Dear Gentle Butch, After being unable to work anywhere except for our farm for many years because of debilitating PTSD, my health is improving. I am going back to school and have been accepted to do a full-time summer internship. People who are close to me say my health is good enough to at least … Continue reading Is trying a new thing when you’re struggling with PTSD a crime?
disability
Writer asks why on earth someone who is such a mess herself thinks that she can give advice
(Spoiler alert: the writer is me.) Dear Gentle Butch, It is I, Gentle Butch, come back from an unintentional hiatus. The thing is that I started having multiple flashbacks a day and dissociating constantly. I couldn't function at work, and I couldn't concentrate on anything. I couldn't write. Like, at ALL. So, I quit writing … Continue reading Writer asks why on earth someone who is such a mess herself thinks that she can give advice
She misses romance and sex. Is her disability getting in the way?
Hello, lovely, I hope you are well! It sure is tricky to bundle all your backstory into a few brief sentences, isn't it? Here we go. I'm single, and not unhappy, but I miss romantic touch and sex. I'd adore having my own (or heck, multiple!) lover/s. Even a full-on Relationship, if I found the … Continue reading She misses romance and sex. Is her disability getting in the way?
So now we can’t even say hi to a service dog?
Dear Gentle Butch, I know we aren't supposed to touch service dogs, but we can look at them, right? What if the dog approaches us first? I was walking toward a woman with a service dog on the sidewalk, and her dog was so incredibly cute! It was a beautiful shiny black Lab bursting with … Continue reading So now we can’t even say hi to a service dog?
How do I handle my best friend’s anger?
Dear Gentle Butch, I’m physically disabled and neuro divergent with a best friend who is also neuro divergent and my aide. We’ve been best friends for seven or eight years, we have a dog together, we love doing things together, we’re roommates, and she has recently become my PCA*. A couple months ago, we hit … Continue reading How do I handle my best friend’s anger?
How can this exhausted and burned out mom stop feeling bad about feeling bad?
Dear Gentle Butch, My husband and I had our second child a little over a year ago, and we've been having a really rough time. Our daughter had a fairly run-of-the mill infancy and is now a bright, verbal, inquisitive, high-energy four-year-old. Our son doesn't have any serious medical issues or anything, but he was … Continue reading How can this exhausted and burned out mom stop feeling bad about feeling bad?
How do I deal with other people’s resentment?
Dear Gentle Butch, I'm a woman in my mid-50's, and through great privilege and luck I'm able to support myself by working as a writing/editing/website contractor just a few months per year, and go on some great trips, too. I call myself semi-retired. Due to bipolar and some physical limitations, it's hard for me to work full-time for more … Continue reading How do I deal with other people’s resentment?
How Do I Handle a Possibly Disabled Bicyclist After an Accident?
The other day in my van, when exiting a parking lot and joining traffic, I struck a cyclist whom I didn’t see because he was coming at me against traffic from behind a relatively blind corner. (Everybody is fine.) My issue is that the fellow, who was alone, seemed to have a disability of some kind, but … Continue reading How Do I Handle a Possibly Disabled Bicyclist After an Accident?
When Do I Hold The Door For Someone In A Wheelchair?
Should I hold the door for people in wheelchairs?
