S E10: I Am Different, But No Less: Accepting Your Disability

Hunter talks to three people who are living with disabilities, and how it’s effected them.Meet this episode's strangers:-Gabriella was diagnosed with profound hearing loss when she was a baby. She received cochlear implants, and after attending a preschool for the deaf, she transitioned to “mainstream” schools where most people didn’t realize she was deaf. To this day, she takes her implants off when she wants to feel grounded and at peace. Now, as an adult, she wouldn’t choose to be any other way.-Anthony was extremely offended when RFK Jr. made hurtful remarks towards people with autism. Anthony was diagnosed with autism at age three and has spent a lifetime learning to cope with it. He finds love and support from his mother, who has modeled behavior and advocated for him. Anthony emphasizes that no one can do life entirely alone, and people like his mother can help him push through challenges.-Nathalia has visible scars on her face that made her feel like an outcast growing up. When she was young she experienced bullying and feelings of low self worth. But one day she was told by a boy she had a crush on that if it weren’t for her scars she wouldn’t be so pretty, and it changed the way she felt about herself. Today she lives a normal, fruitful life and accepts her scars as part of herself.Learn more about Nathalia's story here 👉 https://www.instagram.com/lovingmydots Chapters:00:00:00 Embracing Physical and Mental Differences00:00:52 Nathalia: My Scars are Essential to My Identity00:07:53 Finding Love and Feeling Normal for the First Time00:12:19 Overcoming the Trauma of School Bullying00:15:13 Why I Refuse to Camouflage My Scars00:19:49 Anthony: Reacting to Autism Misconceptions00:23:41 Navigating Sensory Overload and Invisible Disabilities00:25:41 The Life-Changing Power of a Mother’s Support00:29:21 Why You Can't Do Anything Alone00:33:14 Gabby: Growing Up Between the Deaf and Hearing Worlds00:39:21 The Healing Peace of Total Silence00:45:21 Radical Self-Acceptance: Choosing to Be MeTopics:Embracing physical differencesGrowing up with deafnessLiving with cochlear implantsFinding peace in silenceDebunking autism stereotypesPower of maternal advocacyOvercoming childhood bullyingBeauty beyond the scarsRejecting societal standardsChoosing yourself every daySupport Our Sponsors:If you're struggling with OCD or unrelenting intrusive thoughts, NOCD can help. Book a free 15 minute call to get started: https://learn.nocd.com/storiesFOLLOW THE SHOW►Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/storiesfromastrangerpod ►Threads: https://www.threads.com/@storiesfromastrangerpod ►Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/storiesfromastrangerpodcast  FOLLOW HUNTER PROSPER►Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hunter_prosper/ ►TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hunterprosper See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.