I want to be able to talk about just how often medical abuse, esp medical child abuse occurs to disabled & chronically ill folk and how it usually goes unnoticed or ignored
Medical child abuse (MCA) is defined as a child receiving unnecessary & harmful or potentially harmful medical care at the instigation of a caretaker. Previous names include Munchausen syndrome by proxy, factitious disorder by proxy, pediatric condition falsification, and more
Signs can be varied, even if you're the one living them. Often, especially if you've grown up in it and view these behaviors as "normal family actions", it can be hard to tell you're going through medical abuse until you've left. Here's a helpful thread about it:
Overview of signs, (and the biggest ones, in my experience)
-You're always "difficult" compared to everyone else, and they remind you of it often
-Emotional manipulation
-You take lots of medicine and it changes constantly but you don't question it
-Short temper & anger that doesn't feel like you. You dont know what's wrong
-You can't keep track of days or time & have a hard time remembering anything, you dont understand why but hope more meds will help
-"Life was better without you here, the family was happier without you"
These are just SOME examples of MCA signs, specifically with mental illness rather than physical disability. There are plenty more and are by no means limited to these. I highly, highly recommend to read that thread linked.
You may ask why this continues to happen to some disabled/chronically ill/nuerodivergent people into adulthood. The answer is simple: not everyone can leave. Not everyone is physically able to. Caretakers/systems are keeping many of us stuck in these abusive situations:
Whether it be from lack of funds to escape, or simply that this is "normal life" for people and so many don't realize its abuse. This is one of the many reasons I fight for SSI to be raised, as that extra income would help people to be able to escape and live by themselves.
Hoping this thread helps some. Things get better, I promise. If you're stuck, and suspect abuse, please reach out for help, I guarantee there are those ready to help. And just because I know some need to hear this: it's Not your fault and I love you all. You are worthy of love 💛
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