As the original writer of that post, I’d like to reply to your questions. 

As stated, the term Self-care originated in the context of physical/medical health, but as noted in my post, has been adopted by the mental health community to include a number of “self-soothing” techniques. The point of my post is to educate a wider audience as to the nature of the term, and to enlighten people to the fact that when physically disabled people engage in “Self-Care” it means a very different thing, and to perhaps explain why some physically disabled people roll their eyes when ABs talk about having a bonbon and calling it self-care.

I did not trivialize self-indulgence, self-soothing, or any amount of mental health care any person does for themselves, as a person with depression and GAD I would never discount the very real self-preservation techniques I use to make it through every day of my life. Some of which are bonbons, some of which is toe painting, some of which is healthy eating habits and regular movement. All of which is important, but none of which I qualify as self-care.

I did, however, make a post distinguishing between physical self-care (of a medical nature) and emotional self-preservation (of a mental health nature)

Also, I’m not sure if it’s the nature of the call-out scenario; but it’s pretty rude to assume that disabled people have access to medical care, and the ones that don’t still have to do heavy-duty medical shit for themselves.  and It’s absurd to think AB people with mental health issues have a harder time dealing with body image and confidence issues than people with physical disabilities.

Also: The correct term is Intellectual Disabilities or Emotional Disabilities. Both of which I have.

TheLameDame

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Thank you for addressing everyone’s concerns and for bringing such a critical and important perspective to the discussion. I love when this shit happens, I’ve already learned more in a three hour span than I have all week!

Haley