There is SO much out there I couldn't directly cover in this video, including mental health and conditions, but the bottom line is: know your limits, don't push yourself, and ask for help or see your doc if you're unsure about anything! Keep on keeping on, wishing everyone the best 💙
Another fursuiter with a disability here: I depend on a feeding tube and the special formula food that I have to consume can leave a nasty smell in my sweat at times, so I do have to take extra care of my hygiene and friends of mine need to be made aware of that. However, "disability" ends in "ability" and it's definitely not stopping me from spreading smiles and magic as a giant, fluffy lion. I have given a panel about this at Anthro Northwest 2017, together with Rukario, one of my inspirations in the fandom: ua-cam.com/video/o3seVfRQYoc/v-deo.html
I never thought I would of learned so much about medical conditions from a talking blue kangaroo! All jokes aside, you both did a fantastic job about this topic! It's definitely something that needs to be discussed about more in this fandom.
I'm autistic and social situations make me really nervous and exhausted, when i'll go to my first con i'll make sure to have plenty of breaks in the headless lounge and in The hotel room :) I LOVE your videos! This video was really helpful
Another thing I want to add to the last part about calling for help, DO NOT ASSUME SOMEBODY ELSE ALREADY CALLED FOR HELP. Multiple studies have shown that, if somebody needs medical assistance, and they're in a room of a hundred people, it is VERY likely everyone will assume "somebody" is already getting help, and that person who needs assistance ends up not getting hurt, because nobody called for help. Go over to the fursuiter, and if nobody tells you they already called an ambulance (and if the suiter isn't responding) then call someone. Don't make that assumption.
Hey Pocari Glenn here. I love you even more for doing this. Loved you before for highlighting us Grey Muzzles but giving some recognition to the disabled furs is also nice to see. I want to add onto this - I have severe scoliosis that requires I walk with a cane. I want to say to furs like myself that you can still fursuit. Know your limits. If you can't do a lot of walking maybe have a wheelchair on standby. You can have your handler push you around. Just because you have trouble walking around a lot doesn't mean you're not able to fursuit. It's just a matter of your own physical limitations and working within them. I'm designing my own fursuit and I intend to make a cane for myself to go along with it so that the cane is a part of the costume and it isn't an out of place item. Harder to do with a wheelchair but I am sure a creative mind can come up with something.
I introduced my best friend to the furry fandom, and the character she has a fursuit of is centered around her being in a wheelchair. Pretty clever really.
@@pixie_foxarts Its good to hear of others as this was something I was worrying about as I have severre fibromyalgia, chronic faitgue among other things. So at points i do need a cane or a wheel chair. But i have really wanted a suit for ages so I decided to design a Manokit called Ambulance who is like my little medical buddy. I like to imagine he comes with me whenever i end up in hospital :3. I have you to make a suit of him but i am planning on it.
Glad to hear tips from someone else dealing with scoliosis :) I'm definitely gonna be in my wheelchair for a lot of the time, but I'll definitely still have loads of fun! I'm just 13 so maybe I won't be as experienced as most others haha
You can do amazing things with Wheelchairs. I have seen some pretty amazing costumes for kids that are designed around the fact that they must use a wheelchair. From race cars to Roman style chariots. Just think of another wheeled device that would work well for your fursona and I bet you can find some amazing folks to help you bring it to life. Bright blessings to all of you from a furry mom and the mom of a furry!!!
Remember guys. Your health comes first!! There are so many suiters but there is one you!!! Always talk to your doctor before doing any kind of major physical activity
My mental health is quite bad, and I recently mentioned to my therapist that I am a furry and that I like fursuiting. I explained that it's fun to play around as a character, and just cover myself so nobody knows who I am, which made me more comfortable in public and cons, when in suit. She was concerned about the fact that I was ONLY comfortable around people in my suit, but I explained that it has helped me in general as well. I'm more open and willing to talk to strangers if I have to. I think she's still a little questionable about it.
Panda Curry hey as long as it makes you comfortable it shouldn’t matter, I’m no professional this is just an opinion. Especially cause I can agree, I do not own a suit but I’ve tried suits on and I love how I feel more comfortable being in them
I am fursuiter with disability - blind in left eye so I am careful when suiting and definetely have handler for my eyes. I do see well out of my right eye but left is all dark so my badge says do not approact from left side as I could startle. But it does not stop me from suiting as I feel more confident in it
I'm blind in my right eye and partial sighted in my left (with next to normal vision in my left as long as i wear my glasses) are there any other things you can recommend? i don't have a suit yet but would like to get one in the future and am worried about the increased lack of vision on top of my own. Where do you hang your 'do not approach' badge from to be sure people see it? what do you recommend for someone who has no IRL friends in the fur community to be a handler for? is there anything specifically you've noticed you struggle with in suit more than others due to your sight that i should look out for? (pun intended) thanks! :)
@@DoubleJinx95 If you are visually impaired, learning how to use a white cane might help! I am legally blind, and know how to use a cane. I don't worry about vision because having the cane makes me able to go anywhere, even if I can't see at all.
Hello Pocari. I have actually had a panic attack in suit before. My advice to others is take your head and suit off. Doesn't matter if you ruin the magic. Grounding (getting in touch with your senses) is important when having a panic attack, and as Pocari said, fursuits limit almost all your senses. Also, if you're fursuiting and prone to panic attacks, bring a backpack or bag with, - water - meds (if you take them) - phone - a comfort item
I had a panic attack due to my globophobia while on a walk. I had a teddy to cuddle and a large bottle of water on standby, both of these were important because when I have panic attacks I feel the need to hug something and when I'm hugging due to panic I can get pretty rough. The teddy helped me calm down as we left the area and I was severely dehydrated from crying and sweating. Since then I haven't gone on a walk without a teddy or a friend nearby to comfort me and I always notify the people I am walking with about my phobia because balloons can be a common occurrence so they need to know the best way to deal with the situation.
I will say, if you have any start of Schizophrenia or DID (Dissociated Identity Disorder) then I would recommend do NOT have a full fur suit. A partial would be better. If you do have DID, then 1, make sure all of you alters (if you will) know that and agree with the fur community, and 2 have your handler know about the condition or have a friend be with you so if anything may happen, they know what may be happening. With Schizophrenia, it's hard to fur-suit and I find it almost infuriating to wear the head as it's closed off, your not able to hear, see or talk that well. I'd say watch some "Fursuit types" videos before you actually get into it. Just remember, y'all better be safe out there cause there's always someone who loves you!
i do wish you talked about autism a bit-- i want to be a fursuiter, but its hard for me to have anything around my face, i dont like being overheated, and i get really overwhelmed really easily- plus large crowds can easily send me into a panic attack or melt down i could use some tips for this tbh--
Getting a suit with a fan can help with lowering over heating along with getting a cooling vest and under armor. I recommend going to smaller local cons and meet just to get use to crowds and its also a good way to make friends :)
Assuming you'd want a foam head, you could try making a really basic crappy head (it doesn't have to look good) and wear that sometimes when you're alone to see how you can cope with the heat and foam on your face? Sometimes one can get more used to bad sensory things and sometimes one can't, so i imagine it would be a good idea to try to test that before spending lots of money (and time, if homemade) on a decent head.
You can build a fursuit head of your own, and build it away from your face. I've made a few since I can't really handle that either. Start with your basic balaclava and moving jaw set up (this will keep the balaclava steady and it won't stretch) and add extra padding to move the face forward as much as you wish. having a duct tape dummy of your head and shoulders is great for doing this.
I have bad social anxiety, and I say don't push yourself too far, start with finding local fur meets and hanging out there for a bit until you get comfortable, after that start going to bigger ones over time and whenever you feel ready, try out a con. Just don't rush it, as much as you may want to, otherwise you'll spend a majority of the con panicking rather than enjoying yourself.
One thing that needs to be stressed is to have a really good handler. I contemplate teaching my boyfriend, since he's very aware of my anxieties. Have a signal for when you need out asap. Something that you can do in and out of suit that wont be seen as being playful. (Hold a hand over the eye and raise your hand, tapping them, directly telling them) TAKE LOTS OF BREAKS. Oh my god nobody can stress this enough please remember to take the head off, or even the whole suit off, and chill out. Get some water, and collect yourself. And if you dont like to overheat, dont fullsuit, put a fan in the head, and once agaIN TAKE BREAKS!
Omg SAME HERE! Sorry, I just don't find many people who have the same condition as me and makes me feel not so alone when I find others. I tend to carry cliff bars or protein bars with me everywhere I go just in case of an emergencies because I don't have the meters and strips to test my blood sugar levels. :(
Same here, I do my best with nuts and cheese snacks to keep my levels stable. I have have a few episodes of what I call "forgetful blackout". I don't remember anything that happens but from what people who have been around me have said I will loose time, be convinced it is 2 or even 4 years earlier and won't recognize people around me. I have been with my Will for 8 years now and luckily I remember him but Neil and I have only been together for a year. He has had to calm me down and apparently I was convinced he had kidnapped me. I am much more careful now and have alarms set on my phone since one of the symptoms for me is not feeling hungry.
@@dawnmidnightsun2521 Oh wow.. I have issues with memory but no where near that extent. I can have someone say something and I will forget what I had said previously that caused their reply. But that has to do with my mental health. My blackouts usually are just fainting and being just out of it after the fainting and having to recollect information to piece together what had happened. My time will be off so it feels like seconds when it's like 20 mins or the other way around. But that's the general extent of my memory issues. I'm glad you have someone who can help you when you need it. ^_^
At a meet up a few years ago (it was for Zootopia a day before its release) a bunch of fursuiters in my area met up, I went in full suit after a long day at work with a coworker who knew about my suiting, but I forgot my water bottle n was starting to overheat, but my body want registering it, it registered it as "oh your just tired from work." so I went to go lay down and ended up passing out for a few minutes. my Co worker and a few other suiters woke me to see if I was okay, they had me undress (from suit) and made sure I downed several bottles of water as I was apparently drenched in sweat. I am very thankful that they woke me up n got me some water, I still stay in contact with some of them.
Water is so important! Sometimes if I want something with flavor or an extra immune boost, I put vitamin drink powder in my bottle. Stuff like Ener-C sport drink is great for recovering from lots of activity.
I don't know if social anxiety counts as a medical condition or disability but it definitely effects me when suiting out because when people are looking at me or when they are around me wanting to talk and take pictures I get really nervous and it gets difficult to breathe if I continue to stay in the situation. It kind of sucks because its hard to tell people that, some don't understand social anxiety because they don't have it or experienced it. So I try to stay where there is less people. Btw I wanted to tell you of a UA-camr named Xusho Wolf, he's deaf fur but he's still awesome and does amazing things. :)
Milkshake The Husky And about your anxiety, that definitely counts! Sadly, I'm not totally sure how to help, as I have never been diagnosed with anxiety nor have a fursuit. I guess you could just take breaks whenever you're not comfortable with a situation, and maybe talk with a therapist about fursuiting to see how if they can help 🙂
Ok I think I know how to solve your problem but maybe not because I do not own a fursuit but I do have social anxiety. So if the amount of people are bothering you then first you could have a close friend as your handler so they can tell people before they try and engage into conversations or huggs. If thats not possible you could also get a pin that says something along that. If its just talking to the people around you then maybe you could use cute noises to communicate or say nothing at all. This way you wont have to really speak to anyone while still being cute and cuddly. Also for eye contact maybe you could try some big shades that kinda block your eyes to others but you can still see. I hope this helps because I know how hard it is to be in public with social anxiety, it really sucks.
It was mentioned in another comment here, but you could look for some big easy to read pins that let people know your shy and such, I thought it seemed like a good idea :D
Emergency numbers: I'm pretty sure all phones have a "emergency call" button, that'll automatically dial the number.. (which also works regardless, if the phone is unlocked or even have a sim card)
I have autism, sensory processing disorder mild allergies, and chronic pain so I found that a more gaijinka/character couture of my ocs and sonas is much more suitable for my needs, while still bringing my characters to life. It keeps my senses from being obstructed, doesn't restrict breathing, and is a lot less weight on my body, reducing physical strain.
What a wonderful topic! As someone who's fursuited for years, I'm definitely guilty of fursuiting w/out a handler occasionally, so I actually have my medical information on the back of my main badge! On there it lets you know that I have asthma and where my inhaler can be found.
9:00 GREAT advice! I never thought about this O: Taking off the head while the suiter is incapacitated can actually potentially aggravate and worsen their condition especially if you don't know what's going on.
I have autism, severe anxiety, ADHD, ADD, and aspergers. I love fursuiting. It helps me be more social and helps a lot with my anxiety! Although on Halloween I wore mine 2 hours straight and sadly i had to go home and sleep cuz i got a migraine;-; I didn't drink much water either so that was also a problem. So yeah stay safe in your fursuit!!
Thanks so much for this episode Pocari! I actually require a walking stick/mobility aid to help me stay stable while walking around (I have an instability with my knees that can give out randomly, so I need the walking stick as an assurance that I won't just drop dead weight to the ground). I will never be able to wear a full suit due to my health conditions and the fact that I can only suit for a limited amount of time before having to take everything off (20-30 minutes seems to be my max limit in partial). I also suffer from Chronic Pain, Chronic Fatigue, & Fibromyalgia, and I made myself a little badge that says 'Please Hug Gently' with my conditions listed below to make people aware that I need to be handled a little more carefully than a normal suiter.
I’m nearsighted so whenever I can afford to get a fursuit, I’m definitely going to need to have the head adjusted for that. The only problem it causes for me is of course seeing tiny print from a distance, and vision of course is very important when seeing out of a fursuit head.
I have cfs (chronic fatigue syndrome) and i started to believe that my life was ruined as i couldn't do a simple task such as get out of bed. Fursuiting didnt even come to mind when i used to list the things i couldn't do anymore as it was too physical. I believed fullsuiting was the key element to create that illusion but after awhile i saw how awesome just partialing is, you can pick out your own fursonas clothes, what they would wear, what type of aesthetic etc! As a fellow cfs suffer im here to say that things will get better. You feel like you will never stop grieving the life you lost and trust me you dont, but you can enjoy the new life you have gotten with a challenge. A year passed with my condition and now i can walk for miles, around a convention space, a shopping mall etc. I still cant run just yet but im getting there through self rehabilitation. Things WILL be fine once you know your limits, what you can handle and try to work around a problem! Self rehabilitation is your best bet even if its just walking up and down the stairs 2 times etc! My docs told me to keep being what i was like but i felt like i was going backwards, sometimes doctors dont give the best advice for us but research what you can, do what you can and eventually it will get better as you learn about yourself more. Below i have linked a fitness workout especially for cfs folks! This one is about how to start and schedule your work out programme but she is absolutely amazing! I highly recommend trying this!! ⬇⬇⬇⬇⬇⬇ ua-cam.com/video/ij9DACFG6HI/v-deo.html ⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆⬆ Thank you for reading and also i absolutely love your videos!! Keep doing an amazing job x33 💚💚
Thank you so much for this video! I have a few more things to add if that's ok! I have Neurocardiogenic Syncope with Seizures. That means a lot of things, but the big one is I overheat easily if I'm not careful. Thankfully it's gotten better to the point I no longer need my medication. (xD First time since I was 3 (20 years)!) I really wanted to fursuit, but wasn't sure if I would physically be able to. So instead of spending thousands on my fursona, I just spent a few hundred on making a simpler partial to see if I could handle it. Thankfully, I'm handling it pretty well! I'm going as that fox character to trick-or-treating with my nephew! (never too old to join in the fun! xD). But a tip for if someone is overheating: put a cold, soaked cloth on the wrists, neck, and thighs if you can. There are arteries close to the surface there, and cooling those areas will help the whole body cool down faster. And if someone is having a seizure, DO NOT restrain them, unless they're in danger. Restraining them could hurt them. Time the seizure, turn them on their side if you can so they don't choke on vomit if they throw up, and call for help. If it's only one seizure and it doesn't last long, they may say they're fine and just go sleep it off. But if they have more than one seizure in a row, or if it lasts over a minute, or if they show signs of head trauma, (I imagine this less likely with the padding of a suit, but still a good idea to check by asking some very simple questions like "do you know where you are?" "Do you know what day it is?" and see if they're alert and in the present), they should go to the hospital. They WILL be tired, that is fine and normal. And people who have seizures regularly very well may not want to go through the hassle of the emergency room. Tell them what happened, and ask them if they want to go. For me, at least, it's usually just an expensive, and painful waste of time. (Stick a painful IV in your arm, so they can give you medicine in the unlikely case you'll seize again while there, make you wait for hours, and then send you back home with absolutely no new information, and all you get is a sore arm, a desire to sleep for a week, and a bill you'll be paying off for a few years.)
Update! I had a lot of fun trick-or-treating in fursuit last night with my nephew! xD I had some troubles though, like we visited the nursing home, and it was very warm inside. I was alright, but I had to take my head off as soon as we got back to the car, and I had to dial down the in-character bounciness to catch my breath. And since I made my suit myself, I think I messed up the eyes a bit, because I had a very hard time seeing, especially in the dark I was blind. But I had a great time, and everyone loved my fursuit! xD I did at times just go with my paws and tail, leaving my head in the car so I could see without tripping on steps. But my little nephew did a great job of being a little handler, helping me with the candy that my clumsy paws couldn't hold, and telling me where every step was!
what if someone went up to their doctor, told them about fursuiting, but they didn’t know what it was so they looked it up and liked it, ending up accidentally turning their doctor into a furry
Few months late - but if you're like me and have any sort of hypersensitive skin (in my case I have dermatographic urticaria - I'm essentially "allergic" to heat due to the severity) make sure to carry benadryl on you at all times as well as cooling packs to help with hives and/or rashes that will inevitably form under the conditions. This is especially important at larger cons and cons that occur during the summer months! I've found that soaking wrapping bandages in aloe helps with this especially around jointed areas (I use around my wrists and neck so nothing swells). Stay safe!!
I have a very bad version of Dysautonomia, (I’m not sure if I spelled that correctly) And I’m so glad you talked about it! It really deserves more recognition. I also get Non-Epileptic seizures, and I have many other conditions, so I think I wouldn’t be able to fursuit even if I really want too. I can’t handle heat that well, and I faint if I stand up for too long. I also have Allodynia, which basically means any small feather touching me or any clothes that are uncomfortable are extremely painful to me, So it’s not really a good idea to wear a fursuit until I’m better! Again, thank you for talking about us, It never really gets talked about enough.
This was super helpful! I was born with a rare hereditary condition which has to do with my blood/hormones/heart called hereditary angioedema or HAE for short( goolge has the best simple definition for this ) "Hereditary angioedema is a disorder characterized by recurrent episodes of severe swelling (angioedema). The most common areas of the body to develop swelling are the limbs, face, intestinal tract, and airway. Minor trauma or stress may trigger an attack, but swelling often occurs without a known trigger." Which unfortunately i have to take injections for and have even been hospitalized for nearly a week when my neck had swollen once(yikes) so i plan to suit in a partial(for ease/not over heating and incase i need to get an injection in my stomach quickly) stress and anxiety are especially horrible factors which can make me swell up bad(i was diagnosed with mild anxiety) and on top of that i even have affects of asthma from when i was a kid(i dont need an inhailer i just have issues catching my breath) so this was definetly a really good video for me to understand how to go about suiting more, i have always been a little nervous about it due to my HAE, thanks for the video
Dang I'm so early UA-cam is broken. I think it's wonderful that you're addressing this problem. I dont think I've ever seen a furtuber (is that the word idk) cover this topic. I keep forgetting how many people live with these chronic illnesses and disabilities because I do not see them as addressed enough. I hope more creators in our fandom start making similar videos.
Might as well put my struggle here. So i have social anxiety which at times can be so bad I cant step a foot away from my parents. So i recentally went to my first meetup (which I had a blast!). I wore my suit and im pretty confident while wearing him since no one sees me, just the suit. We were having tons of fun when I started overheating. My friend mustve lnew too and we both ran to get water. I downed a whole bottle of water (still head on because I was nervous) and I couldve passed out. After we came back to the group I made sure to drink lots of water and took my head off (it was scary at first but I got a bit used to it). Moral of the story? Drink plenty of water and, if you have anxiety do the following too, take your head off! Learn from my mistake. It wasnt fun and you gotta protect your health even if you are having fun!
Im on wheelchair and i cant walk a lot but i have seen some of furries on wheelchair too so i feel inspired and want to make or buy fursuit soon even with my disability
Thanks for the advice re: dysautonomia. I was initially thinking about making a fullsuit, but I'm definitely shifting gears to plan out a partial instead.
Chronic pain and fatigue here 🖐️ Really glad you mentioned it! I use a wheelchair to help in my day-to-day life, and while I will love to walk around in a partial, I would absolutely need my chair at certain intervals and while navigating long distances. It makes me nervous though, as I don't want people to see me get up out of my chair and assume I'm "faking". Don't judge other people's disabilities. Just because someone doesn't *always* need a mobility aid doesn't mean they don't need it at other times! Wheelchairs aren't just for people who are paralyzed.
It was about this year I went to a local fursuit meet-up and we went on a walk. Where I live it can go from freezing to warm from one day to the next, so it's not like Australia or Arizona. But on this day, it was pretty hot and we haven't walked that far and I was getting pretty exhausted. I couldn't catch up with the group, I was wearing a partial thankfully, but it was my first time wearing fursuit sandals and they make you walk much slower, but I felt like I was about to pass out, and I thought I could make it, but I of course, could not make it all the way through to our walk. I know a few others were feeling the same way, especially this one girl who had a full digitigrade fursuit on, and she didn't look that good. Thankfully she had a handler, and he was helping her out quite a bit and offering her water. I decided it wasn't worth it, and we all sat down. That was my very first experience with that, and I'm glad I stopped. Listen to your body, don't push yourself to the point where you can't breathe, you're not gonna have a fun experience. I actually had a good experience even though I couldn't go on the walk anyways, because when I stopped along with the others, I got to talk with them and just chill and get to know them! They were really nice, as many furs I've met ever since I became a furry!
Pocari I just want to thank you for bringing me back into the fandom and getting my sister into the fandom too,it has been something that has brought us closer to the point we plan on going to a con together
Thank you so much for making this video, Pocari! I suffer from hypoglycemia, arthritis, and a limp. Just some tips for anyone suiting with these issues- As for hypoglycemia, keep something like apple juice on you in case your blood sugar goes down out of nowhere. I tend to faint easy, mainly when i’m physically active for a long period of time. For arthritis, I wouldn’t suggest suiting at all on rainy or cold days. Sometimes I get to the point where my leg is almost unable to completely, and trust me, you don’t want to have that happen with a heavy fursuit on! The limp is something I have the most experience with fixing. Try and find some small wedges to put in the footpaw that you limp on. My right leg is three cinimeters shorter than my left one due to my femur being broken, and I use small wedges. It’s odd at first, but it helps walking a LOT! Also make sure to sit down and take a break often
Yay I'm so happy that you made this video. Im glad to hear that there are other furries who do what they love even though they have disabilities (While taking care of themselves though). I was born with dislocated hips so i cant walk properly and get sore from walking around for long periods of time, but that isnt going to stop me from being a furry and walking around in my fursuit (while taking breaks and sitting down a lot).
I just have mental disorders that I cannot deal with normal situations a lot of the time due to my anxiety but cons are usually safe for me cuz I inform people of my problems. I'm really really jumpy.
This is what I was worried about! Thank you for covering this topic! I have POTS among other things still being figured out. POTS is like the anti fursuit syndrome, it involves heat intolerance, fast heart rate just from standing (I had a hr of 204 getting off the couch), and fainting. POTS is a form of Dysautonomia. I also utilize an assistance dog who can detect those sweet BP drops that cause fainting. We kinda figured out how I could fursuit safely. I wanted a fullsuit but that could be utterly impossible so a half suit is still gold. I would have to wear the compression stockings and a cooling body suit. Those control my HR level and hopefully temperature. Sugar (my assistance dog) can detect BP drops even when I'm wearing very thick clothing since she smells sweat so a bit of training with the suit before a con could help with stabilizing her detection task and her learning to work with both my voice commands and hand commands. I'm already looking at ideas for pins or badges that I can put on that let others know to not separate or distract Sugar from me (she also wears her vest with medical information inside). A fursuit would bring much freedom, hoping to solve this problem 100%
Hello! I've been watching your videos for a good while now, and this video has helped me a good bit. I have anemia and hypotension, so I'm prone to wobbling and fainting while trying to get around, and for a long time I've told myself I can't get a fursuit because of it. But now you've assured me that it is possible if I take the right precautions (of course, I'll still talk to my doctor about it before funneling thousands of dollars into a death plushie). If I was to get a suit now, it would be a 3/4 partial for more ventilation. Since my significant other is amazing at being able to tell when I'm about to faint, I talked to them about being my handler, and they'd gladly be one if I was to suit. :D
Thank you! I needed something to reference for suiting with asthma. Mine is mild, but it flares up with smoke, dusts, and anything like that, so even the first few minutes were amazing help. This is the content I subscribed for.
I'm a person who has tourette's syndrome and I've considered fursuiting. I have very noticeable motor tics that I don't usually notice until they're pointed out. They get especially bad when I get nervous or excited. I'm afraid due to limited vision in suit that I might injure myself if I try fursuiting. This is very helpful, and I hope you could do a follow-up for people with certain mental conditions as well someday.
Kind of the reason I had scrapped suiting next April. I can't be in extreme temperatures hot or cold, and have to be hydrated often. I had eventually decided to either suit, and try afford some kind of cooling system in my suit, or just go during the colder seasons. Not the awesomest options in the world, but as I've heard many suiters advise before; your health is the most important thing. Anyone else out here in the comments that have to deal with stuff like this, I wish you all luck, especially today, those of you who suit for the Holiday ^^
Thank you so much. Barely anyone ever talks about type 1 diabetes, and you went the extra mile and gave advice on fursuiting with it. It means a lot ❤️
Hello there, hello Pocari Roo! First things first: I LOVE youre videos and I realy love that you take this topic!!! I'm a Diabtic Typ 1 Fursuiter and I really love that you say somthing about that. Here some tipps from me, if you're new to fursuiting or/AND a Diabetic: -> Try your suit with a friend or so who knows your "condition" and try it on a "Save place". What do I mean with that? Well: Try it on a pleace that you KNOW VERY WELL. A Shopping street ore thomething that you realy know very good. This is to keep the stresslevel for you as low as posible. Not only that you know were you go (And can and can't go), you also know where restrooms are, or pleaces maybe with a bigger restroom, where you can get headless if you need to. in that place you maybe also knew were you (or your spotter/handler) can get help, or maybee some extra sugarstuff or food, without needing to search for it. -> NEVER EVER FORGET YOUR DIABETHES STUFF! I write this out big, because I know what I mean with that... -> Take a lot of water, sugarstuff and meaybe some cookies ore something simliar with you (Just let your handler carry this for you ;) ) Its not only for your health, but it can also increase the time that you can be In-Suit. Ähm.. ok... I hope it helps and don't sounds to... Overdone or thomezhing like that. Whits that I come to the last tipp of mine: -> HAVE FUN!
As a type on diabetic furry, I approve! It only recently occurred to me that I could get custom spots in my future fursuit to hold my insulin pump and sensor and to hear other people are already doing it is great!
Thank you so much. I have issues with blackouts and fainting spells as well as asthma and some of these tips will help out quite a lot when I can fursuit. And thanks to your friend (I don't know how to spell their name) for educating us on what to do and what not to do when someone happens to faint
If anyone has light sensitivity like me, please ask your maker to dim up tge mesh, and if you make it yourself, dim the inside of the mesh with dark greenish-brown paint.
I have mild scoliosis, so when I start fursuiting I’ll worry about people trying to pick me up cause I’m very short, less than five foot yet full grown, and accidentally hurting my back. Any suggestions to help stop unwanted picking up?
I'd suggest either a handler who is keeping a close eye on only you and not other suiters, or wearing a double sided brightly coloured badge that says "DO NOT PICK ME UP"
With a mild case of scoliosis and hEDS, I've had similar concerns. I'd go with either what pocari suggested, or even a similarly bright double sided badge that says something like "please be careful with me/no rough housing." I don't know how common glomps or just really tight hugs in general are at furmeets/cons, but the idea of someone slamming in to me is concerning.
I have scoliosis as well, and I'll be frank, no one at any furmeet or any fandom gathering has ever tried picking me up. It happened once in public, and that was only because an asshat thought he was being funny for his friends. My best advice is to 1) have a "don't touch me" badge if you're really that worried about it, or if it does indeed happen to you, but I prefer 2) breaking the magic and actually telling the offender that they can seriously hurt you with such stupid behavior. It's all well and good to have a handler around to help prevent situations from happening at all, but trust me it actually has a better effect to speak to someone directly in some cases.
Aye! This video made me very happy to see someone talking about diabetes and fursuiting. Not many people do. I am a type 1 myself so this made me very happy that someone addressed it! (A bit late but) Thank you!
Hi, aspie here! :3 Afortunately, I have a low level of asperger so I just look like a very shy person to outcomers :) But I'm also a spanish fur so it's pretty difficult to find other furs... :"3
I'm very thankful for this video as I have Asthma as well and I have been wanting to get a fursuit but I wasn't sure if that because of my Asthma that it would be bad to do so. This video was very helpful and I'm happy that you did this video!
I'm chronically ill and I agree with the arrhythmia one. I have tachycardia, sciatica, and endometriosis... I also fursuit so to any other suiters who are like me drink water, take breaks, DO NOT WORRY ABOUT BREAKING THE MAGIC!!! YOUR HEALTH IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE RESULTS OF YOU TAKING YOUR HEAD OFF IN FRONT OF PEOPLE. To any non-suiters; keep your eyes on the suiters who seem to be swaying or seem disoriented. You may save someone's life.
I just watch these cuz I'm bored and I'm really sad.right now and you cheer me up! I'm sad because one of my cats went missing. I haven't seen him. So you cheer me up!
Woo, back problems! I’m doing a lot of research before I get my first partial, so thank you so much for taking the time to make this video! It’s really thoughtful of you.
As someone with arthritis, a lot of chronic issues, possible lupus, etc, i'll add a whole slew of tags on my future suit xD for ex: "please hug gently, this suiter has chronic pain", "right ear malfunction", "partially blind", "handle with care", and so on xD
Thank you for existing Pocari Thanks to you i know a lot about the fandom and thoroughly enjoy being a part of it. I love your videos Hope you have a good rest of your day Greetings from Idaho
Tip- If you're fursuiting in another country and dont know the emergency number just go with 911 or whatever your country's number is! Most places will just default to emergency services. It even works without a signal most of the time, so better be safe than sorry!
Hey Pocari great video,ive just commissioned my very first partial and i have mobility problems (cerebral palsy) and found this video very helpful thank you very much for making this :)
i'm a furry with a whole menagerie of disabilities(autism, chronic fatigue, ehlers-danlos, PoTS/dysautonomia) so this was such a good video! i'll be sure to keep all of this in mind
I would looove to see you do an episode for fursuiters with mental health issues specifically rather than physical! As someone with literally more mental illness than I can count on one hand, I would love to hear tips on how to stay safe and out of panic attacks during suiting!
![PROS & CONS OF FURSUITS [The Bottle Ep27]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/haoMy-fZKmo/mqdefault.jpg)
![PROS & CONS OF FURSUITS [The Bottle Ep27]](/img/tr.png)
![So you want a fursuit... Now what?? 🔹 Everything you need to know! [The Bottle Ep80]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/0Wi_7faXBuA/mqdefault.jpg)
![ALL MY CHARACTERS & FURSONAS [The Bottle Ep22]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/3n4C7YYTkGk/mqdefault.jpg)
![10 UPCOMING MAKERS - keep an eye on these guys!! [The Bottle Ep45]](/img/n.gif)
There is SO much out there I couldn't directly cover in this video, including mental health and conditions, but the bottom line is: know your limits, don't push yourself, and ask for help or see your doc if you're unsure about anything!
Keep on keeping on, wishing everyone the best 💙
I'm asthmatic, I've been wondering about this!Thank you!
hi
Pocari Roo 🌊💦💤🤖👽👥👤🗣🧟♂️🧞♂️👔👗👖👕🧢🐦🦋🐋🐳🐬🐟🦈🌏🌍🌎❄️💧🥣🎽🚎🚙✈️🚈🚅🚝🚄🗺🛥🗽🏙🌌🗾🌃💎🛋📭📬📪📤📥🗳📘💙🌀💠💠🌐🏧🚾♿️🅿️🛄🛃🛂🈂️🈳🛅🚹🔵🔷🔹🇦🇷🇪🇺🇬🇹🇳🇷🇫🇲🇲🇶🇲🇭🇸🇴🏴 every blue emoji :)
Would ADHD count as a disability?
Hello
Another fursuiter with a disability here: I depend on a feeding tube and the special formula food that I have to consume can leave a nasty smell in my sweat at times, so I do have to take extra care of my hygiene and friends of mine need to be made aware of that. However, "disability" ends in "ability" and it's definitely not stopping me from spreading smiles and magic as a giant, fluffy lion. I have given a panel about this at Anthro Northwest 2017, together with Rukario, one of my inspirations in the fandom: ua-cam.com/video/o3seVfRQYoc/v-deo.html
Thank you for sharing that! Anyone reading this I think you should check that out, it's a good video.
Kitwana Lion By the way, what is it called?
Heyo asthma crew. Asthma loves getting me in suit tho but I always have my puffy ^~^
I've had an asthma attack in suit before and I was so mad at my lungs >:/
asthma sucks
Ayy you here? HAHAH
@@jax3550 oh hiii XD What a coincidence XDD
I have astma
I never thought I would of learned so much about medical conditions from a talking blue kangaroo!
All jokes aside, you both did a fantastic job about this topic! It's definitely something that needs to be discussed about more in this fandom.
I'm autistic and social situations make me really nervous and exhausted, when i'll go to my first con i'll make sure to have plenty of breaks in the headless lounge and in The hotel room :)
I LOVE your videos! This video was really helpful
I'm also Autistic; Asphergers High functioning. Trying to find a place to fit in is hard due to communication issues.
Yo, I'm autistic too! Got aspurgers.
@@fred3920 i also dislike The functioning labels as it makes me feel less valid :(
People like us, we gotta stick together. Stay strong. Have a good nightmare night.
unokitsune Same here. I also have Asperger’s Syndrome, and I also have ADHD/ADD.
Another thing I want to add to the last part about calling for help, DO NOT ASSUME SOMEBODY ELSE ALREADY CALLED FOR HELP. Multiple studies have shown that, if somebody needs medical assistance, and they're in a room of a hundred people, it is VERY likely everyone will assume "somebody" is already getting help, and that person who needs assistance ends up not getting hurt, because nobody called for help. Go over to the fursuiter, and if nobody tells you they already called an ambulance (and if the suiter isn't responding) then call someone. Don't make that assumption.
Hey Pocari Glenn here. I love you even more for doing this.
Loved you before for highlighting us Grey Muzzles but giving some recognition to the disabled furs is also nice to see.
I want to add onto this - I have severe scoliosis that requires I walk with a cane. I want to say to furs like myself that you can still fursuit. Know your limits. If you can't do a lot of walking maybe have a wheelchair on standby. You can have your handler push you around. Just because you have trouble walking around a lot doesn't mean you're not able to fursuit. It's just a matter of your own physical limitations and working within them.
I'm designing my own fursuit and I intend to make a cane for myself to go along with it so that the cane is a part of the costume and it isn't an out of place item. Harder to do with a wheelchair but I am sure a creative mind can come up with something.
I introduced my best friend to the furry fandom, and the character she has a fursuit of is centered around her being in a wheelchair. Pretty clever really.
@@pixie_foxarts Its good to hear of others as this was something I was worrying about as I have severre fibromyalgia, chronic faitgue among other things. So at points i do need a cane or a wheel chair. But i have really wanted a suit for ages so I decided to design a Manokit called Ambulance who is like my little medical buddy. I like to imagine he comes with me whenever i end up in hospital :3. I have you to make a suit of him but i am planning on it.
Glad to hear tips from someone else dealing with scoliosis :) I'm definitely gonna be in my wheelchair for a lot of the time, but I'll definitely still have loads of fun! I'm just 13 so maybe I won't be as experienced as most others haha
@@Thedemonyordle I'm glad you have a buddy who helps you through it : )
You can do amazing things with Wheelchairs. I have seen some pretty amazing costumes for kids that are designed around the fact that they must use a wheelchair. From race cars to Roman style chariots. Just think of another wheeled device that would work well for your fursona and I bet you can find some amazing folks to help you bring it to life. Bright blessings to all of you from a furry mom and the mom of a furry!!!
Remember guys. Your health comes first!! There are so many suiters but there is one you!!! Always talk to your doctor before doing any kind of major physical activity
Also. Thanks for the feature pocari:) always happy to lend a helping hand!!
Wow, I’ve never met another fur with a pacemaker! You’re awesome!
My mental health is quite bad, and I recently mentioned to my therapist that I am a furry and that I like fursuiting. I explained that it's fun to play around as a character, and just cover myself so nobody knows who I am, which made me more comfortable in public and cons, when in suit.
She was concerned about the fact that I was ONLY comfortable around people in my suit, but I explained that it has helped me in general as well.
I'm more open and willing to talk to strangers if I have to.
I think she's still a little questionable about it.
Panda Curry hey as long as it makes you comfortable it shouldn’t matter, I’m no professional this is just an opinion. Especially cause I can agree, I do not own a suit but I’ve tried suits on and I love how I feel more comfortable being in them
I am fursuiter with disability - blind in left eye so I am careful when suiting and definetely have handler for my eyes. I do see well out of my right eye but left is all dark so my badge says do not approact from left side as I could startle. But it does not stop me from suiting as I feel more confident in it
Dude!! Same!!
@Crystal Cat Owener: None it just doesnt exist for me. Just imagine that your sight stops at your nose at the rest has never existed.
I'm blind in my right eye and partial sighted in my left (with next to normal vision in my left as long as i wear my glasses) are there any other things you can recommend? i don't have a suit yet but would like to get one in the future and am worried about the increased lack of vision on top of my own. Where do you hang your 'do not approach' badge from to be sure people see it? what do you recommend for someone who has no IRL friends in the fur community to be a handler for? is there anything specifically you've noticed you struggle with in suit more than others due to your sight that i should look out for? (pun intended) thanks! :)
@@DoubleJinx95 If you are visually impaired, learning how to use a white cane might help! I am legally blind, and know how to use a cane. I don't worry about vision because having the cane makes me able to go anywhere, even if I can't see at all.
I can’t see out of my left eye very well
Hello Pocari. I have actually had a panic attack in suit before. My advice to others is take your head and suit off. Doesn't matter if you ruin the magic. Grounding (getting in touch with your senses) is important when having a panic attack, and as Pocari said, fursuits limit almost all your senses.
Also, if you're fursuiting and prone to panic attacks, bring a backpack or bag with,
- water
- meds (if you take them)
- phone
- a comfort item
I had a panic attack due to my globophobia while on a walk. I had a teddy to cuddle and a large bottle of water on standby, both of these were important because when I have panic attacks I feel the need to hug something and when I'm hugging due to panic I can get pretty rough. The teddy helped me calm down as we left the area and I was severely dehydrated from crying and sweating. Since then I haven't gone on a walk without a teddy or a friend nearby to comfort me and I always notify the people I am walking with about my phobia because balloons can be a common occurrence so they need to know the best way to deal with the situation.
I will say, if you have any start of Schizophrenia or DID (Dissociated Identity Disorder) then I would recommend do NOT have a full fur suit. A partial would be better.
If you do have DID, then 1, make sure all of you alters (if you will) know that and agree with the fur community, and 2 have your handler know about the condition or have a friend be with you so if anything may happen, they know what may be happening.
With Schizophrenia, it's hard to fur-suit and I find it almost infuriating to wear the head as it's closed off, your not able to hear, see or talk that well. I'd say watch some "Fursuit types" videos before you actually get into it.
Just remember, y'all better be safe out there cause there's always someone who loves you!
Nebula YT thank you so much for commenting this. ❤️
I have DID and this is really helpful
i do wish you talked about autism a bit--
i want to be a fursuiter, but its hard for me to have anything around my face, i dont like being overheated, and i get really overwhelmed really easily-
plus large crowds can easily send me into a panic attack or melt down
i could use some tips for this tbh--
Getting a suit with a fan can help with lowering over heating along with getting a cooling vest and under armor. I recommend going to smaller local cons and meet just to get use to crowds and its also a good way to make friends :)
Assuming you'd want a foam head, you could try making a really basic crappy head (it doesn't have to look good) and wear that sometimes when you're alone to see how you can cope with the heat and foam on your face? Sometimes one can get more used to bad sensory things and sometimes one can't, so i imagine it would be a good idea to try to test that before spending lots of money (and time, if homemade) on a decent head.
You can build a fursuit head of your own, and build it away from your face. I've made a few since I can't really handle that either. Start with your basic balaclava and moving jaw set up (this will keep the balaclava steady and it won't stretch) and add extra padding to move the face forward as much as you wish. having a duct tape dummy of your head and shoulders is great for doing this.
I have bad social anxiety, and I say don't push yourself too far, start with finding local fur meets and hanging out there for a bit until you get comfortable, after that start going to bigger ones over time and whenever you feel ready, try out a con. Just don't rush it, as much as you may want to, otherwise you'll spend a majority of the con panicking rather than enjoying yourself.
One thing that needs to be stressed is to have a really good handler. I contemplate teaching my boyfriend, since he's very aware of my anxieties.
Have a signal for when you need out asap. Something that you can do in and out of suit that wont be seen as being playful. (Hold a hand over the eye and raise your hand, tapping them, directly telling them)
TAKE LOTS OF BREAKS. Oh my god nobody can stress this enough please remember to take the head off, or even the whole suit off, and chill out. Get some water, and collect yourself.
And if you dont like to overheat, dont fullsuit, put a fan in the head, and once agaIN TAKE BREAKS!
I have hypoglycemia and the comment about eating a more protein-oriented breakfast instead of a sugary one is SO TRUE.
Stay safe y’all!
Omg SAME HERE! Sorry, I just don't find many people who have the same condition as me and makes me feel not so alone when I find others. I tend to carry cliff bars or protein bars with me everywhere I go just in case of an emergencies because I don't have the meters and strips to test my blood sugar levels. :(
Nyxion Ugh! Cliff bars are lifesavers!!
Same here, I do my best with nuts and cheese snacks to keep my levels stable. I have have a few episodes of what I call "forgetful blackout". I don't remember anything that happens but from what people who have been around me have said I will loose time, be convinced it is 2 or even 4 years earlier and won't recognize people around me. I have been with my Will for 8 years now and luckily I remember him but Neil and I have only been together for a year. He has had to calm me down and apparently I was convinced he had kidnapped me. I am much more careful now and have alarms set on my phone since one of the symptoms for me is not feeling hungry.
@@dawnmidnightsun2521 Oh wow.. I have issues with memory but no where near that extent. I can have someone say something and I will forget what I had said previously that caused their reply. But that has to do with my mental health. My blackouts usually are just fainting and being just out of it after the fainting and having to recollect information to piece together what had happened. My time will be off so it feels like seconds when it's like 20 mins or the other way around. But that's the general extent of my memory issues. I'm glad you have someone who can help you when you need it. ^_^
At a meet up a few years ago (it was for Zootopia a day before its release) a bunch of fursuiters in my area met up, I went in full suit after a long day at work with a coworker who knew about my suiting, but I forgot my water bottle n was starting to overheat, but my body want registering it, it registered it as "oh your just tired from work." so I went to go lay down and ended up passing out for a few minutes. my Co worker and a few other suiters woke me to see if I was okay, they had me undress (from suit) and made sure I downed several bottles of water as I was apparently drenched in sweat. I am very thankful that they woke me up n got me some water, I still stay in contact with some of them.
Water is so important! Sometimes if I want something with flavor or an extra immune boost, I put vitamin drink powder in my bottle. Stuff like Ener-C sport drink is great for recovering from lots of activity.
I don't know if social anxiety counts as a medical condition or disability but it definitely effects me when suiting out because when people are looking at me or when they are around me wanting to talk and take pictures I get really nervous and it gets difficult to breathe if I continue to stay in the situation. It kind of sucks because its hard to tell people that, some don't understand social anxiety because they don't have it or experienced it. So I try to stay where there is less people.
Btw I wanted to tell you of a UA-camr named Xusho Wolf, he's deaf fur but he's still awesome and does amazing things. :)
Milkshake The Husky Lol I was just about to mention him! He is pretty cool 👍🏾
Milkshake The Husky And about your anxiety, that definitely counts! Sadly, I'm not totally sure how to help, as I have never been diagnosed with anxiety nor have a fursuit. I guess you could just take breaks whenever you're not comfortable with a situation, and maybe talk with a therapist about fursuiting to see how if they can help 🙂
Ok I think I know how to solve your problem but maybe not because I do not own a fursuit but I do have social anxiety. So if the amount of people are bothering you then first you could have a close friend as your handler so they can tell people before they try and engage into conversations or huggs. If thats not possible you could also get a pin that says something along that. If its just talking to the people around you then maybe you could use cute noises to communicate or say nothing at all. This way you wont have to really speak to anyone while still being cute and cuddly. Also for eye contact maybe you could try some big shades that kinda block your eyes to others but you can still see. I hope this helps because I know how hard it is to be in public with social anxiety, it really sucks.
It was mentioned in another comment here, but you could look for some big easy to read pins that let people know your shy and such, I thought it seemed like a good idea :D
You could get badges or something that says that you’re shy, or do not approach or something
Emergency numbers:
I'm pretty sure all phones have a "emergency call" button, that'll automatically dial the number.. (which also works regardless, if the phone is unlocked or even have a sim card)
Momo Con why does your comment say 14 hours ago
@@doc6635 they are from pateron. They get to comment and watch videos before they come out :3
Because I am a Patreon :3 (I am ChichiZeKitty), and a part of what we pay for, is early viewing :P plus we get to chat with the Roo itself
If you dial 911 in a place that uses a different number, it often still works to contact emergency services.
I have autism, sensory processing disorder mild allergies, and chronic pain so I found that a more gaijinka/character couture of my ocs and sonas is much more suitable for my needs, while still bringing my characters to life. It keeps my senses from being obstructed, doesn't restrict breathing, and is a lot less weight on my body, reducing physical strain.
What a wonderful topic! As someone who's fursuited for years, I'm definitely guilty of fursuiting w/out a handler occasionally, so I actually have my medical information on the back of my main badge! On there it lets you know that I have asthma and where my inhaler can be found.
9:00 GREAT advice! I never thought about this O: Taking off the head while the suiter is incapacitated can actually potentially aggravate and worsen their condition especially if you don't know what's going on.
Isn't it?
STORMI IS THAT YOU :O
I have autism, severe anxiety, ADHD, ADD, and aspergers. I love fursuiting. It helps me be more social and helps a lot with my anxiety! Although on Halloween I wore mine 2 hours straight and sadly i had to go home and sleep cuz i got a migraine;-; I didn't drink much water either so that was also a problem. So yeah stay safe in your fursuit!!
I really relate to you so much :0 I have some of your disabilities and ext (if that's how they say it)
Aspergers is autism? Just a more offensive term? Why put that?? I know it's been 3 yrs
Thanks so much for this episode Pocari!
I actually require a walking stick/mobility aid to help me stay stable while walking around (I have an instability with my knees that can give out randomly, so I need the walking stick as an assurance that I won't just drop dead weight to the ground). I will never be able to wear a full suit due to my health conditions and the fact that I can only suit for a limited amount of time before having to take everything off (20-30 minutes seems to be my max limit in partial).
I also suffer from Chronic Pain, Chronic Fatigue, & Fibromyalgia, and I made myself a little badge that says 'Please Hug Gently' with my conditions listed below to make people aware that I need to be handled a little more carefully than a normal suiter.
I’m nearsighted so whenever I can afford to get a fursuit, I’m definitely going to need to have the head adjusted for that. The only problem it causes for me is of course seeing tiny print from a distance, and vision of course is very important when seeing out of a fursuit head.
I have cfs (chronic fatigue syndrome) and i started to believe that my life was ruined as i couldn't do a simple task such as get out of bed. Fursuiting didnt even come to mind when i used to list the things i couldn't do anymore as it was too physical.
I believed fullsuiting was the key element to create that illusion but after awhile i saw how awesome just partialing is, you can pick out your own fursonas clothes, what they would wear, what type of aesthetic etc!
As a fellow cfs suffer im here to say that things will get better. You feel like you will never stop grieving the life you lost and trust me you dont, but you can enjoy the new life you have gotten with a challenge. A year passed with my condition and now i can walk for miles, around a convention space, a shopping mall etc. I still cant run just yet but im getting there through self rehabilitation.
Things WILL be fine once you know your limits, what you can handle and try to work around a problem! Self rehabilitation is your best bet even if its just walking up and down the stairs 2 times etc!
My docs told me to keep being what i was like but i felt like i was going backwards, sometimes doctors dont give the best advice for us but research what you can, do what you can and eventually it will get better as you learn about yourself more.
Below i have linked a fitness workout especially for cfs folks! This one is about how to start and schedule your work out programme but she is absolutely amazing! I highly recommend trying this!!
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ua-cam.com/video/ij9DACFG6HI/v-deo.html
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Thank you for reading and also i absolutely love your videos!! Keep doing an amazing job x33 💚💚
Thank you so much for this video! I have a few more things to add if that's ok! I have Neurocardiogenic Syncope with Seizures. That means a lot of things, but the big one is I overheat easily if I'm not careful. Thankfully it's gotten better to the point I no longer need my medication. (xD First time since I was 3 (20 years)!) I really wanted to fursuit, but wasn't sure if I would physically be able to. So instead of spending thousands on my fursona, I just spent a few hundred on making a simpler partial to see if I could handle it. Thankfully, I'm handling it pretty well! I'm going as that fox character to trick-or-treating with my nephew! (never too old to join in the fun! xD).
But a tip for if someone is overheating: put a cold, soaked cloth on the wrists, neck, and thighs if you can. There are arteries close to the surface there, and cooling those areas will help the whole body cool down faster. And if someone is having a seizure, DO NOT restrain them, unless they're in danger. Restraining them could hurt them. Time the seizure, turn them on their side if you can so they don't choke on vomit if they throw up, and call for help. If it's only one seizure and it doesn't last long, they may say they're fine and just go sleep it off. But if they have more than one seizure in a row, or if it lasts over a minute, or if they show signs of head trauma, (I imagine this less likely with the padding of a suit, but still a good idea to check by asking some very simple questions like "do you know where you are?" "Do you know what day it is?" and see if they're alert and in the present), they should go to the hospital. They WILL be tired, that is fine and normal. And people who have seizures regularly very well may not want to go through the hassle of the emergency room. Tell them what happened, and ask them if they want to go. For me, at least, it's usually just an expensive, and painful waste of time. (Stick a painful IV in your arm, so they can give you medicine in the unlikely case you'll seize again while there, make you wait for hours, and then send you back home with absolutely no new information, and all you get is a sore arm, a desire to sleep for a week, and a bill you'll be paying off for a few years.)
Update! I had a lot of fun trick-or-treating in fursuit last night with my nephew! xD I had some troubles though, like we visited the nursing home, and it was very warm inside. I was alright, but I had to take my head off as soon as we got back to the car, and I had to dial down the in-character bounciness to catch my breath. And since I made my suit myself, I think I messed up the eyes a bit, because I had a very hard time seeing, especially in the dark I was blind. But I had a great time, and everyone loved my fursuit! xD I did at times just go with my paws and tail, leaving my head in the car so I could see without tripping on steps. But my little nephew did a great job of being a little handler, helping me with the candy that my clumsy paws couldn't hold, and telling me where every step was!
what if someone went up to their doctor, told them about fursuiting, but they didn’t know what it was so they looked it up and liked it, ending up accidentally turning their doctor into a furry
Few months late - but if you're like me and have any sort of hypersensitive skin (in my case I have dermatographic urticaria - I'm essentially "allergic" to heat due to the severity) make sure to carry benadryl on you at all times as well as cooling packs to help with hives and/or rashes that will inevitably form under the conditions. This is especially important at larger cons and cons that occur during the summer months! I've found that soaking wrapping bandages in aloe helps with this especially around jointed areas (I use around my wrists and neck so nothing swells). Stay safe!!
me watching this during covid:
pocari: WASH UR HANDS
me, clapping: YES! THAT AGED SO WELL!
I have a very bad version of Dysautonomia, (I’m not sure if I spelled that correctly) And I’m so glad you talked about it! It really deserves more recognition. I also get Non-Epileptic seizures, and I have many other conditions, so I think I wouldn’t be able to fursuit even if I really want too. I can’t handle heat that well, and I faint if I stand up for too long. I also have Allodynia, which basically means any small feather touching me or any clothes that are uncomfortable are extremely painful to me, So it’s not really a good idea to wear a fursuit until I’m better! Again, thank you for talking about us, It never really gets talked about enough.
7:56 Gosh that's a nice suit head. Idk why but I think that is now one of my favorites now. Besides you Pocari 😋
This was super helpful! I was born with a rare hereditary condition which has to do with my blood/hormones/heart called hereditary angioedema or HAE for short( goolge has the best simple definition for this )
"Hereditary angioedema is a disorder characterized by recurrent episodes of severe swelling (angioedema). The most common areas of the body to develop swelling are the limbs, face, intestinal tract, and airway. Minor trauma or stress may trigger an attack, but swelling often occurs without a known trigger."
Which unfortunately i have to take injections for and have even been hospitalized for nearly a week when my neck had swollen once(yikes) so i plan to suit in a partial(for ease/not over heating and incase i need to get an injection in my stomach quickly) stress and anxiety are especially horrible factors which can make me swell up bad(i was diagnosed with mild anxiety) and on top of that i even have affects of asthma from when i was a kid(i dont need an inhailer i just have issues catching my breath) so this was definetly a really good video for me to understand how to go about suiting more, i have always been a little nervous about it due to my HAE, thanks for the video
Dang I'm so early UA-cam is broken. I think it's wonderful that you're addressing this problem. I dont think I've ever seen a furtuber (is that the word idk) cover this topic. I keep forgetting how many people live with these chronic illnesses and disabilities because I do not see them as addressed enough. I hope more creators in our fandom start making similar videos.
Might as well put my struggle here. So i have social anxiety which at times can be so bad I cant step a foot away from my parents. So i recentally went to my first meetup (which I had a blast!). I wore my suit and im pretty confident while wearing him since no one sees me, just the suit. We were having tons of fun when I started overheating. My friend mustve lnew too and we both ran to get water. I downed a whole bottle of water (still head on because I was nervous) and I couldve passed out. After we came back to the group I made sure to drink lots of water and took my head off (it was scary at first but I got a bit used to it). Moral of the story? Drink plenty of water and, if you have anxiety do the following too, take your head off! Learn from my mistake. It wasnt fun and you gotta protect your health even if you are having fun!
Awesome video!!!
Also dying because I drew Meekor's dorky icon. 🤣
I absolutely loved this episode! I made a new friend at Arizona Furcon 2018, who has a service dog.
Im on wheelchair and i cant walk a lot but i have seen some of furries on wheelchair too so i feel inspired and want to make or buy fursuit soon even with my disability
Thanks for the advice re: dysautonomia. I was initially thinking about making a fullsuit, but I'm definitely shifting gears to plan out a partial instead.
You helped me a lot!! I love you!! I was clinking about how to fursuit with my glasses 😅 thanks!!
Also omg my art in the background I GASPED
Which one??
@@c0rv1d36 top left corner, purple background, bouncy roo 💛
Raiyndeer that one is really good 😃☺️
@@justinmerritt7252 thank you! 💛
@@raiyndeer2982 Nice art!
I can relate to the asthma and glasses part. Because my vision is pretty bad without my glasses.
I recommend everyone having a protein-rich breakfast or meal before fursuiting or cosplay because protein helps you stay full longer
Chronic pain and fatigue here 🖐️ Really glad you mentioned it! I use a wheelchair to help in my day-to-day life, and while I will love to walk around in a partial, I would absolutely need my chair at certain intervals and while navigating long distances. It makes me nervous though, as I don't want people to see me get up out of my chair and assume I'm "faking". Don't judge other people's disabilities. Just because someone doesn't *always* need a mobility aid doesn't mean they don't need it at other times! Wheelchairs aren't just for people who are paralyzed.
It was about this year I went to a local fursuit meet-up and we went on a walk. Where I live it can go from freezing to warm from one day to the next, so it's not like Australia or Arizona. But on this day, it was pretty hot and we haven't walked that far and I was getting pretty exhausted. I couldn't catch up with the group, I was wearing a partial thankfully, but it was my first time wearing fursuit sandals and they make you walk much slower, but I felt like I was about to pass out, and I thought I could make it, but I of course, could not make it all the way through to our walk. I know a few others were feeling the same way, especially this one girl who had a full digitigrade fursuit on, and she didn't look that good. Thankfully she had a handler, and he was helping her out quite a bit and offering her water. I decided it wasn't worth it, and we all sat down. That was my very first experience with that, and I'm glad I stopped. Listen to your body, don't push yourself to the point where you can't breathe, you're not gonna have a fun experience. I actually had a good experience even though I couldn't go on the walk anyways, because when I stopped along with the others, I got to talk with them and just chill and get to know them! They were really nice, as many furs I've met ever since I became a furry!
Pocari I just want to thank you for bringing me back into the fandom and getting my sister into the fandom too,it has been something that has brought us closer to the point we plan on going to a con together
Thank you so much for making this video, Pocari! I suffer from hypoglycemia, arthritis, and a limp. Just some tips for anyone suiting with these issues-
As for hypoglycemia, keep something like apple juice on you in case your blood sugar goes down out of nowhere. I tend to faint easy, mainly when i’m physically active for a long period of time.
For arthritis, I wouldn’t suggest suiting at all on rainy or cold days. Sometimes I get to the point where my leg is almost unable to completely, and trust me, you don’t want to have that happen with a heavy fursuit on!
The limp is something I have the most experience with fixing. Try and find some small wedges to put in the footpaw that you limp on. My right leg is three cinimeters shorter than my left one due to my femur being broken, and I use small wedges. It’s odd at first, but it helps walking a LOT! Also make sure to sit down and take a break often
Yay I'm so happy that you made this video. Im glad to hear that there are other furries who do what they love even though they have disabilities (While taking care of themselves though).
I was born with dislocated hips so i cant walk properly and get sore from walking around for long periods of time, but that isnt going to stop me from being a furry and walking around in my fursuit (while taking breaks and sitting down a lot).
I just have mental disorders that I cannot deal with normal situations a lot of the time due to my anxiety but cons are usually safe for me cuz I inform people of my problems. I'm really really jumpy.
This is what I was worried about! Thank you for covering this topic! I have POTS among other things still being figured out. POTS is like the anti fursuit syndrome, it involves heat intolerance, fast heart rate just from standing (I had a hr of 204 getting off the couch), and fainting. POTS is a form of Dysautonomia. I also utilize an assistance dog who can detect those sweet BP drops that cause fainting. We kinda figured out how I could fursuit safely. I wanted a fullsuit but that could be utterly impossible so a half suit is still gold. I would have to wear the compression stockings and a cooling body suit. Those control my HR level and hopefully temperature. Sugar (my assistance dog) can detect BP drops even when I'm wearing very thick clothing since she smells sweat so a bit of training with the suit before a con could help with stabilizing her detection task and her learning to work with both my voice commands and hand commands. I'm already looking at ideas for pins or badges that I can put on that let others know to not separate or distract Sugar from me (she also wears her vest with medical information inside). A fursuit would bring much freedom, hoping to solve this problem 100%
I have ADHD and sensory-processing sensitivity (SPS) so I don't think I'll ever full-suit, but that's not stopping me from partial-ing!
Thanks for this video, it doesn't seem like a lot of the furry community stops to think about these things, so it's nice to see it touched upon. :)
Thanks Pocari, I think this is an important topic, and I'm glad to see you made a bottle episode on it!
This Is a really important subject, thanks for covering It!
Times really does sound like your Australian Paramedic! That's awesome!
I have narcolepsy with chronic fatigue. This video is really helpful to me. Great topic
Hello! I've been watching your videos for a good while now, and this video has helped me a good bit. I have anemia and hypotension, so I'm prone to wobbling and fainting while trying to get around, and for a long time I've told myself I can't get a fursuit because of it. But now you've assured me that it is possible if I take the right precautions (of course, I'll still talk to my doctor about it before funneling thousands of dollars into a death plushie). If I was to get a suit now, it would be a 3/4 partial for more ventilation. Since my significant other is amazing at being able to tell when I'm about to faint, I talked to them about being my handler, and they'd gladly be one if I was to suit. :D
I've been wondering about disabilities and how they affect others so this was perfect!
Thank you! I needed something to reference for suiting with asthma. Mine is mild, but it flares up with smoke, dusts, and anything like that, so even the first few minutes were amazing help.
This is the content I subscribed for.
I'm a person who has tourette's syndrome and I've considered fursuiting. I have very noticeable motor tics that I don't usually notice until they're pointed out. They get especially bad when I get nervous or excited. I'm afraid due to limited vision in suit that I might injure myself if I try fursuiting. This is very helpful, and I hope you could do a follow-up for people with certain mental conditions as well someday.
THE GREEN ON YOUR SHIRT THOOOO
also thanks for the video i needed this so much
im glad some one is taking about this thank you
Kind of the reason I had scrapped suiting next April. I can't be in extreme temperatures hot or cold, and have to be hydrated often. I had eventually decided to either suit, and try afford some kind of cooling system in my suit, or just go during the colder seasons.
Not the awesomest options in the world, but as I've heard many suiters advise before; your health is the most important thing. Anyone else out here in the comments that have to deal with stuff like this, I wish you all luck, especially today, those of you who suit for the Holiday ^^
I'm fursuiting for the first time tonight for Halloween!
I love how happy, hyper and positive you always are
Thanks patreons!! Love ya!
Thank you so much. Barely anyone ever talks about type 1 diabetes, and you went the extra mile and gave advice on fursuiting with it. It means a lot ❤️
When you have asthma and love fursuits... your just like why lungs? Why?
Hello there, hello Pocari Roo!
First things first: I LOVE youre videos and I realy love that you take this topic!!!
I'm a Diabtic Typ 1 Fursuiter and I really love that you say somthing about that.
Here some tipps from me, if you're new to fursuiting or/AND a Diabetic:
-> Try your suit with a friend or so who knows your "condition" and try it on a "Save place".
What do I mean with that? Well:
Try it on a pleace that you KNOW VERY WELL. A Shopping street ore thomething that you realy know very good. This is to keep the stresslevel for you as low as posible. Not only that you know were you go (And can and can't go), you also know where restrooms are, or pleaces maybe with a bigger restroom, where you can get headless if you need to. in that place you maybe also knew were you (or your spotter/handler) can get help, or maybee some extra sugarstuff or food, without needing to search for it.
-> NEVER EVER FORGET YOUR DIABETHES STUFF!
I write this out big, because I know what I mean with that...
-> Take a lot of water, sugarstuff and meaybe some cookies ore something simliar with you (Just let your handler carry this for you ;) ) Its not only for your health, but it can also increase the time that you can be In-Suit.
Ähm.. ok... I hope it helps and don't sounds to... Overdone or thomezhing like that.
Whits that I come to the last tipp of mine:
-> HAVE FUN!
I thought i would have to wear contacts, I'm extremely squeamish, glad to know a maker can add extra room that can let me wear my glasses with it.
Im so glad i watched this video because of the chronic fatigue part! I have it and i was planning on doing a full suit, but thank you for the advice!
Also on the note of this video, as someone who has severe asthma under exhaustive conditions, this is extremely valuable information 💛💛
As a type one diabetic this was really helpful, thank you! ^-^
your videos are always so informative and helpful
The emergency number in Mexico has changed, its 911 now.
Yeah we copied American movies 😅😅😅
As a type on diabetic furry, I approve! It only recently occurred to me that I could get custom spots in my future fursuit to hold my insulin pump and sensor and to hear other people are already doing it is great!
Thank you so much. I have issues with blackouts and fainting spells as well as asthma and some of these tips will help out quite a lot when I can fursuit. And thanks to your friend (I don't know how to spell their name) for educating us on what to do and what not to do when someone happens to faint
Pawsome video Pocari Roo! This video definitely is worthy to share to spread the word. Keep up the good work Pocari! Have a Happy Halloween 💙🎃💙
If anyone has light sensitivity like me, please ask your maker to dim up tge mesh, and if you make it yourself, dim the inside of the mesh with dark greenish-brown paint.
This is a subject that many people do not touch! I love this topic despite me thankfully not having any issues!
I have mild scoliosis, so when I start fursuiting I’ll worry about people trying to pick me up cause I’m very short, less than five foot yet full grown, and accidentally hurting my back. Any suggestions to help stop unwanted picking up?
I'd suggest either a handler who is keeping a close eye on only you and not other suiters, or wearing a double sided brightly coloured badge that says "DO NOT PICK ME UP"
With a mild case of scoliosis and hEDS, I've had similar concerns. I'd go with either what pocari suggested, or even a similarly bright double sided badge that says something like "please be careful with me/no rough housing." I don't know how common glomps or just really tight hugs in general are at furmeets/cons, but the idea of someone slamming in to me is concerning.
I have scoliosis as well, and I'll be frank, no one at any furmeet or any fandom gathering has ever tried picking me up. It happened once in public, and that was only because an asshat thought he was being funny for his friends.
My best advice is to 1) have a "don't touch me" badge if you're really that worried about it, or if it does indeed happen to you, but I prefer 2) breaking the magic and actually telling the offender that they can seriously hurt you with such stupid behavior. It's all well and good to have a handler around to help prevent situations from happening at all, but trust me it actually has a better effect to speak to someone directly in some cases.
Aye! This video made me very happy to see someone talking about diabetes and fursuiting. Not many people do. I am a type 1 myself so this made me very happy that someone addressed it! (A bit late but) Thank you!
Yay your back!
I have rlly missed your videos ALOT. So happy to have you back :D
Hi, aspie here! :3
Afortunately, I have a low level of asperger so I just look like a very shy person to outcomers :)
But I'm also a spanish fur so it's pretty difficult to find other furs... :"3
Amazing videos, you gave me the confidence to join the Fandom. Keep being you, you're amazing
Hey Pocari love you 💕
I'm very thankful for this video as I have Asthma as well and I have been wanting to get a fursuit but I wasn't sure if that because of my Asthma that it would be bad to do so. This video was very helpful and I'm happy that you did this video!
I'm chronically ill and I agree with the arrhythmia one. I have tachycardia, sciatica, and endometriosis... I also fursuit so to any other suiters who are like me drink water, take breaks, DO NOT WORRY ABOUT BREAKING THE MAGIC!!! YOUR HEALTH IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE RESULTS OF YOU TAKING YOUR HEAD OFF IN FRONT OF PEOPLE.
To any non-suiters; keep your eyes on the suiters who seem to be swaying or seem disoriented. You may save someone's life.
I just watch these cuz I'm bored and I'm really sad.right now and you cheer me up! I'm sad because one of my cats went missing. I haven't seen him. So you cheer me up!
Woo, back problems! I’m doing a lot of research before I get my first partial, so thank you so much for taking the time to make this video! It’s really thoughtful of you.
As someone with arthritis, a lot of chronic issues, possible lupus, etc, i'll add a whole slew of tags on my future suit xD for ex: "please hug gently, this suiter has chronic pain", "right ear malfunction", "partially blind", "handle with care", and so on xD
Thank you for existing Pocari
Thanks to you i know a lot about the fandom and thoroughly enjoy being a part of it.
I love your videos
Hope you have a good rest of your day
Greetings from Idaho
Pulse The Dubdog
Really
I was forced to move to Arizona but i still consider myself to be from Idaho
This was very informative and fantastic as always my friend i enjoyed watching
Near 100k subs wow.
Awesome pocari very nicely done I liked it
Tip- If you're fursuiting in another country and dont know the emergency number just go with 911 or whatever your country's number is! Most places will just default to emergency services. It even works without a signal most of the time, so better be safe than sorry!
Hey Pocari great video,ive just commissioned my very first partial and i have mobility problems (cerebral palsy) and found this video very helpful thank you very much for making this :)
My lil bro is an asthma furry, I'm so proud of him, he has been through so much but he just powers through.
i'm a furry with a whole menagerie of disabilities(autism, chronic fatigue, ehlers-danlos, PoTS/dysautonomia) so this was such a good video! i'll be sure to keep all of this in mind
am blind in my left eye from a childhood accident makes suiting really difficult at most times , but i enjoy it and dont let it deture me great video
I would looove to see you do an episode for fursuiters with mental health issues specifically rather than physical!
As someone with literally more mental illness than I can count on one hand, I would love to hear tips on how to stay safe and out of panic attacks during suiting!
6:56
Pocari roo tells us to wash our hands 2 years ago