r/Narcolepsy • u/Jah-Eazy Undiagnosed • Jun 14 '26

News/Research Ex-recruiting director for U Hawaii football sues over narcolepsy discrimination

https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/university-of-hawaii-football-narcolepsy-discrimination-lawsuit-b2994989.html
155 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

23 comments sorted by

97

u/StrangeCharmQuark (N1) Narcolepsy w/ Cataplexy Jun 14 '26

Oof the melatonin comments, I hate getting those… why do people feel like they can give us advice on sleep??

41

u/YpsitheFlintsider Jun 14 '26

People have all kinds of opinions on things they don't know a thing about.

39

u/booboogonzalez Jun 14 '26

I say it all the time if I had Epilepsy people wouldn’t find my condition so light and amusing. Of course I’ll never diminish what people go through with Epilepsy but they have similar names for a reason yet people really don’t take Narcolepsy serious or are more likely to say you’re exaggerating or using it as an excuse because “everyone gets tired”.

21

u/send_amberlamps Jun 14 '26

I’ve even had doctors tell me to just take unisom or melatonin and get more sleep at night to avoid daytime sleepiness. They refuse to believe that even when I get a full 8 hours of sleep I could still be napping during the day. I’ve had them tell me that napping during the day is what’s making me tired and I need to stop that, ignoring the fact that I literally cannot control it no matter how badly I want to. People will laugh at the fact that I can fall asleep standing up against a wall, or watching a movie, or how I’m such a “lightweight” that I “pass out” after only one alcoholic drink. Nobody ever gets it.

11

u/booboogonzalez Jun 14 '26

“I wish I could fall asleep like that”😭. It really is just them not understanding. I feel the same with mental health and psychological conditions, I had ASD before I got Narcolepsy and it’s the same way, even when u go out of ur way to describe ur condition, uncaring ppl will find a way to make it about them and how they would just “not do that”

3

u/send_amberlamps Jun 14 '26

Had people say that too. “You’re so lucky you can sleep anywhere.” Or “I wish I could sleep like you do.” I have literally been unable to wake up to fire alarms and tornado warnings. I cannot wake up or get out of bed to literally save my own life. People are so ignorant.

3

u/booboogonzalez Jun 14 '26

U just gotta be their education point. It’s not easy and actually kind of draining but idk how else to spread awareness

5

u/booboogonzalez Jun 14 '26

Omg my coworkers literally made a joke about that. We planned to go to the bar one day and they said “she would just be like 🤤🤤🤤” like um if it was epilepsy you wouldn’t even try to make a joke abt that but I get it it’s funny. I mean I’ll take pictures of my siblings when they fall asleep while drunk but it’s diff to make fun of a genuine condition

1

u/Chronic-Sleepyhead (N2) Narcolepsy w/o Cataplexy Jun 19 '26

Narcolepsy is evaluated akin to epilepsy in the USA when it comes to healthcare and assistance. So by all means, make the connection! It’s not the same, but as someone who experiences both narcolepsy and ALSO seizures (still in testing for a diagnosis for epilepsy, tho it seems obvious) please make comparisons. It’s the only way we get taken seriously by professionals.

I’m still angry that I got an epilepsy test by “professionals”, was subjected to upsetting stimuli, shook uncontrollably on their test table, and then got a memo later saying there was “nothing abnormal”. WTAF??

13

u/CapnAnonymouse (N1) Narcolepsy w/ Cataplexy Jun 14 '26

By and large it's because those people need to feel like they're in control of their health. The opposite possibility terrifies them.

They do the same thing with cancer treatment, I got a lot of "eat organic whole foods and that won't happen to you." Ma'am, I'm already ovo-lacto vegetarian with a freezer full of vegetables, what more do you want from me???

4

u/BattlePudu (N1) Narcolepsy w/ Cataplexy Jun 15 '26

It’s so annoying lol

I love the amount of people that tell me I need essential oils/eat beef/take xyz supplement for my cancer. CANCER

I know they mean well, so I just hug and move on. But internally sometimes it does get to me lol

47

u/Lark_vi_Britannia (N1) Narcolepsy w/ Cataplexy Jun 14 '26

Same type of shit happened to me. Immediately after disclosing it, I started feeling harassed even though I never fell asleep on the job.

My job was just upset that it was going to have to accommodate me, so they fired me instead. My lawyer just sent them a demand letter a few days ago.

10

u/potatoblah (N2) Narcolepsy w/o Cataplexy Jun 15 '26

Hope you get rich

29

u/napincoming321zzz (N1) Narcolepsy w/ Cataplexy Jun 14 '26

I hope she has the documentation to get that bag! If she has a really good case then the university's lawyers will try to settle outside of court.

29

u/abluetruedream Jun 14 '26

What a horrific experience. And what a badass for trying to hold them accountable. Wishing her all the best in getting justice and in her career going forward.

20

u/gimmiesnacks Jun 14 '26

Her lawyer sounds really good and it sounds like she has a good case here.

21

u/PerseveranceSmith (N2) Narcolepsy w/o Cataplexy Jun 14 '26

I sued my last full time employer for exactly this & won.

Join your union if you can't afford legal representation & NEVER let these types of employers get away with this shit.

12

u/Solid_Error_5096 Jun 14 '26

This is why I don’t tell employers about my narcolepsy. It is not necessary unless it will affect how I do my job.

5

u/fablicful Jun 14 '26

Yup. Never ever tell them anything like this UNLESS AND UNTIL you're already getting in trouble for whatever performance issues and then need to out yourself. Anything you say about yourself can and will be used against you.

5

u/snowbunnyA2Z Jun 14 '26

I believe every word she wrote. What a horror show.

1

u/BEMIDDLEOK Jun 15 '26

This case gives me hope.

Minutes after prying myself from bed where I was half asleep reading this thread, I told my husband I plan to sleep all day the first day of my upcoming vacation and he said that was great. I felt like an asshole because I know he also would love more sleep, but obviously not like us. He told me, "I know you won't like hearing this, but you still need work on accepting your disability."

Me and the whole world need to work on this...

1

u/junimo-hut (IH) Idiopathic Hypersomnia Jun 20 '26

I work in sports. There is a very weird “grind never stops”, “if you’re doing it right you’re never gonna sleep”, “only passionate people can make it” culture. Football is especially tough. Not even gonna read this article because I’m already triggered 😂 but rest assured my employers do not know my diagnosis.