Resources

Over the years, I’ve tried endless solutions to improve my mental and physical health. Below, I’ve compiled a list of resources that I will update continuously. I have categorized them by disability, as well as support type. Please note that none of these resources are a supplement for medical advice. I am simply putting them here so that you can do your own research and inquire about possible solutions for you and your needs with your medical providers. Every body is different and requires different treatments and solutions, but hopefully this will give you some ideas to consider! Please note: an asterisk* denotes treatments I’d highly recommend exploring with your providers.

My Disabilities, Conditions, & Chronic Illnesses:

• General Anxiety Disorder

• MTHFR Gene Mutation

• PMDD (Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder)

• POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome)

• PTSD

• Raynaud’s Disorder

• Scoliosis

• Thoracic Outlet Syndrome

• Tinnitus

• Visual Snow Syndrome

• ADHD

• Anemia

• Astigmatism

• Cerebral Palsy

• Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome

• Depression

• Degenerative Disk Disease

• Endometriosis

• Epilepsy

• Esophagitis

---

Resources for each of my conditions:

ADHD

• General Information on ADHD

  • Information on ADHD from the National Institutes of Mental Health

  • Information on ADHD from Psychiatry.org

  • Tips for managing Adult ADHD from HelpGuide.com

• My experience with ADHD

  From my blog: What it feels like when people don’t understand your disabilities + ADHD

• Treatments I’ve tried for ADHD

  • Medications: Ritalin, Concerta, Atomoxetine (Strattera), Vyvanse*

  • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)*

Anemia

• General Information on Anemia

  Information on Anemia from Hematology.org

• Treatments I've tried for Anemia

  Supplements: Ferrochel Iron Chelate: A highly bioavailable form of iron chelate

Astigmatism

• General Information on Astigmatism

  • Information from the American Academy of Ophthalmology

  • Information on Astigmatism from the NIH

• My experience with Astigmatism & eyesight issues

  I have worn glasses for my eyesight and astigmatism since I was in the second grade. When I was little, I explained my eyesight issues as looking like “everything was underwater,” not understanding why everything was blurry.

Cerebral Palsy

• General Information on Cerebral Palsy

  • Information on Cerebral Palsy from the NIH

  • About CP from the CDC

  • Cerebral Palsy resources from the Cerebral Palsy Foundation

  • Understanding CP from the CPF

  • Cerebral Palsy Grows Up: A project from the Cerebral Palsy Foundation about aging with CP

  • Research on CP from United Cerebral Palsy

• My Experience with Cerebral Palsy

  I have written extensively about Cerebral Palsy on my blog. Here are some articles that touch on my experience:

  • Cerebral Palsy Awareness: This article includes my story, types of CP, how I manage my CP, what it feels like, the invisible pain that comes from it, the mental and emotional impact of CP, the importance of representation, why awareness matters, how Trump's DEIA Executive Order hurts people with disabilities, how parents can support children with CP, and how you can help!

  • Cerebral Palsy Awareness Day 2025: This year, I worked with the Cerebral Palsy Foundation to create shirts for the big day! This article includes my designs, what CPF and CPGU do, and a bit of my experience with Cerebral Palsy

  • What it feels like when people don’t understand your disabilities: This article shows visually how it feels when someone doesn’t understand my disabilities. After trying to communicate my feelings several times, in multiple ways, confusion and sadness overtake my influx of thoughts. My energy starts to diminish as depression sets in. I start to feel utterly drained and disappointed in myself, feeling like I must not have communicated well enough if they are still not understanding me. More info in the article link.

  • Meeting Comedian Josh Blue: I wrote about my experience meeting comedian Josh Blue who has Cerebral Palsy, during CP Awareness month 2024. Artwork included!

  • The Stairs: See what it’s like for me to go down the stairs with CP, and why you may want to practice patience when you see someone going slow, or against the flow of traffic on the stairs.

  • I only understand it in theory: Having cerebral palsy, I never learned how to ride a bike. I tried several times, but it always resulted in injuries. Learn more about how I deeply relate to Frasier Crane when it comes to riding a bike.

  All my cerebral palsy-related articles can be found on my blog under the Cerebral Palsy Category. Additionally, you can read more about my experience with CP on my about page.

• Treatments I've tried for Cerebral Palsy

  There are a number of treatments that I’ve tried for managing different aspects of my CP. For clarity, I will break them down by category below.

• Medications & Supplements

  I currently take the following medications and supplements for CP and would encourage others to ask their doctors about these treatments.

  For muscle tightness & spasms:

  • Diazepam (Valium)

  • Baclofen

  For mood & depression related to CP:

  • Zoloft (Sertraline)

  • SAMe

  For pain management and Inflammation:

  • NSAIDs

  • Magnesium– for muscle relaxation and inflammation.

  • Turiva – a high-quality turmeric supplement recommended by my naturopath (better than any others I’ve tried).

• Physical Therapy

  https://www.gaylord.org/neurological-outpatient-rehabilitation

• Occupational Therapy

  https://www.gaylord.org/orthopedics-physical-therapy

• Aquatic Therapy

  https://www.gaylord.org/aquatic-therapy

• Natropathic Treatments

  https://wholehealthct.com/

• Assistive devices

  I will be adding links to the devices that help me soon!

• Other Treatments

  • Speech therapy

  • Recreational therapy

  • Surgeries

• Complementary & alternative therapies

  Check back soon!

If you liked this article, consider making a donation

Hi there! I am an artist & writer with disabilities, and I have been running this Disability & Art Blog unpaid for the past year — sharing personal stories, research, and resources to help others feel seen, informed, and empowered. While I love what I do, I also believe disabled people deserve to be compensated for their time, labor, and expertise. I’m currently crowdfunding to turn this into a sustainable, paid job — one that lets me focus on independent disability journalism, educational content, and artwork that speaks to the real lived experience of being disabled in America.

Help me keep the blog going and expand it into audio & video podcast formats to make it more accessible, engaging, and inclusive. With your help, I can write investigative articles, interview experts, and launch my podcast, Thank You So Much for Asking. Every contribution is meaningful and thoroughly appreciated. Thank you so much for your support! — Sincerely, Briana Raucci

---

A thank you to my supporters

Thank you to everyone who has donated to my GoFundMe campaign thus far! Your support truly means the world to me. I deeply appreciate that you see the value in this work and that you believe disabled voices, independent journalism, and accessible storytelling are worth funding.

Because of your generosity, I was able to make time to participate in this podcast and write this blog post. That may sound small, but for those of us juggling disability, advocacy, and creative work with limited resources, it’s everything. All the thanks to: Michael J. Harkey, James Miller, James Mcgee, Vicki Gelpke, Larry Gobel, Wendy Naratil, Taylor Macioci, Judy Petrillo, Stacey DeMartino, Jordyn DeMartino, Maddy Ullman, Joy Panigada, Judith Wilcox, and Lauren Raucci for making this possible!

More articles you may be interested in:

Want more posts like this? Visit my Disability & Art Blog!