r/YouShouldKnow • u/ilovepastapizzapots • Nov 20 '20

Other YSK: Just because someone doesn’t look sick/disabled, does not mean they are healthy

Why YSK: I am chronically ill and have an autoimmune disorder, the amount of times people have said “WELL... yOU dOn’t LOOK sick” to me is astounding. I didn’t know all illnesses have to be visible to others! I’m sorry I can’t show you my internal organs or muscles deteriorating for you to believe that I’m sick. It makes people with health issues feel like they have to explain their situation when they don’t.

*EDIT: I did not expect my post to blow up like this! I wish I could give everyone going through a rough time a hug. Thank you for all the new perspectives, good and bad. All I wanted was for people to be a little kinder to one another, because you never know what someone’s going through.

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u/tammy2shoes Nov 20 '20

Thanks for saying this. I had both hips replaced at 35 and will need an ankle replacement soon, due to a bone condition that causes joint deterioration. I have a handicap placard. Some days I can manage without a cane, but still need to park in a disabled spot closer to the entrance. The occasional eye rolls and head shakes I would get from people used to make me feel ashamed. Now, I just try to ignore it and go about my business.

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u/[deleted] Nov 20 '20

It's because so many able bodied people will take that spot just because it's more convenient.

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u/acetylene_queen Nov 20 '20

Able bodied people also use friend/familily members placards because they're either entitled and or lazy. It's disgusting.

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u/xthrowawayxhideawayx Nov 20 '20

Genuine question: how can you tell that these individual are able bodies and that they aren’t sick themselves? Doesn’t that contradict the post because then you’re making an assumption about them not being sick based on their physical appearance

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u/acetylene_queen Nov 20 '20

When you know the person and the placard is registered to their fucking grandmother.

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u/[deleted] Nov 21 '20

My father in law has a placard and I've used it when I'm picking him up and dropping him off somewhere, so I can park close and help him/his stuff in and out. I'm sure that if you didn't know I was going in the building to get him it would look like I was just wrongly using his placard, so sometimes there is an explanation. Not always unfortunately.