Health Story Type: Social Media

Neurodivergent Narratives

Sandra Coral is a student, teacher, writer, podcaster, and learner all about neurodivergence. They have multiple social media sites (instagram, twitter, Facebook) that are publically accessible and focus on promoting education and awareness about neurodivergence. She is autistic and has ADHD and shares her own experiences via through written posts, videos, and podcasts on topics such as sensory processing, fitting in, masking, and burnout. Sandras’s sites could be utilized in a classroom setting as narratives from someone who is neurodivergent told in their own voice. The link below is to the Facebook page, where the About profile provides links to other platforms. Her social media posts are useful not only for discussing neurodivergent narratives, but also for reflecting on what constitutes a narrative (small individual posts retelling everyday life? the accumulation of posts over time?). In contrast, her Substack includes longer posts that more clearly resemble stories.

ShayShitsinaBag TikTok Channel

Shay Haberstroh, via TikTok, shares their story with Crohn's disease and an ostomy bag. She talks about doing daily tasks, her love life and marriage, personal relationships, and even makes fashion and cosplay videos for people who have an ostomy bag. Her story explores chronic illness and disability, mental health, as well as what it’s like to face the idea of death as a young person. One of her viral videos shows her, shocked, with a caption that says, “realizing i’ll shit into a bag forever.” She then brings in humor and relief with the caption, “my asshole will be permanently clean.” She explores an issue that people don’t often talk about, bringing comfort to the conversation of body-differences and life saving medical devices, like an ostomy bag. She makes chronic illness an accessible and humorous topic on a platform that lots of young people use, fighting shame. This TikTok account could be used to explore the use of different platforms for storytelling and advocacy. It could be used to discuss normalizing bodily differences, and the importance of making stories accessible and potentially, humorous. As well, healthcare professionals could benefit from watching these videos, listening to Shay’s critiques of the healthcare system, and evaluating how they could change their practice to accommodate more people and their individual experiences. She gives great examples of how people with invisible illnesses, as well as women, are often overlooked in the healthcare system. Many of her videos are skits that she creates, acting out scenarios where she was treated poorly in healthcare or not listened to by doctors, despite the fact that she has a serious illness.

Squirmy and Grubs YouTube Channel

"Squirmy and Grubs" are a married couple who make Youtube videos, podcasts, and Instagram posts about life as an interabled couple. Shane, who has spinal muscular atrophy, and Hannah, who does not, share their daily lives, challenges, and adventures. They provide insight into their interabled relationship, educating viewers about disability awareness, acceptance, and the importance of genuine connections. Their youtube channel spreads awareness about Spinal Muscular Atrophy, but also dives into what it’s like to be together as one person who has a physical disability, and one who does not. They share videos that share their daily routine and how Hannah cares for Shane. Though, they also emphasize the ways that Shane gives care to Hannah, as well, even though he has very limited mobility. This Youtube channel is important because it shows how an interabled relationship is not really so different, and that disabled people can be in genuine and fulfilling relationships. This youtube channel gives a first person perspective of life as an interabled couple and could be used in a classroom setting for classes focused on learning about reciprocal care, and the logistics of taking care of someone with a physical disability in a way that shows humanness, support, reciprocity, and sensitivity. They provide many great videos on how certain people with disabilities would like to be addressed, cared for, and interacted with in public and private settings, sharing a unique perspective. Specific videos to watch for learning and analytical purposes are titled, “Intimacy in Our Marriage Q & A,” “We’re Hiring a Caregiver?!” and “Our Physical Intimacy and Romance Explained.” These videos provided a candid look into their life as an interabled couple, sparking discussion on the role of media representation of disability, and how humor plays into storytelling and health narratives.

¿Cómo superar el duelo? Mi experiencia personal

This story describes the narrator's struggle with grief after the death of her partner in a car crash. Her persistent questions of "why did this have to happen" and "why did they deserve this" led to depression, barely getting out of bed, and friends noticing changes in personality. When she finally left her house, the fresh air convinced her to see a psychologist. She concludes that the pain never goes completely away but becomes less paralyzing over time. At 1.5-2 pages, this is appropriate for upper intermediate Spanish learners or a community group to discuss bereavement and how therapy can help. Placement within a website that promotes therapy does forecast that therapy is the answer to problems.