AutisticDoctorStruggles

ashleyspencer , 23 hours ago to actuallyautistic

Touch is my biggest autistic sensory sensitivity and never being touched by another human being is a dream come true. Kitty affection is all I can handle. Being "touch starved" is such a foreign concept to me.

Do you like touch? or are you touch averse too?

#ActuallyAutistic

@actuallyautistic

AutisticDoctorStruggles , 8 hours ago

@ashleyspencer @actuallyautistic I like touch but only on my terms. I can barely handle gentle or soft touches though, they tickle me. I like good pressure and bigger areas. My favourite good night ritual is my SO squishing me with full body on mine, until it gets too much 😅

neversosimple , 1 month ago to actuallyautistic

Has anyone ever used the term "diminished perceptive filtering?

I just thought of it (or subconsciously picked it up somewhere, I dunno) and I think it makes sense to my experience. I don't believe I necessarily have heightened sensory sensitivity, it's more about not being able to adjust my levels of perception that well. Thoughts?

@actuallyautistic #ActuallyAutistic

AutisticDoctorStruggles , 1 month ago

@neversosimple @actuallyautistic sounds very descriptive of my experience, it's often the complexity of e.g. Sound that gives me trouble. Background noises or conversations are not filtered out for me.

AutisticDoctorStruggles , 1 month ago

@neonmate @neversosimple @actuallyautistic oh that's a good one! Didn't know about that one :)

AutisticDoctorStruggles , 1 month ago

@neonmate @neversosimple @actuallyautistic smell too! I can't get used to smells easily!

Autisticaurochs , 1 month ago to actuallyautistic

Any tips for making lots of small tasks easier for a monotrophic mind? Much of my work consists of long term projects which need a little bit of attention periodically, often in the form of follow-up emails. I currently alternate between replying to what's come in and reviewing my calendar to check what's coming up, but there's very little job satisfaction. Turning off email notifications and dealing with them all at once isn't enough. What else could I try? #AskingAutistics @actuallyautistic

AutisticDoctorStruggles , 1 month ago

@Autisticaurochs @actuallyautistic visualizing progress in a way that gives more satisfaction. Putting every tiny small thing on a to do list to be crossed off would be my instinct.

autism101 , 1 month ago to actuallyautistic

Do you have any clothing routines? I own eight gray plain t-shirts with no tags which I love. I often will just wear them over and over again.

#AskingAutistics #ActuallyAutistic #AuDHD @actuallyautistic

AutisticDoctorStruggles , 1 month ago

@autism101 @actuallyautistic I've been buying the same jeans for the last 5+ years (have bought others in a pinch but they end up only being worn when my favorites run out) and will buy multiples of any pant that actually fits me. Same goes for bras, underwear.. most of my shirts are black band shirts 😅

LehtoriTuomo , 2 months ago to actuallyautistic

In the series "so that's an autism thing too": difficulties in cooking. I have hard time coming up with the shopping list outside of the routine things which I always check against a list on my phone. It's especially difficult to plan what particular dishes should be cooked in the following days.

Once I got hang of cooking -- which happened after I had turned 30, almost 35 -- I learned to like cooking when there's no rush and the recipe is clear. I even can improvise, albeit on quite restricted range. However, when my spouse isn't around, I default to microwaving things or eating frozen pizzas.

#ActuallyAutistic @actuallyautistic

AutisticDoctorStruggles , 2 months ago

@LehtoriTuomo @actuallyautistic We've been struggling with similar things in our household. We started making a list of dishes for inspo, which helps with deciding& planning of groceries.
I also go for easy meals when I am alone as it simply saves bandwidth. The expectation that we need "proper dinner" sometimes leads me to masking that I'd be perfectly fine with alternative food. Some days I could be content eating 1 kg of strawberries for dinner but it feels unacceptable in company.

LehtoriTuomo , 2 months ago to actuallyautistic

Yesterday I was wearing sunglasses when I went to the city centre as it was sunny. Oh my, what a difference it made to the sensory overdrive. As I mentioned earlier, I like to watch around but had finally noticed that I keep grounding myself by looking at ground due to all the visual input. Sunglasses took the edge off and it was way easier to look at things.

#ActuallyAutistic @actuallyautistic

AutisticDoctorStruggles , 2 months ago

@LehtoriTuomo @actuallyautistic amazing! I love going around with sunglasses! I feel like they add some privacy for my face 😁

Ilovechai , 2 months ago to actuallyautistic

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

AutisticDoctorStruggles , 2 months ago

@Ilovechai @actuallyautistic @actuallyaudhd oufff sounds rough! I've never been in the situation to leave those type of religious systems as my parents are U-boat Christians (only show up 1-2 a year) and I've been consciously atheistic since my teens but I do relate to feeling lack of a RL support system. For me the nerd space has been the best (TTRPGs, Magic, comics, boardgames etc) & I think is disproportionately filled with other ND peeps. There are people with similar social needs out there!

dyani , 2 months ago to actuallyautistic

Yesterday was my 1 year AuDHD anniversary!

1 year since the most life-changing realization ever. My resting heart rate dropped by ~10 points after I figured it out.

Knowing this about myself has given me so much peace & confidence. It's given me even more compassion for myself and others. I advocate for my needs now, and I have better boundaries.

Every day I marvel at how amazing we ND folks are, and how much we bring to the world.

I so appreciate this community!

@actuallyautistic

AutisticDoctorStruggles , 2 months ago

@dyani @actuallyautistic yay! 🎉 💚

LehtoriTuomo , 3 months ago to actuallyautistic

Someone asked whether I ever played Doom. No, not really. I told that I've never liked first person shooters and then it hit me. I never liked them as there's too much going on. In fact, I've never been a big fan of any types of shooters, the only exception being Cannon Fodder. Now, with the new-found autistic perspective, it makes perfect sense. Sensory overdrive all the time equals no fun. How about my fellow autistics, any fans of shooters?

#ActuallyAutistic @actuallyautistic

AutisticDoctorStruggles , 3 months ago

@LehtoriTuomo @actuallyautistic I have only enjoyed Borderlands with my partner because they jump in the chaos, I can hang back and snipe people, as well as progression is player driven, not thrown at you. But it's really dependent on my energy levels whether this is fun. I also struggled with getting motion sickness when playing this 😅
Generally I prefer chill and casual games much more!

dramypsyd , 3 months ago to actuallyautistic

Hello @actuallyautistic friends! My next article is about managing autistic meltdowns: how autistic people can manage our meltdowns safely, and affirming ways our loved ones can support us.) If you're comfortable, please drop quotes here, and indicate how I should refer to you in the piece if I use your quote. You can also drop them on my contact form (resiliencymentalhealth.com/contact/) if you want to share but prefer not to post it on the internet connected to your account. #ActuallyAutistic

AutisticDoctorStruggles , 3 months ago

@dramypsyd @actuallyautistic I'm still learning how this looks for me, usually it takes the form of crying, overwhelm+difficulty communicating. I noticed I need people to not be in my face with talking/questions & not touch me/rub my arm or back or hug me unless I am calm enough to consent (& want that). I usually can't communicate this in the situation best would be if they can remove me from the situation, leave people/noise/smells, lay me down in a darkened room, shield me from other people.

youronlyone , 3 months ago to actuallyautistic

How do you define the term, “Openly Autistic”?

• Is it an autistic person who rarely masks?
• Or, an autistic who isn't afraid and/or shy to share that they are actually autistic?
• Or, an autistic person who is active in the autism acceptance “movement” (if we can call it that)?
• Or, perhaps, an autistic who were interviewed and disclosed they're autistic?

Maybe you have other considerations or criteria that defines “openly autistic” for you?

---

NOTE: Being openly autistic is a choice and is not for everyone. I think it is safe to say that we all face discrimination, stereotyping, and prejudice for being actually autistics, thus, most choose not to be open about it.

However, recently, there has been a slow growth in numbers of openly autistics, and like with most things in life, we have different criteria, definitions, and cultural considerations.

Thus, I am curious what you think, personally or maybe your immediate environment or organisation, is an openly autistic person. Or, when do you consider one as openly autistic.

Again, this is not about if an autistic person should be openly autistic or not. ^_^

Thank you for your interesting insights!

---

• Autism symbol by: MissLunaRose12
• License: CC By-SA 4.0 International
• Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Autism_Symbol_Proposed_2.png

---

Tags: #OpenlyAutistic #OpenlyAutistics #ActuallyAutistic #ActuallyAutistics #AskingAutistics #Autistic #Autistics #Autism #AutismSpectrum #AutismAwareness #AutismAcceptance

Groups: @autistics @actuallyautistic

AutisticDoctorStruggles , 3 months ago

@youronlyone @autistics @actuallyautistic yes! to this point as well, I am not sure I even know how to unmask (yet) in many situations. Doesn't make me less autistic just less visible. Being "openly autistic" while masking also illustrates that autistic people may exist around us without us knowing it.(And without them knowing sometimes too)

AutisticDoctorStruggles , 3 months ago

@twan @youronlyone @autistics @actuallyautistic 🙈 ouffff! So sorry to hear about your experiences! I am openly autistic at work and active in a Neurodiversity employee resource group but still I am wondering if I am being too open, if it will come back to bite me.

Tim_McTuffty , 3 months ago to actuallyautistic

Diary of an ASD Squirrel. Day 162 , Monday 08/04/2024

TL:DR My mother warned me there’d be days like this ! (Not really she never knew I was autistic .)

Up at 5:45am, not by choice I might add!

Breakfast, being abused by the mogs & then chores started the day.

It’s really weird what triggers me.
So our new neighbours across the street from us (who I have met 1 half of (Bev) once ) asked us to be key holders while they are away for 2 weeks . Which is fine.

Me being me started doing the job properly & popping over of a morning & of an evening just to check it was all locked up.

Just went over (circa 10am) & did my checks & it turns out they have a Ring doorbell.
I’m walking away & this voice shouts out ‘Hello?’
Long story short, it turns out it’s Ian , Bev’s hubby (who I have yet to meet) wondering why I’m wandering around the property. I explain & it’s all good.
Only it isn’t … I feel like I’ve been caught burgling the place , anxiety levels are thru the roof & I’m close to closing down as I write this.
It has destroyed the whole morning - I KNOW this is illogical, I KNOW I’m catastrophising but I cannot shake the feeling I have done something wrong !
I don’t want to feel this way again so I will be giving the place a once over from our front door for the duration.

So spent the afternoon on ESO hiding away form the world !

Final Thoughts.

I always thought the catastrophising was a function of my depression , now I’m not so sure. I do know that social interaction with anyone I don’t know freaks me out.
Humaning is hard - am Squirrel !

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! 🫂 🫶🐿️🖖

@actuallyautistic
#TimsASDjourney #ActuallyAutistic #Neurospicy #TheMammutMoves

AutisticDoctorStruggles , 3 months ago

@Tim_McTuffty @actuallyautistic I am checking out the online version, I don't have physical cards ;-)

I like a good open world game too, there's no shame in dying ;-) what are your favouritea besides ESO?