B*tching and Bolusing

Shattered Silence: The Hidden Dangers of Toxic Positivity in Trauma Recovery

Toxic Positivity: We've all experienced it at some point during our trauma recovery. Whether it's a well meaning relative telling you to "look on the bright side" or a stranger saying "you're so strong, I don't know how you do it". It's all left us feeling shut-down and invalidated. On the flip side, at some point, we've all probably unintentionally dished out toxic positivity to others. Saying things like "Be thankful your child can walk/talk/etc" or "at least your child can go to school", these statements are a way of telling others "it could be worse" at the expense of you and your child. Life isn't a competition, and on this episode of The Bitching and Bolusing Podcast we discuss the affects of toxic positivity and ways we can better support each other as a community of parents and caregivers.

Access Granted: Dads, Disabilities, and Tearing Down Gatekeepers with AdaptedDesign

Challenges with accessibility can come in many different forms. One of the most frustrating challenges parents can face with accessibility is the outrageous cost that comes with finding adapted toys or other functional items. There's almost a gatekeeping-mentality around those who offer switch adapted products, which allows them to charge exuberant prices. We sit down with Greg from AdaptedDesign to talk about the frustrations he faced when trying to find adapted and functional products for his daughter. This frustration drove him to learn how to switch adapt products on his own. He now offers his services at extremely reasonable cost so that all families can grant their children the joy and happiness that comes with using a switch-adapted product! Greg also discusses the lack of representation and community for fathers of disabled children, and how he turned to creating memes to help bring comic relief to those who felt the same isolation.

 

You can find Greg on Instagram at Adapted Design

From now until 11/30 you can get 20% off the Ergonomic ENFit Tool and the Suction Pump Holder with promo code BBPODCAST

Disability and Caregiving: A bullseye for Pseudoscience

Pseudoscience, with its unsubstantiated claims and misleading information, can have a particularly harmful and predatory impact on the disabled community. This exploitation often takes the form of alternative treatments and therapies that promise miraculous cures but lack scientific backing. Such pseudoscientific practices not only offer false hope but can also divert individuals from evidence-based treatments, causing severe harm. Furthermore, the predatory nature of pseudoscience can erode trust in the medical and scientific communities. When individuals are deceived by false claims, they may become skeptical of legitimate treatments and interventions, hindering their access to effective healthcare. It's crucial to combat the spread of pseudoscience and promote critical thinking to protect the well-being and rights of the disabled community.On this episode of The Bitching and Bolusing Podcast we dive into the potentially harmful impact pseudoscience can have on disabled individuals and their families. 

 

 

Arizona: The Wild West of Medicine

 

Tales of a Naturopathic Ethical Review Board

 

Unregulated Stem Cell Therapy

 

Skeptical Raptor: Using Evidence and Science to debunk bogus claims

 

Pseudoscience and bad science in Biomedicine

Every child has a right to play - Featuring Katrina from The Recess Project and Discover with Dallas

Every child has the right to play, but for children with disabilities, inclusion in play can be almost non-existent in certain circumstances. Oftentimes school playgrounds leave out room for inclusion by having non accessible equipment. Enter: Katrina, founder of The Recess Project. On this episode of The Bitching and Bolusing Podcast, we sit down with Katrina and discuss her passion for creating inclusive playgrounds for children, particularly in school settings. This love was sparked when she saw her daughter Dallas (Discover with Dallas) find pure joy on an accesible swing. Katrina discusses the importance of inclusion in play, and what she hopes The Recess Project becomes with hard work and perseverance. Katrina also discusses her role as Dallas' mom. She's helped encourage her daughters desire to grow her own social media presence and has helped her enter the world of acting in modeling, all while advocating fiercely for her daughter in a sometimes ableist industry.

 

Discover With Dallas - Instagram

Discover With Dallas - Youtube

Discover With Dallas - TikTok

 

The Recess Project Website

The Recess Project - Instagram

The Recess Project - TikTok

Caregiver parent, or just a parent?

Oftentimes parents who have medically complex and disabled children will refer to themselves as their child's caregiver. On this episode of The Bitching and Bolusing podcast, we sit down to discuss the potential harm this could have not just on our own children, but on ourselves, and within our family unit. We also discuss the desire to refer to ourselves as caregivers, the lack of representation, and how we were force-fed an idealistic version of "parenthood" by society that left us feeling isolated and misunderstood.

So let's sit down and bitch about it!

Navigating trauma through the NICU and beyond: Featuring Jen Lowe, MSW

On this episode of The Bitching and Bolusing Podcast we sit down with Jen Lowe, MSW, a social worker, therapist, and mother to a son with medical complexities who spent 3 months in the NICU. Jen offers her unique insight as a therapist who has experienced her own trauma during labor and delivery, to a long NICU stay and beyond. During her journey she developed the Miracle Kids & Parent Support Network where she helps other families who have similar experiences heal and build a community. Jen hopes to grow and expand the Miracle Kids & Parent Support Network where other families can find resources to help guide them on their own path to recovery and healing.

 

You can find The Miracle Kids & Parents Network here:

Miracle Kids & Parents Network on Instagram

Miracle Kids & Parent Support Network on Facebook

Grow With Jen Lowe Youtube

 

 

Hand To Hold

Acts of kidness and the ableist undertones

We've all been there - you're going about your life minding your own business and somebody interrupts you to do something kind simply because you have a disabled child, or because you yourself are disabled. These acts of kindness certainly come from a place of good, but it can be driven by an ableist mindset: that disabled individuals deserve pity. Sometimes these acts are only a way for the giver to feel better about themselves. Regardless, it can be jarring and can be tricky for parents of disabled children to navigate. How do we lead by example? How do we let our disabled children know that they are not obligated to take "gifts" from strangers when we ourselves freeze, smile, and say thanks? Why does it seem that these acts of kindness are only reserved for children with certain disabilities, while others are deemed "unruly", shamed, and shunned? Empathy and equity does not exist amongst all types of disabilities when it comes to these acts of kindness. So let's sit down and bitch about it on todays episode of The Bitching and Bolusing Podcast!

From Pity to Perspective: Featuring Lillian Joy

It is far too commonplace that disabled individuals and their families receive pity from passersby. The mere thought of disability becomes worst case scenario for most people who have no experience at all with disability. But this is not, and should not, be the case. On this episode of The Bitching and Bolusing Podcast we sit down with Lillian Joy to discuss the harm that can come from being on the receiving end of other peoples pity. Lillian has developed a keynote speech titled "From Pity to Perspective" based on the experiences that she's had throughout her life as a disabled individual.

 

You can find Lillian on Instagram at @yours.very.truly.lillian

Lillians Keynote speech can be found here