Disabilities, sex and self-love
Posted: Fri Aug 09, 2024 2:08 pm
Hey everyone! This post is an opportunity to have an open, honest conversation about how the disabilities many of us have affect our sexual experiences, our day-to-day lives, our relationships with ourselves and each other, and anything in between!
Regardless of what disabilities you have, if you feel comfortable sharing any of your experiences, you can do so here with absolutely no judgement. I want this to be a way we can validate and support each other, as well as a reminder that the feelings and experiences that come with being disabled aren’t something we need to hide or be ashamed of.
I’ll start:
As someone with cerebral palsy, I have to depend on other people for help moving from place to place, and I practice moving around with a cane as well. This can lead to me feeling out of control when it comes to my body, like it doesn’t fully belong to me. This was especially difficult for me when I was a high school student, and needed to have an aid on the campus at all times to help me go anywhere.
I only realized recently that, after I finished high school and started figuring out my relationship to sex, that feeling of not having control of my body became much less overwhelming. For me, sex (specifically masturbation) helped me learn to love being in my body. Being able to make myself feel pleasure was a reminder that my body is mine and mine alone, and it doesn’t have to be a reminder of my physical limitations, it can be something that makes me happy and that I’m proud of.
I’d love to hear from anyone who wants to join the conversation!
Regardless of what disabilities you have, if you feel comfortable sharing any of your experiences, you can do so here with absolutely no judgement. I want this to be a way we can validate and support each other, as well as a reminder that the feelings and experiences that come with being disabled aren’t something we need to hide or be ashamed of.
I’ll start:
As someone with cerebral palsy, I have to depend on other people for help moving from place to place, and I practice moving around with a cane as well. This can lead to me feeling out of control when it comes to my body, like it doesn’t fully belong to me. This was especially difficult for me when I was a high school student, and needed to have an aid on the campus at all times to help me go anywhere.
I only realized recently that, after I finished high school and started figuring out my relationship to sex, that feeling of not having control of my body became much less overwhelming. For me, sex (specifically masturbation) helped me learn to love being in my body. Being able to make myself feel pleasure was a reminder that my body is mine and mine alone, and it doesn’t have to be a reminder of my physical limitations, it can be something that makes me happy and that I’m proud of.
I’d love to hear from anyone who wants to join the conversation!
. I got diagnosed when I was 12, so a little bit late. I struggled significantly socially because I didn’t really understand boundaries/relationships(not romantic) or when people were bullying me. They were kind to my face, but how was I supposed to know that someone saying you have a nice figure means you’re fat? And why is being fat a bad thing? I got bullied a lot though for my special interests. For me, I get really obsessive short-term special interests. I have never been able to have a longer lasting one? And usually each phase will last a couple of months. I get very very excited and can’t talk about anything else, and CNN used to be one of my special interests. Well, some kids bullied me for it, but it’s okay, because who is getting better grades? 
<— smirk