On normality: “Fuck that shit.” I think there’s a socially constructed normal way to live, but I don’t think it’s something to aim for. Who really wants to have average as a goal?
I do deal with anxiety and depression, largely from older failed attempts at being normal, though other people’s reactions to my not trying to be normal are sometimes a contributing factor to my anxiety.
When depression is not being an ass and telling me that I suck, everything I do sucks, and that I should just give up, I am happy and satisfied with my life. When depression is being an ass, I am not satisfied and would really like the depression to shut up.
I am generally relieved by the end of the day, and I run the gamut from happy to angry and energetic to exhausted.
I have felt objectified by communities around me for disability, perceived gender, actual gender, and my asexuality.
How often I get angry depends on my environment. People trying to justify killing disabled children will get me angry every time. I don’t get angry without cause, though.
AAC! Cognitive Interpreters! A friend of mine acts as a cognitive interpreter for me sometimes, because my communication style and syntax are not exactly standard.
— Alyssa
Theoretical Models
- Sociocultural Model — “I think there is a socially constructed way to live.”
- Semiotics — This is one quote from Alyssa, which highlights a focus on meaning making and language.
- Phenomenological Theories — Alyssa’s experiences form the basis for her understanding of disability. This type of description is characteristic of a phenomenological description.
- Social Complexity Theory — Alyssa’s reference to Cognitive Interpreters implies a “small scale society” or a society within a society.
- Minority Group Model
