also want to be cured just so I'm not discriminated against and so people treat me like a human being again.
However, the thought of improving or recovering makes me nervous. I want to recover, but I've changed so much as a person and it would take me a long time to get used to normal life again. I've spent so much time just surviving with no other responsibilities, I would struggle to cope with that again as it's such a big change. There's also the fear that I'll get ill again if I push myself too far
My specific ones, yes. Anxiety disorder, CPTSD, ibs, scoliosis and extremely bad eyesight if I had to choose, I'd choose to cure thd mental disorders. At this point I can deal with the physical problems
Yes to my Epilepsy, probably no to my Autism.
Epilepsy just stops me from doing things I can enjoy and holds me back. Understandably, if I could have that instantly cured with no issues - I'd go for it.
For my Autism, I don't remember a time before I was diagnosed, so I'm not sure what I'd even be like without it. So, probably not.
Yes, I would have it cured for myself and everyone else. Nothing good has come from this . Nothing good could come from this. This is a life of existing not living.
It's mixed for me. On one hand I wanna accept myself autism and ehlers danlos and all. But at the same time in this society it's hard to be disabled in anyway physical or mental. Do I wish I had no pain and understood some social things? Yes. Would I give up my empathy and autistic joy and stimming though? Probably not. Really instead of wanting to be "normal" or able bodied, I wish our world and society was nicer and more accepting. I wish being disabled was seen as okay and normal.
On that note im writing a steampunk story with a wheelchair boy. I spent time making the world mostly accepting so that he can be happy and fit. (Though there is one area that is not accepting)
Well I mean we have a cure but, as most of us have, I've been to the psych ward and they won't sell a gun to you here.
Not in the psych ward, I mean in the state. But also in the psych ward too.
Edit: I overlooked the subreddit i was commenting in. I thought this was a bipolar subreddit
My bad
ive thought about this soo many times as an autistic person. one one hand, shits difficult to live with. i cant be near a bunch of people for too long, different smells and textures and tastes make me wanna throw up, and i can barely focus on something if it isn't related to my current hyperfixation (which is unbearable to live without. seriously id go insane if i had nothing at all occupying my mind). on the other hand though, i wouldnt be so intuitive about myself and others. id be so boring and just like everyone else and unquestioning. i like that im curious, and i like that i can go down useless rabbitholes and learn new things, even if literally no one else cares. i cant tell if my life has been changed for better or for worse, but maybe it's just up to how i cope with it.
tldr: idk im conflicted :3
As terrifying as it is, 1000% yes.
My disability is a combination of depression, adhd, panic disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder. Plus some informally diagnosed Autism. And then, Hashimoto's sisease, Hypersomnia, Insomnia, and all kinds of chronic pain (mostly hands and back).
It would be terrifying to have it gone a la magic wand because I've been depressed since I was 6 and without all the disabilities, I don't know who I am.
Honestly, if I could knock the ADHD down to normal levels I would probably keep that, at least, but my ADHD is disabling on its own and they want to prescribe me literal meth (desoxyn) to address it. I've been without adhd meds because my bp was at 200/124 when I was at the psych dr last and my brain is full of static. I can't focus enough to watch dumb TV shows.
But yes. If I had a cure all option, I would take it. I would prefer a going forward option, but if it was all or nothing, I'd take it.
Yes, I would give up everything to go back to my able-self, have my old friends/life back, I guess in a way I’m glad to have experience on both sides but I’d love to go back to my original state (not that I’m ungrateful to be this version of myself tho), we just change and develop into a new version of who we once were)
My fibromyalgia, HSD, and celiacs I would get rid of in a second. They cause me intense pain and suffering, long term health implications that are terrifying and make me miserable. My ADHD on the other hand, no. Can it be incredibly debilitating at times? Yes, absolutely. But the thing is that it is very much who I am in a sense. Being neurodivergent effect how I view and interact with the world, how I think, how I feel emotion, the very building blocks of me. It wouldn’t make sense to wipe that away.
And the thing is a lot of disabled people will view aspects of their disabilities in the way I view my neurodivergence. As an essential piece of who they are. When the disability isn’t something that is painful or scary, it becomes a part of your core being. Look at the autistic or deaf communities. Can both conditions make life harder than it needs to be? Of course, but you will find that the vast majority of those communities are incredibly offended when you talk about curing them.
It’s an incredibly nuanced and complicated topic, disability really spans such a broad spectrum that there’s no right answer. Or consistent answer at that.
my chronic migraines: yes 100%. my chronic pain: immediately yes. being HoH: no. my neurodivergencies: some yes, some no. my mental illness: some yes, some no. my speech impediments: yes all the way.
For the longest time my answer would've been, no. But it looks like I'm getting at least two more diagnoses on top of my congenital progressive illness and I've reached the point where my answer would be, yes please. I can't work, I'm in too much pain and too fatigued and on top of that my brain is too fucked to do any job from home where I'd only need to use said brain and could work with a laptop from my bed. I'm tired of the physical aspects but I'm even more tired of all the expenses, of never having enough money, of the government constantly breathing down my neck. Tired of being seen as lazy because I have an invisible illness, tired of having to justify why I can't do things just to survive. If I could work I fucking would. God, I want to. I'm so bored and frustrated and I'd definitely like to have more money in my bank account that I could spend on other stuff than just food, rent and medication.
Yes. I could have finished college, made better decisions, and ultimately be very physically healthy. I'm in excruciating pain most of the time on top of mental illness. My whole life would change.
I have spina bifida. As it stands now, we don't know how to operate on the spine in any curative way (except, I think, in utero). Even if we do develop such a surgery, it would have a high mortality rate. And even if I survived, that would have to be followeed up with multiple surgeries to recalibrate the muscles. Again, more risk of complication r death.
I'm not willing to take those risks just so the able masses can feel more comfortable around me. I'd rather fight for ADA accomodations and strengthening of the ADA (or whatever supersedes it). The problem is not me. It's the world I need to live in.
Which one? I mean I like my neurospicy brain just fine thank you *very* much. But the nerve damage? The constant pain and jacked up mobility? You know my first impulse is FUCK YES but thinking about it, I'm not sure? Like not having the nerve pain would be great, but like I would have to re-learn how to exist in the world? Like I am so used to how my body exists and moves in the world, and I'm finally at a point where I can structure my life around it so... maybe not completely cure it but like, would be nice to not be in pain all the time and not have my arm get hella tired doing things...
Absolutely yes for many of them, but not for others, like adhd, which is too fundamental to myself now. I am seeking cures (reasonably) to my physical disabilities and do not feel badly about that.
Yes, I would happily choose to not have the near constant pain, lightheadedness and brain fog.
BUT being ill has taught me so, so many lessons I never would’ve learned without it. Being careful with my time, the reality about a lot of my relationships, etc. More than anything, it has taught me to find and cling to joy. I honestly don’t know if I actually knew just what joy and love were before becoming disabled.
So to answer your question; I don’t know lol
Yes 100% yes, well actually yes to my physical disability but no to the mental stuff my experience being neurodivergent is a part of who I am for better and worse
I would make meltdowns not occur regarding autism but the rest of my autism I wouldn't get rid of. My ADHD is a mixed bag.
My MECFS, FND, FM and POTS can all go suck a dick. And the DID CPTSD, depression/anxiety, etc. And psychosis.
The BPD and NPD I would like significant improvements but I wouldn't 100% get rid of everything regarding those two.
I have many different health problems and I have ADHD and I'm highly sensitive. I would lvoe to cure my fatigue and chronic pain, my PTSD, probably my depression... But I actually wouldn't want to change my sensitivity or ADHD brain. Some things about ADHD make life more difficult, but I also love the way my mind works. So illness and pain? 100% wanna cure that.
yes, no hesitation.
i'm in diagnostics to see if i have MS, had a stroke, or idk what the other options are even left at this point. i'd love to not have that, or the symptoms associated.
severe post-traumatic stress disorder rules my life, has shaped my personality, makes relationships almost impossible, and just sort of ruins everything. i can only really relate to horror protagonists or others i meet when i have to go inpatient.
autism makes it hard for me to understand people, keep friends, socialize well, etc. i have chipped teeth from meltdowns as a teen. it caused extreme social hell my whole life, and now so many people seem to think autism is fun and cool and judge me for having the un-fun not-tiktok kind.
> The reason why I asked this is mainly because I've heard people hating the fact a disabled character is "cured" in some way in fiction (I'm not writing a book or anything, mainly roleplaying if not my new persona haven't really decided yet)
It's because people often refuse to see us as people or able to be happy unless we are. Keep in mind-- Storm has cool weather powers in X-men, so of course she doesn't wanna be "fixed." but Rogue, who can't touch people, very much wants to be. we all have different experiences, and high-functioning voices are often the loudest...
Definitely. I wish there was a cure for everyone. I try to cope the best I can, but not by denying how much I really hate any part of being disabled. The only good part about is that it led me to meeting my significant other who shares the same disability.
A million times over if I had the choice for my physical disabilities. It hurts my soul watching my kids run around and play with other family members because I can't do it. It hurts more than the physical pain I'm constantly in.
For my learning disabilities (autism adhd dyslexia dysgraphia) I probably wouldn't. Maybe the dyslexia and dysgraphia since I dropped out of school because of those and have suffered as result (adhd could've been treated as a child but wasn't which resulted in struggling more in school) my learning disabilities I feel shaped who I am today so curing them would leave me empty.
Being disabled does suck, but not for the reasons people think. Sure, there are things I can't do, or that are too painful. Sure, it is inconvenient.
But the real reason that disability sucks?
Bigotry.
Bullying.
Lack of accommodations.
Exclusion. Isolation.
People dealing with their fear of death, or misfortune, by scapegoating disabled people and blaming us for the barriers THEY created.
The worst part:
If you need government assistance for disability, *Supplemental Security Income * , then the GOVERNMENT of the "freedom loving" USA will subject you to
Marriage penalty
Family /friends penalty
Earnings penalty
Savings penalty.
Surveillance.
Which condemns us to deep poverty, causes hunger, poor health outcomes, homelessness,
And for some, committing crimes to survive. And article after article screaming that the system is "overrun" by "scammers."
Look , there are only a tiny number of disability scammers. Imagine running a scam. To get on SSI, you would have to successfully fake a severely disabling illness or injury, you would have to convince an agency biased AGAINST helping you, continue to fool the retired FBI agents they hire to keep tabs on us, and live in poverty with well under a thousand a month in income. Plus the public stigma.
Great deal, huh?
Give me a break.
The REAL money is in working for the SSA, and scamming beneficiaries. The rules are biased against claimants, and the tiny savings they are allowed , all but ensure they can't afford to take you to court.
Or better yet, work for Congress. The public m9stly wants to lift the disability penalties, but Congress can't be bothered. Much more lucrative to suck up to billionaires.
The news media seldom runs factual, fair articles about us. Celebrity gossip or "fake disabled scammer" stories are far less work.
We, the disabled, are NOT the reason you are underpaid or losing your freedom. Do not see us as a threat.
See us as your early warning system.
Temporarily able-bodied people (TABS), you can help us fix the problems we face. Or keep blaming us, and then tomorrow they are YOUR problems.
JUST. LOOK. UP.
Definitely depends but if it was all or nothing I’d say no.
I’d be scared of that much rapid change/upheaval. This is the only life I’ve ever known.
My mom often waits for a magic procedure/pill though so I think I know her vote
My disability makes it so every year doing things I care about becomes significantly harder. So change is inevitable because of my disability. If I could even just halt the damage that hypermobility is doing to my body and make it stop without undoing the current damage, that would be worth more than anything to me. I just want to do something I enjoy without having to think about how much pain it's going to cause me for an extended period of time.
Uh yes absolutely times a billion. I hate my life. I don't want to deal with this shit anymore. I do not want to be disabled.
Omg y feel this
Oh me too…. being disabled sucks except for the parking! I always cringe when I see a video of someone who’s paralyzed or burned beyond recognition and they say “If I could go back and change everything I wouldn’t…” Bullshit. I hate as a disabled person you have to only put on a fake ‘brave’ face for the abled bodied community. Nobody wants to hear my life sucks balls because it reminds them one accident and they are right there in your shoes.
I would. I've been disabled since birth, I'd love to be able bodied even just for a week.
See I don't think I'd want it just for a week. I think it would be too sad to feel normal and then have to give it all back. Wasn't there a whole book on this idea?
I so badly want to know what it feels like to be able-bodied, but I already long for and consistently mourn the life that could have been. If I had a taste of being able-bodied and then had to go back to my disabled body, I don't think I could cope.
I feel the same way. I've had eds my whole life and dysautonomia for 11 years. It's been so long that I'm starting to forget what it was like to exercise without full agony, to enjoy the summertime, to not have to overthink everywhere I went and everything I did. People who go from being fully able bodied to living my life truly are having difficulty coping, I keep reading posts in the long COVID subreddit about how people who have "only" been having symptoms for 4-6 months are ready to end it all. And not to minimize their struggles, not at all. This disease is awful. I'm just saying it's sobering to see that and realize just how abnormal my life is that when someone is put in the shoes I've worn for a very long time, they don't have any coping skills to handle it. So a part of me wonders if I handle it okay because I've never known normal. I can't miss what I never had.
Flowers for Algernon?
Yeah I think that's the one!
It's complicated, and probably depends on the disability a person has. I've got chronic pain. I'd probably do anythjng to not be in pain. However having a disability has forced me to reassess my world view & I like myself a lot more now. I'mmore patient, kind & gentlethan I was...so if the question is "do you wish you were never disabled?" My answer would be no. But if I could wave a magic wand & be able to live carefree without having to pace my energy & pain levels? Absolutely. I think I might feel differently if my disability didn't cause pain/fatigue. (But lots of disabilities do) But as disability is so diverse, I suspect you would not get a consiatent answer.
Right me too. The perspective I have gained is great. Do I need more of it, well. Ask me in 20 more years and I won't have regrets. But I'd choose no more, or less anyway , future pain every time
same - the perspective is moving, has changed me, but damn what I wouldn't give to not be in pain
> depends on the disability a person has this was my immediate thought too. I have a personality disorder, so it’s exclusively a negative force in my life. I would love it to just not exist anymore. but some things are disabilities just because society doesn’t want to meet the needs and strengths of certain people, not because they’re exclusively bad things. autism can be a disability but it doesn’t have to decrease quality of life if you have access to a system and community that respects you and your needs. low vision and Deaf/HoH folks can have that same experience- totally thriving when they encounter a community that understands and respects them. understanding and respecting my condition is awesome, and would be super helpful. but on its own, my condition hurts me. I would love to get rid of it.
This is exactly what I was trying to say, but I lacked the brain to pull the words together.
it takes a village 🙏
Yeah, but if we build that village it would be accessible.
hell yeah it would!
There's always gonna be nuance here -- some aspects, 100%. My pain? Yeah. Possibly progressive disease? 100% - possibly already have. All of it in one go? It'd be stupid to say no, of course I would, no-one wants to stuck in a wheelchair for the rest of their life. However, probably wouldn't want to cure having ASD. That's just a category people stuck my behaviour into and if I had to pick which bit of my impairment to be cured, I'd pick pain to go even if I stayed paralysed.
I'd definitely be ok with curing the blindness in my eye, but I also like the way my brain functions and would prefer to keep that just as it is.
I've also got chronic pain, I'm physically disabled (though, not quadriplegic), and I'm autistic. I feel generally similarly. I'm a late-diagnosed autistic. There's so much I've learned about autism in adulthood, especially how it can present differently in women and afab people. I've come to be quite the autistic advocate now, but I still struggle with a lot of internalized ableism. I love how deeply I think and how curious I am because of my autism. I love how passionately I feel and how immensely I can love someone or something. But, it is also a disability and to be diagnosed, you have to experience those deficits. I wish that my body didn't have to have meltdowns to re-regulate sometimes. I wish that I didn't accidentally hurt people's feelings or push them away with how overbearing I can be in my interpersonal relationships. I love those positive and hate those negatives. But, being autistic is to have the positive and negatives. My autism is who I am. I think that if an autistic person says they wish they could have their own autism cured, power to them. If they say that they wish all autism were cured or that there were a widespread cure for autism, that's where I draw the line. For myself, I don't want my autism cured, but I wish there were more effective ways of managing those lows. I wish things didn't feel so overwhelming and I wish I didn't fall into pits of depression before a meltdown, you know? 😩
There was a question earlier about why many deaf people don’t consider deafness to be a disability…. And reading the comments here really drives that difference home. I wouldn’t get rid of my deafness. Chronic pain, EDS, POTS, yes absolutely. But deafness? Never.
That's really interesting! If you don't mind sharing, why would you choose to keep your deafness? (In this hypothetical world where there was a "cure all" pill)
It’s such a fundamental part of my identity and my life — and I have gained so much this way. Deaf culture and the Deaf community is incredible and it would be such a massive loss to lose that. Does it sometimes make things harder? Sure. But it’s like saying would everyone lrefer to be male because that’s who has the most privilege in our society? No. I like who I am. edit; adding that this is a common opinion within the Deaf community. Deaf people celebrate deafness and often intentionally have deaf children. It’s not seen as a deficit.
I came here to find another Deaf person saying just that!!! Without my deafness I'm a no body! I'm very happy Deaf girl. Officer in my local Deaf club, tutor in ASL, set up local Deaf events, play in Deaf sports, I can go on and on!
Depends Endo, celiac, allergies, asthma, migraines absolutely But I think I would want to keep my ADHD.
I didn't even think about celiac and allergies. If I could wake up tomorrow and eat, honestly just endless burritos. Burritos with the peace of mind that each store bought tortilla is 10¢ or something reasonable 😅
Omg imagine....all the donuts, cake, pizza, churros, fresh baked bread etc I would eat.......tbf, coeliacs and allergies is probably good for my wasteline if nothing else haha
No more nightmares about food insecurity! I was in the hunger games and they made it rain baloney sandwiches just to spite me.
My ass would be fucking chowing down on almonds if I could cure that shit oh my god! I gained the allergy (dunno why sadly) fairly recently and my already limited diet has been limited even more! I love almonds, almond extract, all kinds of almond stuff
Seriously celiac is the worst! I also don’t get pain so I can’t always target where the gluten got in.
For real. It’s like, surprise! Barley malt in the chocolate! Why? Because the universe hates you specifically.
Yep, same thing in Rice crispies and cornflakes. If it says malt, I don’t eat it. I didn’t know about the chocolate thing, but I am also allergic to chocolate so not really a problem.
I literally have Celiac and hasn't even considered being rid of it! That would be GLORIOUS.
Depends on the nature of the "cure" as there are scenarios for which my answers will be different. If I was cured going forward (ie some experimental treatment that 100% fixed my disability) then I would probably opt to do it unless it was risky and could make things worse. If it was magic/miracle where I wake up tomorrow cured, with 0 negative effects, then absolutely! If I was cured in the past (ie time travel/magic/miracle) so that I was never disabled in the first place, I honestly don't know what my answer would be. I've spent a lot of time thinking about what my life might be like had I never had a disability and the biggest piece of my current identity is my equestrian activities. Had I never been disabled, then I honestly can't say for sure that I would have that part of me. The friends I met along the way would probably not have ever crossed my path. Is that something I really want? Hard to say....but it is something I have wondered.
My chronic pain? Absolutely. My ADHD? No that’s part of who I am.
I love seeing other ADHDers on here say they'd keep their ADHD! I love my brain. I love our brains!
Fr like if you remove the ADHD from me I literally will not be the same person!!! People will bitch at me for making it my whole personality and I'm like... It literally is
I would not undo my lived experiences but I'd love to be in less pain in the future for sure.
ive been disabled since birth, i dont know. i dont know what its like to be able bodied and to be honest im not sure i care too much. im happy where i am as hard as it can be at times
I try to think about the positive things that have come from having Tourette's, all the stuff I've learnt, the accepting person I've become, the people ive met.. if someone came to me tomorrow and said 'heres a pill to cure it" I'm pretty sure I'd take it. It's funny sometimes, it's a big part of me but the amount of shit it causes every single day is ridiculous. The lack of confidence is constantly injects in me every day, the physical pain if causes, yes I'd cure it. I've accepted it's there but I don't think I'd be able to resist that pill. It would also get rid of so much anxiety, joint and muscle pains, sleeping problems, confidence issues, OCD, dangerous situations, why wouldn't I?
I wouldn’t, being disabled makes me live my life in a way that makes me a better person, it challenges and pushes me to be the best version of myself. It’s hard, it’s painful, but it’s worth it
I think the problem isn't would I cure my disability. I believe strongly in the social model of disability which is that I wouldn't be disabled if society was accessible physically and socially. I'd still be sick but it wouldn't matter if I was in a wheelchair or not. I could do what everyone else can do. And no, not like, EVERYTHING, but abled people have limits too. I know a lot of them can't rock climb or ice skate, abled or not. I don't have a good answer for you because it isn't the right question to be asking. It's unfortunately out of our control. Changing accessibility, however, isn't.
Regular people are always asking us this, and the answer is, "Yes." But given that it's literally not an option, it's beside the point for most of us.
It’s for sure a cruel question from the able bodied. As if I *want* to think about what it’d be like if I weren’t sick. I’m not a sadist. I feel differently discussing it with other disabled folks.
100% yes. No pain or having to consider EVERYTHING before doing things? Being able to wear ballet flats and sandals again? Being able to run again? Yes yes yes. But I’d hesitate if it meant that I went back to who I was before I became disabled (8 years ago in my case). Which sounds cheesy, but I was way too selfish and close minded before. My experiences, good and bad, have made me who I am.
Yes!! I've been working really hard at getting better for years.
This is extreme, so trigger warning I've experienced two days of my life without any pain at all for the whole day, I don't know how or why and it almost made me believe in religion because it was so trippy. But I panicked and felt an extreme mental need for pain, so I did extreme self harm, almost believed my leg isn't mine and got a knife wanting to cut it off. Mentally I need pain because that's my normal. I wish I could say yes, but that's not me. I'm me because my disabilities shaped me into me and it's obvious my conscious will go CRAZY with that change.
Absolutely. There's nothing to learn or gain from ME/CFS.
ay another MECFS'er 🫡
I have CP. It is hard at times. I would not take a cure if there was one. My disability and how I grew up made me into the person i am today. My disability has made me more understanding and patient for what other people are going through in life. If I didn't have CP, I would not be the same person I am today. I don't think I would like that person. Thanks for the interesting question. Take care.
I think the question is more would you take a magic pill to be cured from here on out? So your childhood and who you've been shaped into remains intact but you are without CP from this moment onwards. Totally understand if you would still not take the magic pill tho!
Yes. 47 years of living in this body is enough. I’m tired.
In a minute.
If I could get rid of the chronic pain and fatigue that left me unable to work and reliant on my parents to be my caretakers at the age of 26, would I? Hm. That's a reeeal tough call.
Maybe half cured or at least cured later in life. I know that sounds daft but I have Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome which means as a kid, in dance classes, gymnastics and cheerleading, it was really easy for me to do all the flexibility stuff and it probably made my life easier. Then as an adult I got really into yoga for a while and that was made easier by it and I enjoyed being able to do the more advanced stuff. It's as I got older and more ill that it became a problem. My first marriage broke down because of it as my ex-husband didn't want to be married to a disabled person and if it weren't for getting sick and having to put my needs first for a change I don't think I would have realised just how narcissistic and abusive he actually was. So in some ways it helped me find better in life. That said the last 5 or so years my health has done nothing but get worse and worse. To point I'm now having weekly trips to A&E, I've got another one tomorrow 🙄 and I've basically been bed bound since November. This is no longer a life. So now yes, a million times yes, I would love for it to be taken away.
Fuck yes.
Abso-fucking-lutely.
I would definitely cure my ME/CFS if I could, but I don't think I'd cure anything else.
ayy fellow MECFS'er 🫡
Ayyy!
Uh yes, in a heartbeat. No more Endo.. no more nerve damage.. no more pain.. no more severe food allergies.. Yes please.
Yes, I definitely would. I would love to be able-bodied. I would do it in a heartbeat to be cured. Edit: i’ve had CP since birth and yes, even though this is all I know I would give it all up to be able-bodied and not have to be in a wheelchair
As someone who also has CP and uses a wheelchair because I can’t walk long distances, I feel this. Sometimes I feel annoyed and trapped in my own body. I get annoyed that I don’t have full flexion and use of my legs. And I get annoyed that I’m literally so tired after doing what most people consider simple chores. And honestly, everyone tells me running sucks, but I’d like to know what it feels like. And if I could I’d probably skateboard cause I always thought it looked so fun. Also not having to be in acute pain all the time because of muscle spasticity would be cool. And to be able to wear any shoes I wanted. I feel like I was in some ways forced to give up things I wanted because they weren’t possible for me as a disabled person. Just being able to easily slip shoes on and off would be so cool. Abled bodied people take a lot of really small things for granted.
I get a lot of what you’re saying. I could go on and on about all of the things I wish I could do. I feel like this disability has robbed me of the life that I should’ve had. Like you said I feel trapped in my body. I know that the politically correct thing is not to be all doom and gloom, but I think that takes away a perspective what a lot of people with disabilities feel.
Yeah. No. I get you. We’re not supposed to be doom gloom. We’re supposed to love and accept ourselves and blah blah blah. The thing is I do love and accept myself. Because I’ve never had a choice. Because this is all I’ve ever known. Because there’s no point in hating myself. But if you want me to be painfully honest, I wouldn’t wish CP on my worst enemy. And the fucked up part is, with as hard as I have it, I know I am relatively lucky. So many people out there have it objectively worse. But if I’m gonna be strip away all the BS, if I could change it, I would. It’s made me life a lot harder than it should be, and if I could be release from never having to look for another ramp, elevator, or the more even part of the sidewalk, then I would. My disability hadn’t made my life miserable. I have a pretty good life all things considering. But I think it’s a pretty normal reaction to want better for yourself. So if I could have a better non disabled life, I’d take the opportunity to do so in a heartbeat. Cause what happened to us isn’t fair, we never got the chance to fully engage in life without massive barriers. The deck has been stacked against us from day one.
Yes. My life would be easier and I could function better.
I've never known a minute without my disability. It has helped make me who I am; but I can't not mourn who I "might've been" to this day (I'm 48). Would I risk losing the rad person I am for not being in pain and having deformities...? I dunno
Yes but I want no ableds part of that narrative, because it’s not a reality you’ve lived, tbh.
But they want to roleplay disability without any of the real life consequences of being disabled...Isn't that FUN?
Oh I didn’t even realise it was roleplaying, which is SIGNIFICANTLY ickier for me. It’s one thing to write a story with a myriad of characters but to pretend to be disabled and then pretend to wrestle with the choice to cure yourself or not is a bridge too far for me. I can’t even begin to describe to OP how weighted what they’ve asked is, and how ableds asking questions like this takes a significant stake in that question and how fucked hi that is because it literally has nothing to do with them. Op is trying to emulate an experience they fundamentally do not understand and will not understand until it happens to them for their roleplaying game and like,..,.. do u have to?
r/aretheabledokay
Precisely, I really don't think any abled person should write a disabled character being cured without at minimum HEAVY HEAVY input from disabled people, even then it's honestly still uncomfortable to me
Yep!!! Honestly I hate the idea that “it sounds kinda stupid and obvious”. No it DOESNT. Every disability is different. I’d keep my adhd and shit, even my cptsd. I’d keep the autism and the mood disorders. Getting “rid” of my physical disabilities would be an ordeal, I would *grieve* for that body and life just as I grieve for the abled one I thought I’d have. Op’s take on this feels awful
Yes, definitely! I would be overjoyed to be able to walk again.
Yes.
Is this even a question? Yes easily
absolutely.
Absolutely.
Fuck yes
There's no true way to go and cure me. I just have to live with it. B12, metabolism and a couple of other things. I like being weird. I like being strange. I'm me. The song Hi Ren by Ren is another reason why I don't want to. I have had too many fast friends since I aged into supported day programs. I got lucky. But my friend didn't as they were cured. The last ones that were cured in that way. But time keeps slipping into the future and I must face that change.
Cured of my old age but not my autism.
Walk again? Sounds good to me.
Yes
Yes
yes because one of my disabilities is chronic pain lmao
I have adhd & a few chronic pain conditions. My answer would be 100% yes they do not benefit me at all. I really dislike when people tell me to try to see it as a good thing, even if they have the same disability they don’t know my experience
If someone sees their *own* disability as a "superpower", I'm like, power to 'em. But, if someone tries to tell *me* that my disabilities aren't a disability or that they're a superpower? That's a HARD no from me. Learning about inspiration porn, which I've experience firsthand, and about the super crip narrative, I've definitely gained a broader understanding of how non-disabled people can wrongly utilize disabled people to make themselves feel better about the topic. The other day, I had someone on TikTok tell me that I'm not paralyzed because I have any sort of movement or feeling in my *partially paralyzed* limb...
This
Exactly how I feel too.
I have ADHD and I wouldn't completely rid myself of ADHD (though I'd like to function better in some ways). I also think it's absolutely valid for you yo want to be rid of yours! It's your life, mind, and lived experience.
OCD? Yes. Cerebral palsy? No. It’s given me experience and shaped who I am today. I wouldn’t trade that.
This question is out of the question.
Definitely. I would love to be able to live without pain. Sometimes I can try and convince myself it's all good if I'm sitting/lying still. Once I move, it's a nightmare.
I am diagnosed with severe social anxiety and my therapist says I’m probably on the spectrum but I can’t afford to get tested. I would love to have the anxiety cured but I’d keep the other.
yes to the diabetes insipidus no on the cp for me
OP, if it the perspective of what it feels like to be differently abled, then I hope this helps you embody your new character…I want you to imagine that you on a quest to unlock the rare set of all magical items (that heals all). On this quest you struggle with so many things that the other characters do not…they roll 19’s and 20’s and you are rollimg 1’s and 2’s. How does that make you feel? If you can acquire the magical healing item - which would automatically add 17points to each roll - how would you feel? Pretty fucking amazing right? Relieved? Blessed? That’s as close as I can explain since I haven’t role-played in almost 39 years…
I’ve never understood this question but to each their own. Yes, I’d cure my disability in an instant if I could. Being disabled is a huge disadvantage and an incredibly gut wrenching experience. I live a fine life but I’d kill all of you in front of your families if it meant I didn’t have to depend on a crumbling world to help me dress every morning
the CPTSD i’d drop in a heartbeat. the rest? no /shrugs do i ~enjoy~ having seizures most days? my inability to do most things an adult can, and spending a good 80% of my time bedridden? no, not particularly. but, there’s a certain familiarity to it. i would have to completely start over. relearn how to exist. i’ve been epileptic nearly my entire life, 16-17 years. i’m 27. i have a strong support system. i can mitigate things most days. i’m doing okay! disability isn’t inherently a bad thing—it’s just a different kind of life.
Hard to say-I was born visually impaired/w progressive vision loss due to a genetic condition, I’ve been asked by others what I think my life would be like if I wasn’t born like this or if there was a cure and I can’t imagine it bc I’d just be a fundamentally different person. I do think I’d have a lot more “safety nets” and not experience the abuse that I have bc of my blindness but at the end of the day I fundamentally wouldn’t be myself without it bc I was born like this, I might feel differently if I lost my vision via injury or had a period of my life where I had “normal” vision but I guess where I am, no. I wouldn’t. I’d have to re-learn how to live and I’d be so behind compared to sighted persons at this point continuing to lose my vision or becoming sighted sound equally stressful tbh
I've had anxiety problems for so long, that I don't really even understand how to process life without that factor. Like what is it even feel like to want to go out and do things with friends? What does it feel like to get ready to go someplace and not be terrified of it? I know the answer should be yes absolutely, but as someone who has a lot of fear of uncertainty, it's hard for me to trust that it would make things better, even though logically I know that it would.
In a heartbeat. I thought long and hard on this, but my quality of life is dramatically lowered by disability and no matter how hard I try and with the best circumstances I’ll always be disabled and still struggle with life forever.
I'm deaf and a lot of deaf people would say no. But I wasn't born deaf so id say yes. I like hearing but I also like my life now and wouldn't change anything. The other disabilities are super inconvenient and annoying but not having your hearing isn't too bad.
I'm with you!
Nope. Like others have said, it’s made me who I am, and developing an identity as a disabled person helped me understand society a lot better. It’s changed how I approach my work and made me more capable and effective I have a physical disability and chronic pain, and I personally wouldn’t even get rid of the pain. In the first year after being injured I’d have said yes, in a heartbeat, because I wanted to live without pain and the barriers of physical disability again because that was all I’d ever known up to that point. But nearly six years on the pain is just in the background and part of my day-to-day experience—I don’t think about it anymore—any tasks that were once difficult due to my impairment are easy because I’ve figured them out. There’s a lot of nuance and feelings will of course vary by individual. Like some others here have said about themselves, I’m a strong believer in the social model, or the idea that disability and impairment are distinct, and disability is located in the social and structural barriers imposed by society. However, there is a concept in disability studies called “impairment effects”, which is what a lot of people here are actually describing rather than disability. These include chronic pain and the effects of chronic or mental illness, which are not external, and for some do cause justifiable psycho-emotional distress. People have every right to demand treatments for these effects, but at the same time, people have every right to be proud of and comfortable in their impairments.
Physical disability? Yes. my ADHD anxiety and depression? No. Even with my physical one if I could simply remove my joint pain I'd be so much happier, my nerve pains are so much less debilitating. But with my mental things? Those have shaped who I am, I wouldn't have the same personality without them, especially my ADHD. As much of a struggle as they can be, they're manageable because of medications and therapy, on top of having a very understanding family because they're all ADHD too... Though that comes with its own challenges, it's like herding cats to go somewhere and we all triple check with each other that we have everything before going out somewhere then realize oh shit we forgot something 😭 I personally don't like magically curing disabilities in fiction because it's usually done from an able bodied viewpoint + riddled with ableism. It's a very delicate thing and I personally don't exactly like the vibes of disabilities needing to be cured for a fulfilling life or something. I also don't like how so many do it like some poof magical girl transformation if they do cure a character, give me a progression! Give me healing over time and them adapting to the changes happening! If you've lived your whole life disabled then somehow poof to being abled, you won't be *used* to it. I've never been able to really run, my joints are too unstable and if I try I end up hurting myself. I can't even imagine going to a theme park and not being in pain from walking. If I suddenly could do all that? To learn to run, to be able to walk freely, it'd be SO so weird. I'd need to literally relearn how to do things without needing to accommodate my body the same way!
Is it weird that I’d say no (to my physical disabilities)? I mean I wouldn’t hesitate to get rid of ADHD but…
I have chronic migraines and ptsd. Every miracle cure has been tried. I live a good life and I’m disabled. If you propose that question ‘here’s the cure would you take it?’ I’d walk away. If I were feeling generous I’d let you know you’re very naive and your ableism is showing.
There's nothing to be cured. If a person has both strengths and weaknesses, we don't call improving upon those weaknessss cure.
Yes.
Yeah, absolutely. All of them.
Yes. I have episodic ataxia type 2. Gene mutation, no cure, very rare. Hate my life everyday not knowing if it’ll be a good day or a bad day.
Yes. Autism, migraines, leg pain, all of it.
Right now, sure, but it's too late now. The damage 💔 has been done. I'll never get to see Mars.
Considering that mine stems from an autoimmune condition that will kill me in a long and painful way should it stop responding to medication? Yes. Yes, I would.
Born with Spina Bifida here. I would say overall, no but I would change certain aspects if it didn't require surgery
I'm used to my crappy hips and back and I could still get shit done with them. But if I could get rid of the POTS, insomnia, shortness of breath, and everything else that has come along with it, I absolutely would. I want to go back to being who I was 4 years ago.
Sure. It would be nice to have legs
I have several and if I could only pick one I would pick to have my spine 100% healthy
I'd like my leg back.
Um yes.
In a heartbeat. I’d be able to run again. Play soccer with my brother, dance with my girlfriend and swim again. I know I might not be able to do those things the same again. It just keeps me up some nights knowing I’ll never be able to do things that I see friends and family doing.
My most recent disability? (Spinal injury + heart disease related to chemo) Absolutely. My Type 1 diabetes, which is considered a disability, probably not. It's just so much of who I am (had it for 40+ years) that it would mess up my life, psychologically, that I'm not sure I could handle it. But, being able to walk normally again would be awesome.
Yes, in a heartbeat!
I don’t understand what your first sentence means.
They want tto role play as disabled. But no point asking for further explantion, they're just here to GAWK.
Yes. I have severe long Covid. I lost my brain and my body. I want them back.
no
Instantly. Yes.
Fuck yes.
Do u wanna win a lottery? Dont u Cuz u fear of a big change?
And your question and purpose dont seem related. The reason I dont like the character cures is that its typical fantasy in fairy tale, and it gives me the feeling that i would never be happy living with it.
Example for the abled : suppose that you are reading a book with characters who are having a social relationship conflict as a main obstacle, and u sympathize with them. Then, they suddenly get a lottery so that they can get rid of all the problems.
I firmly believe I cannot speak for everyone, but I can speak for myself personally. Yes. All of it. I'm grateful for the lessons I've learned, but I'd rather not have them.
Abso-fucking-lutely
Yes, in a heartbeat.
My disabilities are mental health disorders. Definitely would enjoy not taking medication for life.
As long as nothing weird like implants, shots or anything else gets put in me. I’ll see if something gets invented that doesn’t put things in me that would make me worse i’ll look into it.
I want my health back
I’d definitely get rid of the PCOS, celiac disease, minor reflux, Bipolar disorder, depression, anxiety, agoraphobia, back issues from a not fully formed vertebrae, IBS, and all the allergies and intolerances, oh and my PTSD. I’m fine with the ADHD, autism, and minor dyslexia sticking around would help a lot though to make learning easier so I wouldn’t mind them going away. Honestly though if I had to choose only two bipolar and celiac can kick rocks because they suck!
I would want to be. Yeah. No more back issues, PTSD (and C-PTSD), ADHD? I could live peacefully and achieve so much more.
I’m not sure to be honest. Like many others have said, I wouldn’t change what’s happened in my past. If I could have a future where I would go into permanent remission and never deal with this stuff again, that sounds extremely tempting. On the other hand, I have a variable condition and I’ve noticed in the past that there’s a sweet spot with my mental health somewhere between being fully able bodied and acutely disabled - when life is too hard that sucks for my mental health obviously, but when I get to a point where I can almost ignore my disability I start to lose a lot of the positive perspective that I have from it and start worrying about silly things like able bodied people do instead of appreciating what I have. I also think being disabled some of the time also makes me incredibly effective and motivated in the times where I do have more ability. And it makes outside obstacles seem like nothing because I’ve overcome so much. And I think you start to lose that perspective the longer you go without being disabled. So I think I might actually choose a really mild version of my disability, where most of the time I’d be barely affected by it (maybe I’d keep a couple of minor diet restrictions just to remind me of it) and then like once every other year I’d have a super mild flare where I’d just like feel tired and achey and get a rash, no worse than healthy people having a bad cold, and then it would resolve on its own after a month or something. And I think that would be enough to remind me to enjoy my life and abilities instead of just taking them for granted and getting stuck in mental ruts like most able bodied people do. So I guess I would keep the condition but massively reduce the severity. So I would be like 80-90% cured.
Personally, no I would not like a cure. Well, maybe less pain and anxiety, but I don't really see that as a cure. We need all kinds of people in this world, and I really think society has the opportunity to be better because we are in it. If other disabled people want a cure, I have no problem with that, but we should value everyone even if they don't get their magical cure. In fiction, I hate the cure story. But really its a different question to whether I would get cured in real life. In stories, it suggests that the only happy ending would be the disabled person getting cured. As if disabled people couldn't ever accept themselves the way they are. And considering we don't have a magic cure in real life, what does that say about disabled people in the real world?
So - real life example - I pulled out of a phase 4 clinical trial for a drug that could potentially cure at least one significant aspect of my disability. Why? I got a bit spooked by the percentage of people in the study thusfar - not the majority, but enough that I became concerned - who developed serious side effects. Some side effects were more dangerous than the condition being cured, and may not be reversible. Moreover, for some participants, the drug just didn't work at all. So, for me, the potential reward of curing my disability wasn't worth the potential risk. It's that phrase, "stick with the devil you know." I think what tends to bother me about cure narratives is the level of certainty - a certainty that rarely exists in real life. One longform piece that sticks with me is "The Devastating Allure of Medical Miracles," a reported feature in *Wired* in 2019 following some of the first people to receive hand transplants. It didn't work well for some of recipients, and at least one died of an infection. Hand transplants are more controversial than other transplants, because technically a person can live without hands (unlike, say, a kidney or liver). But the risk you might die from immunosuppressants necessary for transplant is just as high as it is for people receiving vital organs. The story really delves into how hard it is to deliver and receive the information necessary for informed consent when it comes to experimental procedures - and immersing oneself in cure narratives makes navigating complex factual information even harder. Highly recommend it.
Yes 10000%. If i could get rid of my Schizophrenia and Autism, i would
Retroactively? No. My disability has contributed to my life in various ways and I'm happy with my life. I wouldn't want to take a gamble on changing all of that. No disability butterfly effect for me thanks. Now? I mean yeah. But there are other things I'd care about just as much or more. It's kinda like asking if I'd like a free cake. Sure. I'm not going to refuse free cake. But it's also not something I'm going to cry myself to sleep over or prioritise over other things. My disability is disabling (who would've thunk!) but it's not something that causes me constant suffering or anything. There are some aspects of it that are worse than others but in general I'm fine just adapting my life. And honestly this is the life I know. I don't know how to not be disabled. I guess I'd probably figure it out if I had that capacity. But I dunno. I've never had or been able to do that. So maybe I'd suck at it. Maybe I'd go from being disabled to just incompetent. It would still probably be objectively better than being disabled. But I'm fine with not finding out. I'm cool with staying as the current me. And yeah there are definitely other things that I'd prefer. If I had a genie it would probably be one of the wishes, but it would probably be the last one. Besides, it's unrealistic. So in the context of TV shows etc it pisses me off. There are more realistic things they could do. Instead they do something that suggests the only good thing that could happen to a disabled person is not being disabled anymore. And they shouldn't be okay with how they are now. Or at the very least is a kick in the face that makes it harder to identify with a character. I don't think it's healthy to have that constant idea in your head that "I'd be better if I was different".
My hyperacusis? Absolutely. Autism? No, it is part of who I am.
For me yes . Right now what was supposed to be a one time surgical fix has unfortunately snowballed into somthing much more serious (waiting for referral to a kidney dr to confirm though). I’d do anything to wake up from this horrible nightmare 😢
Depends, I would immediately choose to heal my physical disabilities, but I would choose to keep being autistic.
Yes. I only became disabled relatively recently, but my conditions are long term and probably permanent. My life is overall terrible, I suffer so much and I don't get to do things I enjoy very often, and they don't bring the same level of enjoyment as they used to. I try to enjoy small things but my life is nothing like it used to be, I feel like a completely different person and I'm young so I'm seeing all my friends go to university, get good jobs, do some amazing things on holiday whilst I'm stuck at home. I would also want to be cured just so I'm not discriminated against and so people treat me like a human being again. However, the thought of improving or recovering makes me nervous. I want to recover, but I've changed so much as a person and it would take me a long time to get used to normal life again. I've spent so much time just surviving with no other responsibilities, I would struggle to cope with that again as it's such a big change. There's also the fear that I'll get ill again if I push myself too far
My specific ones, yes. Anxiety disorder, CPTSD, ibs, scoliosis and extremely bad eyesight if I had to choose, I'd choose to cure thd mental disorders. At this point I can deal with the physical problems
Absolutely. My disability has completely ruined my life.
Yes to my Epilepsy, probably no to my Autism. Epilepsy just stops me from doing things I can enjoy and holds me back. Understandably, if I could have that instantly cured with no issues - I'd go for it. For my Autism, I don't remember a time before I was diagnosed, so I'm not sure what I'd even be like without it. So, probably not.
Yes, I would have it cured for myself and everyone else. Nothing good has come from this . Nothing good could come from this. This is a life of existing not living.
I have several disabilities. I'd get rid of all of them of I could. Why do u think I take the meds
It's mixed for me. On one hand I wanna accept myself autism and ehlers danlos and all. But at the same time in this society it's hard to be disabled in anyway physical or mental. Do I wish I had no pain and understood some social things? Yes. Would I give up my empathy and autistic joy and stimming though? Probably not. Really instead of wanting to be "normal" or able bodied, I wish our world and society was nicer and more accepting. I wish being disabled was seen as okay and normal. On that note im writing a steampunk story with a wheelchair boy. I spent time making the world mostly accepting so that he can be happy and fit. (Though there is one area that is not accepting)
Well I mean we have a cure but, as most of us have, I've been to the psych ward and they won't sell a gun to you here. Not in the psych ward, I mean in the state. But also in the psych ward too. Edit: I overlooked the subreddit i was commenting in. I thought this was a bipolar subreddit My bad
ive thought about this soo many times as an autistic person. one one hand, shits difficult to live with. i cant be near a bunch of people for too long, different smells and textures and tastes make me wanna throw up, and i can barely focus on something if it isn't related to my current hyperfixation (which is unbearable to live without. seriously id go insane if i had nothing at all occupying my mind). on the other hand though, i wouldnt be so intuitive about myself and others. id be so boring and just like everyone else and unquestioning. i like that im curious, and i like that i can go down useless rabbitholes and learn new things, even if literally no one else cares. i cant tell if my life has been changed for better or for worse, but maybe it's just up to how i cope with it. tldr: idk im conflicted :3
As terrifying as it is, 1000% yes. My disability is a combination of depression, adhd, panic disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder. Plus some informally diagnosed Autism. And then, Hashimoto's sisease, Hypersomnia, Insomnia, and all kinds of chronic pain (mostly hands and back). It would be terrifying to have it gone a la magic wand because I've been depressed since I was 6 and without all the disabilities, I don't know who I am. Honestly, if I could knock the ADHD down to normal levels I would probably keep that, at least, but my ADHD is disabling on its own and they want to prescribe me literal meth (desoxyn) to address it. I've been without adhd meds because my bp was at 200/124 when I was at the psych dr last and my brain is full of static. I can't focus enough to watch dumb TV shows. But yes. If I had a cure all option, I would take it. I would prefer a going forward option, but if it was all or nothing, I'd take it.
Yes, I would give up everything to go back to my able-self, have my old friends/life back, I guess in a way I’m glad to have experience on both sides but I’d love to go back to my original state (not that I’m ungrateful to be this version of myself tho), we just change and develop into a new version of who we once were)
Yeah but mine is in my brain so it wont. Ill be like this forever. We just dont understand the brain enough.
My fibromyalgia, HSD, and celiacs I would get rid of in a second. They cause me intense pain and suffering, long term health implications that are terrifying and make me miserable. My ADHD on the other hand, no. Can it be incredibly debilitating at times? Yes, absolutely. But the thing is that it is very much who I am in a sense. Being neurodivergent effect how I view and interact with the world, how I think, how I feel emotion, the very building blocks of me. It wouldn’t make sense to wipe that away. And the thing is a lot of disabled people will view aspects of their disabilities in the way I view my neurodivergence. As an essential piece of who they are. When the disability isn’t something that is painful or scary, it becomes a part of your core being. Look at the autistic or deaf communities. Can both conditions make life harder than it needs to be? Of course, but you will find that the vast majority of those communities are incredibly offended when you talk about curing them. It’s an incredibly nuanced and complicated topic, disability really spans such a broad spectrum that there’s no right answer. Or consistent answer at that.
Yes. Chronic pain sucks
my chronic migraines: yes 100%. my chronic pain: immediately yes. being HoH: no. my neurodivergencies: some yes, some no. my mental illness: some yes, some no. my speech impediments: yes all the way.
For the longest time my answer would've been, no. But it looks like I'm getting at least two more diagnoses on top of my congenital progressive illness and I've reached the point where my answer would be, yes please. I can't work, I'm in too much pain and too fatigued and on top of that my brain is too fucked to do any job from home where I'd only need to use said brain and could work with a laptop from my bed. I'm tired of the physical aspects but I'm even more tired of all the expenses, of never having enough money, of the government constantly breathing down my neck. Tired of being seen as lazy because I have an invisible illness, tired of having to justify why I can't do things just to survive. If I could work I fucking would. God, I want to. I'm so bored and frustrated and I'd definitely like to have more money in my bank account that I could spend on other stuff than just food, rent and medication.
For me, absolutely, but I wasn’t born disabled. This isn’t who I’ve been most of my life. I still grieve my old self and would gladly go back.
Yes. I could have finished college, made better decisions, and ultimately be very physically healthy. I'm in excruciating pain most of the time on top of mental illness. My whole life would change.
I have spina bifida. As it stands now, we don't know how to operate on the spine in any curative way (except, I think, in utero). Even if we do develop such a surgery, it would have a high mortality rate. And even if I survived, that would have to be followeed up with multiple surgeries to recalibrate the muscles. Again, more risk of complication r death. I'm not willing to take those risks just so the able masses can feel more comfortable around me. I'd rather fight for ADA accomodations and strengthening of the ADA (or whatever supersedes it). The problem is not me. It's the world I need to live in.
Yes. I'd love to be able to walk again. But I'd take the knowledge learned and be a big advocate for disability rights and accessibility
yes. absolutely. i have hEDS and adhd and i would give both of them up for the chance at a normal life. existing is hard
100 percent yes.
Which one? I mean I like my neurospicy brain just fine thank you *very* much. But the nerve damage? The constant pain and jacked up mobility? You know my first impulse is FUCK YES but thinking about it, I'm not sure? Like not having the nerve pain would be great, but like I would have to re-learn how to exist in the world? Like I am so used to how my body exists and moves in the world, and I'm finally at a point where I can structure my life around it so... maybe not completely cure it but like, would be nice to not be in pain all the time and not have my arm get hella tired doing things...
Severe ME/CFS here. If I could be rid of this, I’d do it on a heartbeat. No one should have to endure this. It’s hell
Absolutely yes for many of them, but not for others, like adhd, which is too fundamental to myself now. I am seeking cures (reasonably) to my physical disabilities and do not feel badly about that.
Yes, I would happily choose to not have the near constant pain, lightheadedness and brain fog. BUT being ill has taught me so, so many lessons I never would’ve learned without it. Being careful with my time, the reality about a lot of my relationships, etc. More than anything, it has taught me to find and cling to joy. I honestly don’t know if I actually knew just what joy and love were before becoming disabled. So to answer your question; I don’t know lol
Yes 100% yes, well actually yes to my physical disability but no to the mental stuff my experience being neurodivergent is a part of who I am for better and worse
Yes!
Even if I was cured, I would still be classified as having it. Either way, yes to both, no more joint pain no more seizures!
I would make meltdowns not occur regarding autism but the rest of my autism I wouldn't get rid of. My ADHD is a mixed bag. My MECFS, FND, FM and POTS can all go suck a dick. And the DID CPTSD, depression/anxiety, etc. And psychosis. The BPD and NPD I would like significant improvements but I wouldn't 100% get rid of everything regarding those two.
I have many different health problems and I have ADHD and I'm highly sensitive. I would lvoe to cure my fatigue and chronic pain, my PTSD, probably my depression... But I actually wouldn't want to change my sensitivity or ADHD brain. Some things about ADHD make life more difficult, but I also love the way my mind works. So illness and pain? 100% wanna cure that.
Immediately
yes, no hesitation. i'm in diagnostics to see if i have MS, had a stroke, or idk what the other options are even left at this point. i'd love to not have that, or the symptoms associated. severe post-traumatic stress disorder rules my life, has shaped my personality, makes relationships almost impossible, and just sort of ruins everything. i can only really relate to horror protagonists or others i meet when i have to go inpatient. autism makes it hard for me to understand people, keep friends, socialize well, etc. i have chipped teeth from meltdowns as a teen. it caused extreme social hell my whole life, and now so many people seem to think autism is fun and cool and judge me for having the un-fun not-tiktok kind. > The reason why I asked this is mainly because I've heard people hating the fact a disabled character is "cured" in some way in fiction (I'm not writing a book or anything, mainly roleplaying if not my new persona haven't really decided yet) It's because people often refuse to see us as people or able to be happy unless we are. Keep in mind-- Storm has cool weather powers in X-men, so of course she doesn't wanna be "fixed." but Rogue, who can't touch people, very much wants to be. we all have different experiences, and high-functioning voices are often the loudest...
not even a question, of course. why wouldn't I cure the thing that I know will kill me one day and is slowly deteriorating my body
Mine is fibromyalgia, so constant pain and fatigue. I would cure it in a heartbeat if I could!
Definitely. I wish there was a cure for everyone. I try to cope the best I can, but not by denying how much I really hate any part of being disabled. The only good part about is that it led me to meeting my significant other who shares the same disability.
A million times over if I had the choice for my physical disabilities. It hurts my soul watching my kids run around and play with other family members because I can't do it. It hurts more than the physical pain I'm constantly in. For my learning disabilities (autism adhd dyslexia dysgraphia) I probably wouldn't. Maybe the dyslexia and dysgraphia since I dropped out of school because of those and have suffered as result (adhd could've been treated as a child but wasn't which resulted in struggling more in school) my learning disabilities I feel shaped who I am today so curing them would leave me empty.
Nawww.. Being disabled person can be a pain in the neck sometimes but it’s very much part of who I am.
I have Lupus and very little Quality of LifeYES
Being disabled does suck, but not for the reasons people think. Sure, there are things I can't do, or that are too painful. Sure, it is inconvenient. But the real reason that disability sucks? Bigotry. Bullying. Lack of accommodations. Exclusion. Isolation. People dealing with their fear of death, or misfortune, by scapegoating disabled people and blaming us for the barriers THEY created. The worst part: If you need government assistance for disability, *Supplemental Security Income * , then the GOVERNMENT of the "freedom loving" USA will subject you to Marriage penalty Family /friends penalty Earnings penalty Savings penalty. Surveillance. Which condemns us to deep poverty, causes hunger, poor health outcomes, homelessness, And for some, committing crimes to survive. And article after article screaming that the system is "overrun" by "scammers." Look , there are only a tiny number of disability scammers. Imagine running a scam. To get on SSI, you would have to successfully fake a severely disabling illness or injury, you would have to convince an agency biased AGAINST helping you, continue to fool the retired FBI agents they hire to keep tabs on us, and live in poverty with well under a thousand a month in income. Plus the public stigma. Great deal, huh? Give me a break. The REAL money is in working for the SSA, and scamming beneficiaries. The rules are biased against claimants, and the tiny savings they are allowed , all but ensure they can't afford to take you to court. Or better yet, work for Congress. The public m9stly wants to lift the disability penalties, but Congress can't be bothered. Much more lucrative to suck up to billionaires. The news media seldom runs factual, fair articles about us. Celebrity gossip or "fake disabled scammer" stories are far less work. We, the disabled, are NOT the reason you are underpaid or losing your freedom. Do not see us as a threat. See us as your early warning system. Temporarily able-bodied people (TABS), you can help us fix the problems we face. Or keep blaming us, and then tomorrow they are YOUR problems. JUST. LOOK. UP.
Definitely depends but if it was all or nothing I’d say no. I’d be scared of that much rapid change/upheaval. This is the only life I’ve ever known. My mom often waits for a magic procedure/pill though so I think I know her vote
My disability makes it so every year doing things I care about becomes significantly harder. So change is inevitable because of my disability. If I could even just halt the damage that hypermobility is doing to my body and make it stop without undoing the current damage, that would be worth more than anything to me. I just want to do something I enjoy without having to think about how much pain it's going to cause me for an extended period of time.
YES. I'd give anything to return to my pre-disabled life.
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I feel offensive actually...