@theautisticcoach@actuallyautistic ya same as everyone else. I keep things were they are most efficient and I absolutely hate it when they get taken and not put back, to the point I have to get doubles of things and hide one of everything
@Tim_McTuffty
Never stop dreaming of a future.
And remember you may be able to give yours a direction with the choices you make...
At least that's what I am trying to do 😇
Take your vitamins, eat well, exercise some 😉 and hopefully it will all add up to feeling better soon!!!
It has for me, so I share this from my experience. We're all different of course. But I do believe with a healthier body also comes a wee bit happier mind. 🤗 😘
Have a good night sweets 💜🍀 and 🐶 👅 🐾 from Arwen 😉
I'm not sure what to make of this video about autism diagnosis from Rebecca Quinn. I'm watching a lot of autistic youtubers to check them out, and this is the first of her videos I watched. Strong start, good information, engaging use of humor.
But the latter half of the video got weird. The first half was basically why self-diagnosis is valid and even necessary, and doesn't hurt anyone. But the second half was largely about how getting an official diagnosis is a privilege and refusing to get a diagnosis when you can is somehow letting people down.
This seems like a strange conclusion. Rebecca even got into how getting a diagnosis can have negative consequences because of laws that infantilize and restrict us. She also mentions how it can take as much as a couple years to get an assessment for a diagnosis, because there is not enough capacity to diagnose everyone. So, it seems there are actually reasons not to get an official diagnosis.
But Rebecca says everyone who can get an official diagnosis should get one, because that normalizes gettting one. As if getting an official diagnosis is a good thing that should be normalized. That's begging the question.
The other thing she leaves out is how getting a diagnosis often gets you NO SUPPORT at all, so what's even the point of it? There aren't any support programs for autistic adults, especially us late-dx folk. And even having a diagnosis doesn't get you accommodations at work if they have no ability to give you what you need and would rather fire you and then fight you in court than change how they operate.
Some people really do need an official diagnosis to access accommodations or care, or for other reasons. And it can take a few years to get that diagnosis. It seems ridiculous to tell everyone they should use up that limited capacity for a confirmation diagnosis that does nothing else beyond checking a box, when that takes away that opportunity from someone who actually needs it.
The most compelling reason she gave to seek a diagnosis was to check if it's some other mental illness or disorder that can be mistaken for autism but has a different treatment, or if it's something comorbid with autism. It's a reasonable concern, but I want to see some data about how effective psycholgists are at diagnosing someone accurately in that situation. Is it worth taking those diagnosis slots away from people who need them if they usually don't give any useful information?
@theautisticcoach@actuallyautistic that sounds like me a lot. Work in particular causes me a great deal of anxiety with respect to criticism and potential rejection. I’ve been able to tone it down some over time, but still difficult.
@theautisticcoach@actuallyautistic I was also reading something about anxiety being an inhibitor of reality testing in some people, and I think one of those was me. Awareness makes a big diff.
I think the evidence is mounting that in some circumstances I can be rather slow to process emotions.
Sometimes it is not until the day after something happened that I get angry. During this "something" I keep a placid demeanor. This demeanor is not a strategy or a conscious decision.
Then, the next day, I realize how this very thing gives rise to emotions, often anger.
I'm wondering if it relates to alexithymia. I'm not confused about what I feel, but the feeling may get delayed.
Or maybe it is a combination of:
people pleasing,
autistic inertia,
alexithymia
Just thinking out lout about one of my characteristics here.
Sometimes I think that delayed effect (affect?) has been helpful. It’s allowed me to do what needs to be done before dealing with how I feel. The problem has been when the “doing” has taken so long that I haven’t got around to the feeling, but the feelings are still there, burbling away, leading to unexpected meltdown &/or burnout.
I can tell when I need to lower the volume of something I'm listening to when I feel a kind of tightening in my ear muscles, and/or ringing in my ears, or a slight feeling of stress coming in from my environment.
I also just try to remember to always proactively lower the volume a couple ticks from what i first set it at, to prevent all those sensations.
What are the signs for you that things are a little too loud?
Diary of an ASD Squirrel. Day 203 , Saturday 18/05/2024
Ruff as a bears bum today, no energy, no appetite, everything I do hurts.
It’s probably only man-flu again, I seem to catch every bug going at the moment & regular Squirrel Spotters will be aware that I’m a bit of a wuss when it comes to common or garden illness. 🙄🤦♂️
I keep plodding along, hoping that I catch a break at some point.
I am better this afternoon, this morning I felt like death warmed up, lunch was 5/6 of 2 rounds of toast - don’t ask - & tea will be venturing into the dubious gastronomic delights of a can of tommy soup.
I am a little brighter & well enough to write my diary, so that is an improvement.
Final Thoughts.
Please can someone hail a Delorean to transport me back to my 40s ?
I have to say that I am in total awe of those folk I know who live with chronic pain, chronic depression is a walk in the park in comparison, you peeps are the bravest folk I know!
Thank you to all those who are helping me on this journey, in a myriad different ways. I am thankful to each & every one of you! 🫂 🫶🐿️🖖
@LJClements8
Indeed!! Some vitamin E can help as well, together with Omega 3. Of the muscles are struggling as well, I would add calcium and magnesium (as I did in my supplements).
It's adviced to get as many vitamins from food, but when you can't, supplements are there to help!
It may take time to find the brands and types that work best for you, but less flu type days could be worth it! 🤗
I wonder if the movement to ban conversion therapy will also ban ABA therapy for autistic people (the gold standard of autistic services that is conversion therapy, developed by the same people as the conversion therapy for queer people). I know queer people who are against conversion therapy who work at an ABA school for autisitc people in Minneapolis called Fraser. Pointing out their hypocrisy ended our friendships. #ActuallyAutistic
This video essay about the social politics of #autism diagnosis by an adorably nerdy trans guy is kind of amazing. It's quite heady and full of critical analysis, post-structuralism, feminist theory, and stuff like that. It's also very funny, if you're into self-deprecating, ironic humor. #AlexanderAvila mostly does videos about queer stuff, but he's really nailed the autism vlogger thing with this one. (James Somerton wishes he was even half this good at video essays.) #ActuallyAutistic
i understand holidays as essentially days with the same open-ended tasks that i can optionally do, but with less direct outside pressure. It's relaxing in a subtle way.
Conceptualizing holiness in a religious context is apparently not something my two hemispheres of the brain would enjoy, I suppose.
Whitsun is on for two days here from Sunday and I'll probably have to take care of my overdue tax return during that time. god of capital knows no holidays🥴
Am reading "Emily Wilde's Encyclopedia of Faeries" by Heather Fawcett. Absolutely loving it.
I'm not sure if the writer did this on purpose, but the main character is heavily autistic coded. Emily Wilde finds it easier to deal with the capricious Fae, than with mystifying human social conventions.
The book reminds me quite a lot of Naomi Novik, especially "Spinning Silver".