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CW: food
„Everyone can go vegan!“
A very personal thread.
I‘m not vegan.
I‘m not vegetarian.
I‘m not even pescatarian.
I eat „everything“...though in reality I eat a very limited diet.
That’s because I‘m autistic.
Not because I don‘t care.
#autism #vegan #vegetarian #food
„Everyone can go vegan!“
A very personal thread.
I‘m not vegan.
I‘m not vegetarian.
I‘m not even pescatarian.
I eat „everything“...though in reality I eat a very limited diet.
That’s because I‘m autistic.
Not because I don‘t care.
#autism #vegan #vegetarian #food
I have four main issues with my diet:
1. Sensory.
2. Executive Dysfunction.
3. Sameness.
4. Disability and chronic illness.
5. Money.
Let me explain how these influence what I eat, and why they make it impossible for me to change my diet much at all, let alone become #vegan.
1. Sensory.
2. Executive Dysfunction.
3. Sameness.
4. Disability and chronic illness.
5. Money.
Let me explain how these influence what I eat, and why they make it impossible for me to change my diet much at all, let alone become #vegan.
1. Sensory.
I am autistic. I have sensory processing problems.
This is a neurological issue that I can‘t do anything about but accommodate.
Smell, taste, or texture of a #food can make it impossible for me to eat.
If I force myself, I get meltdowns.
#autism #ActuallyAutistic
I am autistic. I have sensory processing problems.
This is a neurological issue that I can‘t do anything about but accommodate.
Smell, taste, or texture of a #food can make it impossible for me to eat.
If I force myself, I get meltdowns.
#autism #ActuallyAutistic
I do try to eat new things when I feel able.
Sometimes I succeed with a thing or two.
I struggle the most with eating vegetables and fruits.
I have a couple I can eat and I do - but it’s not enough to sustain me.
It‘s likely never going to be enough to go #vegan.
#autism
Sometimes I succeed with a thing or two.
I struggle the most with eating vegetables and fruits.
I have a couple I can eat and I do - but it’s not enough to sustain me.
It‘s likely never going to be enough to go #vegan.
#autism
2. Executive Dysfunction.
Executive Dysfunction means problems with planning, prioritizing, time management, multi tasking, starting, stopping, and switching tasks, and more.
This is a neurological issue.
It is IMPOSSIBLE for me to cook due to my Excutive Dysfunction.
Executive Dysfunction means problems with planning, prioritizing, time management, multi tasking, starting, stopping, and switching tasks, and more.
This is a neurological issue.
It is IMPOSSIBLE for me to cook due to my Excutive Dysfunction.
Executive Dysfunction and other issues also make it impossible for me to plan and shop for meals independently.
My husband prepares all my meals and does the meal planning and shopping. My carer helps.
This dependency severely limits my autonomy.
(I am VERY lucky to get fed.)
My husband prepares all my meals and does the meal planning and shopping. My carer helps.
This dependency severely limits my autonomy.
(I am VERY lucky to get fed.)
3. Sameness.
I am autistic. One huge issue that causes me is my very strong need for sameness. I struggle dealing with change.
I still eat most of the same things I used to eat in childhood.
For my autistic brain the world is overwhelming chaos.
Same foods keep me functional.
I am autistic. One huge issue that causes me is my very strong need for sameness. I struggle dealing with change.
I still eat most of the same things I used to eat in childhood.
For my autistic brain the world is overwhelming chaos.
Same foods keep me functional.
I severely struggle trying new foods - even though I WANT to!
Combined with sensory hypersensitivities need for sameness means I can‘t even eat a different brand cookie without tasting it and being distressed.
This effects EVERYTHING I eat and drink.
I can‘t just swap things.
Combined with sensory hypersensitivities need for sameness means I can‘t even eat a different brand cookie without tasting it and being distressed.
This effects EVERYTHING I eat and drink.
I can‘t just swap things.
If even the tiniest thing is off in taste or texture, if my husband changes even the smallest thing, I ALWAYS taste it - and if it‘s bad, I will be unable to eat the meal.
If I force myself, I get a #meltdown.
This is a neurological issue I can‘t fix, only accommodate.
#autism
If I force myself, I get a #meltdown.
This is a neurological issue I can‘t fix, only accommodate.
#autism
4. Disability and chronic illness.
I am #disabled and chronically ill.
I can‘t work.
I can‘t go out to do fun stuff.
I don’t have the energy necessary to change my diet.
The amount of research needed, the ongoing focus and processing - it’s impossible for me.
I tried. I try.
I am #disabled and chronically ill.
I can‘t work.
I can‘t go out to do fun stuff.
I don’t have the energy necessary to change my diet.
The amount of research needed, the ongoing focus and processing - it’s impossible for me.
I tried. I try.
I don‘t think most people understand how taxing, exhausting, utterly impossible it is for someone with my brain and my conditions to research becoming vegan.
Even trying to write about everything it would entail completely overwhelms me so I‘m going to stop to avoid a meltdown.
Even trying to write about everything it would entail completely overwhelms me so I‘m going to stop to avoid a meltdown.
5. Money.
The only way I could be able to feed myself would be ready made meals.
Good luck finding vegan ones at all.
More luck finding vegan ones with enough variety to keep me alive.
Even more luck finding ones I can afford on a 365 days a year basis.
No chance. I tried.
The only way I could be able to feed myself would be ready made meals.
Good luck finding vegan ones at all.
More luck finding vegan ones with enough variety to keep me alive.
Even more luck finding ones I can afford on a 365 days a year basis.
No chance. I tried.
My husband does cook with fresh produce daily.
But he uses cheap staples like rice and potatoes - they are affordable but they alone do NOT make a balanced, healthy diet.
What we would need to make a complete #vegan diet we simply can‘t afford.
We. Tried.
#poverty
But he uses cheap staples like rice and potatoes - they are affordable but they alone do NOT make a balanced, healthy diet.
What we would need to make a complete #vegan diet we simply can‘t afford.
We. Tried.
#poverty
I WISH I could be vegan.
I watched „Earthlings“ years ago and I will never recover from that.
I hate myself for eating animal products.
I feel extremely guilty.
But I DO NOT have a choice, if I want to survive.
I want to survive.
I deserve to survive.
#autism #disability
I watched „Earthlings“ years ago and I will never recover from that.
I hate myself for eating animal products.
I feel extremely guilty.
But I DO NOT have a choice, if I want to survive.
I want to survive.
I deserve to survive.
#autism #disability
And before anyone feels the need to tell me how I would be so much healthier if I became vegan...it doesn‘t matter.
If it cured me of all my ailments, it wouldn‘t matter.
Because I can‘t GET THERE.
Whatever benefits may await me there...I can‘t GET THERE.
So just don’t bother.
If it cured me of all my ailments, it wouldn‘t matter.
Because I can‘t GET THERE.
Whatever benefits may await me there...I can‘t GET THERE.
So just don’t bother.
The ONLY way I could become vegan would be for someone to do all the research for me, plan, buy, pay for, and prepare all my meals every single day until the day I die.
Are you going to do that?
No?
Than frankly don‘t bother trying to tell me anything.
That’s my reality.
Are you going to do that?
No?
Than frankly don‘t bother trying to tell me anything.
That’s my reality.
All of this is only a small insight into why I personally can‘t be vegan. I‘m too tired to write more.
Not everyone can be vegan.
Disabled people especially really have enough shit to deal with.
You may think you know.
You don‘t.
Cue the vegans hopping on me in 3...2...1...
Not everyone can be vegan.
Disabled people especially really have enough shit to deal with.
You may think you know.
You don‘t.
Cue the vegans hopping on me in 3...2...1...
Final note:
I didn‘t write this for sympathy.
I wrote this so other disabled people don’t have to.
Because we shouldn‘t have to.
I wrote it so people can learn and understand, and stop harrassing or shaming disabled people for their diets.
Be kind.
#disability #autism
I didn‘t write this for sympathy.
I wrote this so other disabled people don’t have to.
Because we shouldn‘t have to.
I wrote it so people can learn and understand, and stop harrassing or shaming disabled people for their diets.
Be kind.
#disability #autism
