I don't have the spoons to explain why I feel my neurodivergence is making this worse, but I need feedback or insight from other ND people on a unique experience. This will be a long thread (added in replies) but I'm hopeful there will be a few kind readers who either relate or have something supportive to share.
Here goes:
1/ @actuallyautistic@actuallyaudhd #recoveringfromreligion #LateDiagnosedAutism #actuallyautistic#neurodivergent
I know people with estrogen have said their ADHD gets worse during perimenopause/menopause, but I'm wondering if people with testosterone 50+ also notice their Autism/ADHD symptoms getting worse. Especially more "inattentive"/stuck in their thoughts.
I feel like we really need more research on all of this.
Diving into the concept of jivanmukta (living liberation) for my first Coop Dharma newsletter (reader supported, sliding scale at https://chickenyogi.com/coop-dharma ) Looking forward to diving into this topic and seeing how it applies to neurodivergence.
I have just watched the 1st episode of A Kind of Spark thanks to @PetitPas
It’s a Irish British American Canadian series. In Canada I’m watching it on CBC Gem, in the UK it seems to be on the CBBC channel, for the others countries I don’t know.
I like it because the 3 autistic sisters are played by autistic actors, use of the words autistic, masking, meltdown. etc. Shows sensory overload, etc., ignorance and bias.
Is it something with the weather? Is it the pollen? I'm having a mare of a week for concentration. I can't focus on anything, flitting from one thing to another, forgetting things I should be doing. Coffee is not helping like it usually does. It doesn't help that I can't sit for a long time without stiffening up (still post op hip rep, but getting there). Also, the maddening tongue on tooth rubbing stim is back. Open to suggestions @actuallyadhd#ActuallyADHD#ADHD#neurodivergent
What some people don’t seem to be able to understand is that for the ones with executive disfunction number of steps matters a lot.
I just put away all my dried laundry aside of duvet cover.
Why? Because for all the other things it’s easy one-step task: grab all the knickers and shove them into the drawer, get the home clothes and put it into home clothes cube box(that cubed Ikea shelf is such a helper for people like me, I just have a cube for every thing).
But the linen shelf is at the top of the bathroom closet, and it’s almost full. So I need a stepladder to be able to put the duvet cover there(I can try to shove it there without, I kinda reach the shelf itself, but in its current state the cover is likely to fall from there, and probably with some other things, so that would upset me which I am not ready to deal with now).
But the stepladder is now occupied by my winter shoes which were drying there before I put them away for summer.
But to put them away I need to get two big boxes from under my bed, empty one by putting everything that is there into the other one, put all the shoes there, put the boxes back under the bad, ensure all the boxes there are arranged in a way that is allowing my cat to play in that labyrinth, and probably clean up after that as I suppose there’s going to be a few dust bunnies.
Gosh, I got tired by just typing all that.
Going through all those steps may bot take too much time(if I don’t get distracted by something, including the urge to sort everything perfectly), but the very thought of going through all those steps just discourages me so much that I can’t find energy to start. “It’s just one duvet cover!” - they say. “It’s a shitton of steps!” - I answer.
Well, the cover is drying in a way that obscures a view from my bed which irritates me enough to maybe develop enough anger to put it away in the weekend.
No place is perfect. But I’ve yet to meet a higher concentration of truly caring & superbly talented folks. Staff and residents alike.
PS. For my #neurodivergent peeps: They have therapists who are #autisitc, #ADHD, & #AuDHD. They made intake changes based on my feedback re: “the intake process for someone with sensory sensitivities”.
No place is perfect. But I’ve yet to meet a higher concentration of truly caring & superbly talented folks. Staff and residents alike.
PS. For my #neurodivergent peeps: They have therapists who are #autisitc, #ADHD, & #AuDHD. They made intake changes based on my feedback re: “the intake process for someone with sensory sensitivities”.
You’re not walking around consciously choosing what to pick up. You don’t choose. You don’t decide. It sticks like a crumb you accidentally stepped onto. Like cat’s hair. Good luck trying to get rid of it: while cleaning one, you get three more. Sometimes some dry out and fall off. You don’t choose which either.
Phrase here, intonation there, a bit of smile from that one, a funny move from another…
I wonder, if someone who has known you some time ago, meets you again in some years, and then meets some people from the same circles - how long does it take to tell those you’ve been interacting with most during those years by how they’ve grown into you, by spotting in them all those new things you’ve become.
When a mimic is put into a safe environment where it doesn’t have to mimic anymore to survive - what shape does it have?
For some reason, it seems to me, it won’t be neither any established form nor an amorphous blob, but rather some chaotic combination, multidimensional exquisite corpse, of various elements flickering between each and every form it has ever taken or observed
And to demand it to show its true form is to take it out of the safe environment
Training lunch break & watching vids as a brain palate cleanser of sorts. I found this fascinating. Such parenting supports weren't available 20 yrs ago. It's wonderful to see #autism#parenting#pda communities offering validation, support & education. This video reminded me of a time I visited my sister when my niece was a baby. She couldn't stop playing w/a toy that was frustrating her, she cried every time she hit it but kept doing it. #cognitivepsychology https://youtu.be/1ozg_e2XHvI?si=c_CebRLvpPZMvjOr
For example, 45-50 min sessions are definitely not enough for my ND clients.. it's difficult 😕 it means slower paced processing which in our profit based system means more expensive for them... but they know I understand the way giving All the context and exploring All the possibilities and finding All the words for their feelings can be what is therapeutic for them. To have a witness to their way of existing ✨️🥰✨️
n. the state of not knowing how you really feel about something, which forces you to sift through clues hidden in your own behavior, as if you were some other person — noticing a twist of acid in your voice, an obscene amount of effort you put into something trifling, or an inexplicable weight on your shoulders that makes it difficult to get out of bed.
‘Neural noise’ could be a hidden advantage of the autistic mind
But some research, including our own study, has explored specific advantages in autism. Studies have shown that in some cognitive tasks, autistic people perform better than allistic people.
Autistic people face ignorance, prejudice and discrimination that can harm wellbeing. Poor mental and physical health, reduced social connections and increased “camouflaging” of autistic traits are some of the negative impacts that autistic people face.
So, research underlining and investigating the strengths inherent in autism can help reduce stigma, allow autistic people to be themselves and acknowledge autistic people do not require “fixing”.
The autistic brain is different. It comes with limitations, but it also has its strengths.