At different times in my life I have had to deal with severe depression (probably autistic burnout & overwhelm after dealing with bereavements & other traumas a) &, to a lesser degree, anxiety. Which is probably pretty normal for many/most autistic &/or ADHD folks.

Like many people, I’ve tried various relaxation techniques & approaches over the years, but I’ve also been a bit ambivalent about them. Obviously they can help some people sometimes to deal with short term situations, but I often felt suspicious of wellness gurus wearing pasted on beatific smiles. (Probably an unconscious reaction against yet more masking!)

This morning, in an attempt to do yet more cat proofing (George proofing) of our backyard, I did a bit of hammering. It was tough. I really had to wield that hammer! And failed. (Partner used self tapping screws later.) But trying to bash those nails in was really therapeutic!

My back has been bothering me, which had limited my exercise which doesn’t help. The problem is that when I am feeling good (or not noticing when somethings not quite right), I sometimes overdo it.

It’s all about balance and moderation, which is just a bit of a challenge for a lot of us neurodivergent folk..,

#Autism
#ADHD
#ActuallyAutistic
#AuADHD

I finally understood the purpose of all bookmarking apps or notes as “cognitive cold storage” that we proverbially almost never access.

That's because we have barely enough resources to dump stuff into the CCS, and we definitely don't have enough of them to use that storage.

#ADHD #AuADHD

Sometimes I have bursts of energy where I will think of lots of great ideas for things to do.

And the now the thought of having to swap my orthotics out of one pair of shoes into another is exhausting.

#AuADHD #Neurodivergent

Dentist.,

Check up, no work needed! Hurrah!

For years I’ve convinced myself that going to the dentist isn’t a problem, that I’m a big brave girl, even as every muscle fibre tensed & I fought to relax my jaw enough for the dentist to do their job.

Now I try to remember to take a stim toy. I forgot today, & instead of toughing it out, I stopped them & asked for a stress ball. (Full points to the nurse who understood me in spite of me wearing one of those awful things designed to flange your lips out. 😁)

And in typical ADHD fashion, I put off thinking about it today, couldn’t find my asthma puffer for reflux related cough ( which I haven’t needed for ages), didn’t have time for my back stretches, forgot my HEPA filter, & then the garage door control on my keys didn’t work. So naturally I threw them on the living room floor & they slid under the couch.

Grabbed partner’s keys & got to dentists just as receptionist was ringing to check if I was on my way.

Being incredibly disciplined & masking heavily was the only way I managed to perform as a teacher. I was often the last to leave work in my year level, staying back to meticulously plan & prepare for the next day.

Could I have managed if I’d known & accepted that I was neurodivergent? I suspect not, at least not without lots of accommodations, which might not have been willingly supplied.

#ActuallyAutistic
#ADHD
#AuADHD

Finally stabalised on 60mg of Elvanse. #adhd #auadhd Pretty sure I do a bit better with 100mg of caffeine on top of that first thing. 😛

Not Coffee though, coffee gives me a headache but actual caffeine doesn't?

Fajna rozmowa! Taka przyjemna i jednocześnie konkretna. O pracy terapeuty i zdrowiu psychicznym. Porusza kwestię diagnozy, która jest opisem jednostkowej rzeczywistości, a nie wyrokiem, wymówką, czy też usprawiedliwieniem. Warto posłuchać!

https://open.spotify.com/episode/0bCjUC7J96JWmwReFjDZXz

#psychologia #podcast #diagnoza #AuADHD