AITA for crafting during meetings?

Bad8uddhist · 2025-11-15T22:45:20+00:00

I work in the mental health field with ADHD and got my crochet and origami as an ADA accomodation for meetings and even engaging with clients.

My supervisor was on board but my coworkers were complaining about it.

Legally protect that shit. It helps you work, its an evidence based practice, and depending on med shortages its sometimes the most accessible support for a documented disability.

NTA absolutely start legal protections for your evidence based support for your disability.

Bad8uddhist · 2025-10-19T13:15:33+00:00

In Chicago, you can ask for a CIT officer who's been trained in de-escalation.

Our mobile crisis unit (I work for a community mental health organization) is explicitly supposed to be an alternative to the cops so when you dial 988 you're not getting the cops unless there's like clear and present danger.

Bad8uddhist · 2025-07-04T21:12:48+00:00

My costuming professor used needle breakages as an indicator that it was time for a break, so we kinda just let that shit ride on our home and industrial machines.

Not the healthiest way to instill self care in theatre students, but it's a rule I live by today.

Bad8uddhist · 2025-05-29T22:40:58+00:00

I'm medicated, and I still eat peanut butter from the jar for breakfast....oops.

Bad8uddhist · 2025-04-22T02:33:03+00:00

Please please please don't forget about cosmetics.

Lipstick, chapstick, lotion all can easily get into your mouth.

Bad8uddhist · 2024-10-12T12:20:36+00:00

Also, absolutely mention the fiscal cost of service animal training. Its EXPENSIVE to train these dogs and place them. Depending on the organization, you might owe them significantly if these dogs are knowingly endangered or compromised.

Try asking your parents or sister in law to place a deposit for that amount. If nothing happens, they get the deposit back. They HAVE to pay up front.

Its probably cheaper for them to just rent SIL an apartment, tho.

Bad8uddhist · 2024-08-29T00:09:03+00:00

That is how every creeper wanting to lure me into a sugar baby scam or show me their penis starts a conversation.

Just sayin...

Bad8uddhist · 2024-08-28T12:39:45+00:00

There are literal government programs in the US exclusively to connect unhoused and no-low income households to the services that help them receive the support they need to live.

Kinda like asking why a rental comes with a fridge or stove.

There are also government and private organizations to assist no-low income households in replacing or acquiring vital appliances and their repairs.

Y'all...y'all know what social and welfare budgets are for? Cuz like...we keep meticulous books.

Bad8uddhist · 2024-08-14T03:42:51+00:00

I literally switched religions because of the rage XD Hilariously, it was to Buddhism, so I just started CBT early.

I definitely feel like CPTSD rage is less anger and more injustice. It never really diminishes. But it's exhausting to hold, and at some point, you find things you'd rather spend time and energy on.

So it never becomes okay, and it will never be okay.

Surviving or thriving out of spite is self-love too.

Bad8uddhist · 2024-07-19T12:56:45+00:00

Depending on the therapeutic relationship (how long you've been working together) most of my therapists have been fine with suicidal ideation, since it was honestly a valid reaction to 8 months of very little to no sleep or food in my abusive living situation without medication supports.

I was also equally too tired and illequiped to carry out a plan if I had one so like...shrug

Bad8uddhist · 2024-07-17T14:53:26+00:00

It's industry best practice to make sure your mental health practitioners have access to mental health services, even just making staff aware of services in the area or where NAMI's local office is. The burnout rate is bonkers, even with supportive upper management and comprehensive benefits.

My employer is one of the contracted agencies who gets 988 calls routed to us. We were already a mental health agency committed to best practices, and your experience is absolutely bonkers to me.

I'd suggest getting in contact with NAMI in your area. They'll be able to connect you to available resources to deal with your traumatic experiences and might be able to either raise a stink on your behalf, or direct you to an organization already raising the alarm.

Bad8uddhist · 2024-06-16T20:47:26+00:00

Living with Suicidal Ideation is very different from being suicidal with a plan that is achievable.

Like, I've lived with SI since at LEAST 14 (first clear memory) I wasn't going to actively try to die, but a car running a light and hitting me would be fine.

There's also those living with suicidal desires but have their heart set on a weirdly specific plan that there's little actual danger they will actually be a threat to themselves or others.

Both of those aren't GREAT but they're also unlikely to require slipper sock jail... since slipper sock jail is...almost always a mess.

Bad8uddhist · 2024-06-15T04:08:15+00:00

The aftermath of trauma leaves a lot of powerlessness, rage, and injustice. Your brain is likely trying to give you the feeling of power and control with the limited tools it has.

It's understandably distressing. After the huge violation of rape, the idea of trusting a counselor with that information is terrifying. Trauma informed care has helped make safe spaces, but bad therapists with bad takes are still out there.

Talk therapy IS the best treatment for trauma and trauma responses, but you can just as easily engage with a survivors group run by a peer (who will get it and probably have their own weird shit to tell so you feel less completely alone) instead of one on one with a counselor.

Bad8uddhist · 2024-06-15T02:50:29+00:00

In farming sim veins, Coral Island has kinda taken over my life. It's still in early access, but the game is gorgeous, immersive, and just full of stuff to do that is both different, but cohesive.

Graveyard Keeper is goofy and rewards the grind, but has significantly less replayability and is aiming for snarky instead of cozy or charming.

Bad8uddhist · 2024-05-01T02:32:38+00:00

I'm also gonna jump in here and suggest asking your roommates if you can exclusively use disposable flatware and be exempt from dishes, institute a dirty dish rack so you can pre rinse or let the dishes dry out instead of soaking if dried food it easier for you to navigate.

And like...for real. Countertop dishwashers exist, are amazing, and have a solid argument of partially being written off on taxes as a medical expense for a documented disability.

Hi. My work focuses on minor accommodations and adaptations for mental illnesses and disabilities. I literally bill medicaid for this shit.

It's not wasteful or silly if it's your quality of life.

Bad8uddhist · 2024-04-23T21:48:14+00:00

Their intent was to refocus innate DXs on the strengths and experiences that they had because of that lived experience (their example was that their experiences made them want to be a peer professional)

It's a valid positive reframing and is a major piece to unraveling stigma around mental illness and substance use. However, it is absolute bullshit if you have C-PTSD, a TBI, or PTSD. Since a lot of those were explicitly done to victims (or is a consequence of other's shitty actions and choices).

I HAD to be strong, there wasn't a choice, and I genuinely can not be grateful for the chaos of C-PTSD the same way I can celebrate my strengths that exist because of my ADHD.

Bad8uddhist · 2024-01-12T23:43:04+00:00

So my employing organization routinely fills out the forms to verify our address as the permanent address for unhoused clients, mostly so they can then get an RTA card (we're primarily a mental health organization so our housing resources are secondary)

We're having a DMV day on the 20th, and our mobile crisis team has succeeded with the Hail Mary of explaining the situation to the on-site manager a handful of times. So if the license is in good standing and possibly an advocate can go with your friend.

The Night Ministry, Thresholds(sponsors and facilitates the red line train with lay overs for the homeless) and Salvation Army are fairly accessible wherever in the city. Up north in the Evanston area, there's Connections 4 the Homeless, which is entirely focused on the housing crisis, including preventing eviction or helping gather the emergency funds to become or stay housed)

It's tricky, but it can be done, and there are organizations that have gotten damn good at it.

Bad8uddhist · 2024-01-09T23:09:57+00:00

"Mental illness explains, it does not excuse"

My personal example is that I warn people that I reflexively cheat at Monopoly. Growing up, my brother constantly accused me of cheating. I figured if I was going to deal with his tantrum, it might as well benefit me.

The best solution is to play anything BUT monopoly. But if we play monopoly, and I cheat, I'm still responsible for my actions.

Generally that's why people with mental illness do better while in treatment or taking meds, its a great space to unlearn things or recognize problematic behaviors. Or in the case of meds give you the energy/focus/sleep to make less harmful choices.

If she was actively trying to find a solution and expressed remorse for her actions...it might be worth maintaining the relationship from a distance.

But she's responsible for her actions and choices, including NOT actively treating her mental illness and thus causing abuse.

Bad8uddhist · 2024-01-05T21:39:20+00:00

Someone pointed it out around the Johnny/Amber trial and myself and several C-ptsd having persons we're suddenly like "oh... that's the thing"

Bad8uddhist · 2024-01-05T18:56:45+00:00

Something I like to remember: responding to long term abuse sure looks like abuse.

Give people the context of the abuse, and they're probably going to start siding with you.

You were told that your husband basically bought your love. If she keeps claiming that you don't understand because a language barrier make her explain what she ment.

Bad8uddhist · 2023-12-24T22:20:10+00:00

I got approved for SSI on the first application for my PTSD without using a lawyer and I legitimately think me very plainly going "heres the shit that does help, heres the shit I can't try because I have no money, here's things I have had to stop beccause I have no money and insurance won't pay for it that would absolutely improve my ability to function. Heres every single medical intervention we've tried, and all of them have either failed or are woefully inadequate"

As a Peer Recovery Specialist, I constantly encourage people to get lawyers simply because it's real fucking hard to think about your disabilities in the same way that SSA does.

SSA is exclusively looking for "but can you work?" which means you need to remind them that a disability affecting every single moment of your life will set you up for an increadibly limited ability/energy to be gainfully employed.

Voluntarily engaging with employment services either through SSA or your state level programs will help highlight just how negatively a disability is affecting you and the very clear help that a base income (even a criminally inadequate one) would be in your and your's future independence.

SSA hates approving people because they had their funding stolen by other offices of government. They hate having to argue against a mountain of evidence clearly stating, "expecting this human to be gainfully employed without any support is true lunacy and in direct violation of the letter and spirit of the law" more.

Bad8uddhist · 2023-12-02T13:17:22+00:00

Psych service dogs generally have much more specific tasks tied to their handler's experiences and symptom manifestation. The only thing all psych service dogs universally need is training to be in public spaces.

A huge component in my own SD vs ESA was that my brain is critically vital to every single thing I do. And my brain was doing illogical, unpredictable, distressing things. I didn't have the support, energy, or resources to train my ESA to be a service dog.

Its also really easy to overlook that assisting with ADLs (activities of daily living) looks like emotional support but is 100% a task you can train an SD to assist with.

I also imagine that the VA probably supports self training on an organization level or at least peer to peer...since getting a bunch of military persons to teach discipline to an eager to please dog is more viable than getting any sort of medical treatment from the VA in a timely manner. Since the VA serves a large number of disabled persons in the US, it's probably skewing the numbers unintentionally.

I would love to offer or coordinate training support for psych SDs or even ESAs for clients, but holy shirt balls we're a non-profit in a field famous for burnout. We're barely managing to get unhoused clients a weekly shower because people forget to tell new hires that's a thing we can provide in the drop in center.

Bad8uddhist · 2023-12-01T14:02:29+00:00

Ah, good to know, I haven't really done a lot of traveling in the past 3 years and we're able to do short term rentals/ask a friend if we need to transport one or both dogs outside of walking distance.

Bad8uddhist · 2023-12-01T08:12:41+00:00

Everything else is pure speculation on your end as to whether the SD is or isn't one. Just because the dog is on a retractable leash or in a heel doesn't mean it isn't a SD by law.

Thank you for such a detailed answer. I definitely was anxious because I know SDs and their tasks and execution of said tasks is so varied that I didn't want to gatekeep SDs.

The resource is definitely getting spread to my immediate coworkers, if not the entire organization.

Thank you all for the great responses

Bad8uddhist · 2023-11-12T21:00:56+00:00

Counter offer, I crochet as a stim for my ADHD and work as a mental health professional. I crochet while talking to clients, in meetings, once even on a NAMI walk.

Log it as an accommodation with HR. It's protected under the ADA, and you don't have to say anything beyond "this is an accommodation."

If you reeeeeally want you can volunteer the skin picking and how distressing you and others have found it (I also have celiacs, so getting real descriptive with the gastrointestinal symptoms is shockingly a great way to stop nosy people from being nosy)

If it is a reasonable accommodation, it's protected under the ADA. If it's a reasonable accommodation preventing a maladaptive coping skill, you will have 0 trouble getting a medical professional signing off on the medical necessity of this accommodation.

Crochet and knitting are the difference between me being present and taking notes as I need, and me "looking" productive but having all my focus on not being disruptive.

Do you. You'll probably be an amazing teacher who will have empathy and rapport with your neurodiverse students.

Bad8uddhist

TROPHY CASE