Saw this in a compilation and it was so good I had to track down the original to link it https://vm.tiktok.com/ZGJuaJXeK/
Purple Ella on TikTok

Late autism or ADHD diagnosis comes with a whole lot of processing, and unmasking, and figuring out who you are and how you want to live your life #autistic #adhd #adhdtiktok #autisticadult #growingup #identity

TikTok

Was thinking about how any time I anthropomorphise something, there is no going back and I will care about it’s feelings forever (sometimes I worry that the moon gets lonely all far away and that everyone forgets to talk to her, so whenever I see her I always say hi.)

Anyway I checked and yep this kind of thing is common with the tism.

Now that I think about it I identify with the moon a lot. She keeps her distance, is pretty unusual for a moon, formed in a traumatic situation, observes everything but doesn’t get involved, avoids being touched (and probably didn’t like it when it happened), and is PALE AS FUCK.

… daydreaming is a kind of stim 🤯

Looks like this notion is a little (tho only a little) controversial and not properly researched, but I have noticed since stimming more frequently in meatspace I’ve been dipping into immersive daydreams MUCH less.

I’m pretty confident it’s true though!

(Not that I’d trust research on daydreams tho tbh, rn it is mostly about “maladaptive daydreaming” which as a concept is fucking bullshit and I’ve talked about it before too much anyway, which is why I’ll say “immersive” rather than “maladaptive” - same reason I’ll call autism a condition and not a disorder.)
Anyway so yesterday when I went to the supermarket, I picked up some cheap ANC headphones (£35, which is a lot, but cheaper than most ANC). I was expecting them to be meh at best, but they are my new favourite thing. They have a button I can press and 95% of background noise just disappears. I don’t even have to play sound through them. Plus, rare thing for headphones but they fit around my ears comfortably!
Only downside I’ve found so far is they don’t cancel my tinnitus lol, which is more noticeable when everything else is gone, but since the tinnitus itself comes and goes it’s not too bad, I can just play music and/or rain sounds when I need to hear something else.

In a few autism (well, AuDHD mostly) tiktoks the mostly clean clothes pile is mentioned like it isn't an everyone thing... that can't be right...

wtf do neurotypical people do with clothes they only wear for a chill couple of hours???? Anywhere but the mostly clean pile would be absurd!

Overheard while visiting family "oh I must be tired, my words won't come."

and I'm like 👀

Doing all I can to avoid diagnosing people around me but it's so wild the signs and language for things like becoming non-verbal have been there the whole time and nobody notices.

So since checking in with my senses, I often feel like I did as a kid again. For both good and bad.
A nice warm breeze feels the way it used to, a squashy plush or familiar-feeling carpet gives a genuine sense of comfort, I can actually smell sweet things again sometimes.

But also, food is terrifying again, in a way that I'd forgotten about. A loud truck or motorbike passing on the road outside can make me tense immediately. Some light bulbs are LOUD (to my ears AND eyes)

I think some of the unpleasant stuff is just because it is SO MUCH of a sensation, but also the last time I wasn't so physically dissociated was a pretty traumatic period, so some senses feel triggering. Which... sucks hard tbh.

I dunno, I'm more capable now in a lot of ways. The trauma stuff I can learn to manage, just thought I'd mention that even though I'm so glad to know myself better, it's still tough sometimes.

The dream: "Now I know I'm autistic I can manage my stimulation and avoid burnouts, shutdowns, and meltdowns! Never again!"

The reality: "I'm going to do the same stupid shit as before, but now I'll remember what problems are coming when it's too late to avoid them."

"Exercise is great for dealing with depression!"

I wonder how many people are just unknowingly in the middle of autistic burnout/shutdown and are using exercise as a stim 🤔

I guess, if it works then it works. Doesn't really matter why.

New hypothesis: the reason I sometimes can hear my tinnitus and sometimes can’t, is because my tinnitus is a meltdown siren.

Entirely possible that this isn’t how it’s working since I haven’t had time to test it, but wow I want it to be true. Something I can’t ignore saying “Stop, get to bed NOW.” would be a game changer.

btw I know I complained about how I seem to be incapable of avoiding severe overstimulation despite knowing how it happens better, but truly just knowing what is happening and why makes it easier to deal with. I used to feel so lost and scared, especially if I was in public. It still sucks, but I know it’s temporary, and I have words to explain it to people around me.
I remember one time I was in a supermarket waiting in line at the pharmacy and was so overwhelmed I almost passed out. I was sat on the floor not able to talk to people worried about me, and when I could say something I couldn’t walk and had to be moved in a wheelchair until I was doing better. It was so embarrassing and I had no idea why it was happening. I feel so much safer and secure just knowing if it happens again I can explain it.

Rediscovering my old stims is like finding ancient buried treasure. Something beautiful that had been lost and forgotten.

A little dirty after being covered by layers of "sit still" and "don't fidget", but somehow they clean up good as new.

The best stim is being unconscious for hours ✌️😌

“Sophie, that’s not a stim.”

Then why does it almost always make me feel better, huh? Checkmate.

Anyway in all seriousness, I decided to skip today and just pass out for some extra time but it wasn’t long before I was recovered enough to do some work.

Of course I did too much again, but that’s not the point of the story okay.

This video fills my heart https://youtu.be/uCNgbX61SVI
Autistic Adults in Japan [ENG CC]

YouTube
Rant time: people saying “Autism Spectrum Disorder” is such bullshit, it’d be like me saying someone had “Blonde Spectrum Disorder” just because their hair seems different. The only “disorder” is that it doesn’t match everyone else.

Another thing that bugs me is the idea of a “developmental” condition, when that condition is something that exists for the entirety of a persons life. A slight shift in history and left-handedness would be considered a developmental disorder.

There is also the strong implication of having developed wrong.

Also, it is absurd that we live in a world where every child is taught to share and be kind, but plenty of adults fail to learn these lessons and they aren’t accused of having developmental problems.

You grew up and still haven’t figured out how to be a good person! Come on!

Learning about links between autism, dermatillomania and trichotillomania, and then looking at all the scabs and scars on my face and legs…
No look see, some hairs just have to get tweezed because they are different, and also you have to scratch over ingrown hairs and hairs that might potentially ingrow (to open the way for them!), and those little fatty parts can’t just STAY in my skin, and… okay tbh I can’t even pretend I ever thought it was okay behaviour - but I never knew why I felt like I had to do it.

Also I’m not even going to pretend I’ll stop tbh. My scars are cute. My temples look like Swiss cheese it’s adorable. It’s like I get dimples everywhere I pick, plus that sharp warm feeling of knowing you took something gross out of you? Awesome.

I mean, I don’t endorse this. But I literally never smoke or drink or fuck, LET ME HAVE ONE VICE! Thanks.

“Ugh, this screen is way too loud but the volume switch isn’t doing anythi- … ooooooh, *bright*, the screen is bright.”

I feel like I’m not very synesthetic, EXCEPT when it comes to getting overstimulated.

Something I've noticed among some ND folks is a tendency to attribute all of the world's ills to NT people, some even going as far as to say that NT behaviours are inherently harmful... and tbh I fully see the appeal of this thinking. Even though it is demonstrably wrong.
Like, I have spent so much of my life wondering why people do shitty things that I'd never even consider doing. It's alarmingly easy to go from "so, my brain doesn't work like other peoples'?" to "my brain is good, other peoples' brains are bad." - especially in the (likely) event that a NT-focussed society has harmed you.

And realistically... yeah, some things that are (considered) neurotypical traits/behaviours are fucking awful, legitimately evil.

But NT folks don't have a monopoly on being a shitty person, take it from someone who knows. If you assume every ND person you meet is going to be kind and honest then sooner or later you are going to get a real shitty surprise.

There is an important thing often said "dont assume people who do/say horrible things are mentally ill" which is good to fight against that false stigma. But just because you'd be wrong to assume it doesn't mean it never happens. Doing something shitty isn't a certificate of neurotypicality after all.
I think this also relates to the kind of thinking like "if women were in charge, there'd be no wars and everything would be better." but my country has seen both thatcher and may. Just because women are usually denied the opportunities to be evil on a scale men are doesn't mean they aren't fully capable of it. And I think the same is true for neurodiverse folk.

Anyway, just some thoughts I needed to get out. Partly because there genuinely is an appeal to the idea that a solution to all problems is just avoid X type of person and live happily with only Y people.

But there's no way to slice it where Y doesn't include some true pieces of shit too. You need to be above that whenever you can, for the sake of others and for yourself.

But seriously though, NT folks you could make this (and many other things) easier by cutting out some of your shit like normalising "oh, everybody lies". No. Not everybody lies. You shouldn't lie. Please I'm trying to argue that you're not inherently evil, help me out with this.
“Sensory seeking” vs “sensory avoidant” is such a bullshit perspective. Everyone avoids subjectively bad sensory experiences and seeks subjectively good ones. You’re just running a bunch of confirmation bias and picking seeking/avoidant based on which behaviours you notice being sought/avoided!
Personally I don’t think there is any particular kind of sense I am consistently seeking to stimulate or consistently avoiding stimulation for. It all depends on the type of input, and sometimes even my mood. Sudden loud sounds freak me out, but make it rhythmic and I’ve got a new jam. I love spicy food, but give it a complex texture and I will gag. Being wrapped up in blankets is awesome, a single stray hair on my face is torture.
I know some folks have an attachment to these terms and find them helpful. That’s cool, but to me they reek of “I have been observing the behaviours of these strange autistic beings and have presented my findings for debate amongst us, the people with normal brains.”
@Sophie I find those terms helpful not for, like, descriptors of *people* but of behaviors, or even internally felt phenomena. like there are definitely times that i am under- vs. over-stimulated and being able to distinguish those situations helps me determine the right self accommodation
@chrisamaphone yeah it’s definitely useful to be able to assess what your present needs are in order to best regulate.