Mastodawn

ThomasToSpace Dec 21

Like many other autistic and/or disabled people I will spend Christmas on my own and while I appreciate my alone time and the atmosphere and the silence of it, I know it can be difficult and hurtful.

So I would like to connect with other people who spend Christmas on their own or experience feelings of loneliness during these days, by interacting with this post.

That can be just leaving and receiving a virtual hug or telling each other about the gifts you received or gave yourself during the year, maybe share a piece of music, write about your favourite video game or any other special interest. You can do this in private mode (English or German), I know that interacting with groups can be difficult, impossible sometimes, but every now and then I write posts like this during a moment of bravery and I already found amazing online friends by doing so.

Let's support each other in a world that makes building connection so difficult and feelings of loneliness so common.

Boosts are very much appreciated. Thank you.

#ActuallyAutistic #AuDHD #disabled #ChronicallyIll #neurodivergent #MentalHealth

Goiterzan/Amygdalai Lama Dec 21

@KaCi
.
I'll be here 💜

@punishmenthurts

💜

Goiterzan/Amygdalai Lama Dec 21

@KaCi
.
looks like there's already stuff on #joinin

Patrick Hadfield Dec 21

@punishmenthurts @KaCi I was about to mention #JoinIn! In the UK, it was picked up on Twitter by comedian Sarah Millican and became quite a big thing, and has continued here. Generally a pretty good vibe.

Goiterzan/Amygdalai Lama Dec 21

@patrickhadfield @KaCi
.
not sure that's alone people, though

Sietske Boer-van Vugt Dec 21

@punishmenthurts @patrickhadfield @KaCi it did start our that way on Twitter, but I haven't read the hashtag on here yet.

Cavyherd Dec 21

@bumblebeedc @punishmenthurts @patrickhadfield @KaCi

Apologies if helpy, but are you aware that you can follow hashtags on Mastodon? (I share this tidbit compulsively. It's my favorite bit of Masto functionality, & was a complete game-changer for my timeline.)

Goiterzan/Amygdalai Lama Dec 21

@cavyherd @bumblebeedc @patrickhadfield @KaCi
.
👍

@jacquiharper Dec 21

🤣 helpy 😇

@bumblebeedc @punishmenthurts @patrickhadfield @KaCi

Cavyherd Dec 21

😁

@bumblebeedc @punishmenthurts @patrickhadfield @KaCi It's for anyone who is finding the Christmas period difficult, for any reason, and the idea is just to join in, to whatever extent you want to.

Cavyherd Dec 21

@punishmenthurts @KaCi

>wave:wave<

Urban Hermit Dec 21

@KaCi may peace find you and us all, in whatever form we need it most.

bananamangodog Dec 21

@KaCi I don't spend Christmas alone, but would prefer to. I don't really see the point of religious holidays, but understand others do. I feel especially awkward and can't stand the fakeness on these days so will spend the next fortnight recovering.

Bel Tamtu | Critter Unit Dec 21

@KaCi I am spending Christmas mostly alone, I will be dedicating an hour on both the Eve and the Day to a shift on the 2SLGBTQIA support line I am currently volunteering with.

I don't personally mind this and have plans with family for the weekend after the actual days, but I appreciate many people feel lonely being alone this time of year and don't get to have plans made with people close to the days instead, like me. I have spent some years entirely alone.

My current special interest is The Murderbot Diaries, a book series about a bot/human hybrid Security Unit with guns in its arms who hacked the thing keeping its free will locked down some four years ago, but had to keep this fact hidden, until it meets a group of humans who treat it like a person for the first time in its life. It is sarcastic, quippy, very funny, and wants to watch entertainment media all day. It reads as ace+aro+agender+autistic. It exists in a queernormative universe. Murderbot fandom is keeping me sane.

Emile Snyder Dec 21

@Bel_tamtu @KaCi murderbot has been my recurring comfort read for a couple of years now

Gnome Kat Dec 21

@esnyder @Bel_tamtu @KaCi

I am also re reading murder bot <3

Cavyherd Dec 21

@Bel_tamtu @KaCi

Murderbot is so great! I just started a reread the other day.

@KaCi This time will be different now... No decorations and No Gifts, just grievance and depression... No way my family will be able to celebrate Christmas this year... it's just sad. 😢

Bryan (he/him) 🇺🇸 🏳️‍🌈Dec 21

Thank you for this post. You sound like a kind person.

official_verified

@KaCi @mayintoronto I bought myself a small cute Lego kit for Christmas. Sending hugs in solidarity

@Em0nM4stodon
Thank you. 🫂 That sounds awesome. What kind of Lego kit did you buy?

official_verified

@KaCi I got this Lego set!

🌱 Looking forward to assembling it tomorrow!

@Em0nM4stodon
This is so cute. Plants and objects with with faces. Two things I like very much 🤗

Daniel Blake Dec 21

@KaCi https://social.growyourown.services/@FediTips/115734305267576188

Fedi.Tips 🎄 (@[email protected])

@[email protected] @[email protected] If you follow the account !@[email protected] and also the hashtag #JoinIn you will see posts from other people who are spending Christmas alone (or perhaps are lonely in awkward company). The idea of the hashtag is people can get chatting with each other about what they're doing (cooking or going for a walk or whatever). You can include the account's mention and the hashtag in your own post about what you're doing, if you want people to see it and chat to you.

social.growyourown.services

WhichOne'sPink 🇫🇮Dec 21

@KaCi I will not be alone, but I'll wish I was, at least for a bit. I have a partner of 25 years who is neurotypical, and two autistic, adult kids who still live with us. Since their birth, I've spent one night away from my family and I love solitude.
Having said this, I lived alone for a number of years and solitude can slowly change into loneliness and back. Merry Christmas.
#actuallyautistic

@NickSchwanck
I can imagine not having enough alone time is extremely difficult, because it's so important for self regulation and processing experiences. I wish you a merry Christmas too and hope you will have some time to decompress in between.

Plsik (born in 320 ppm)Dec 21

@KaCi I won't be alone this Christmas, but because of my neurodivergence, I will seek solitude when it all becomes too much for me. And I will have to rest afterwards—which won't be easy, because someone has to be at work so that others can have time off. Hopefully it will be peaceful.

@plsik
It's important that we take care of our needs as neurodivergent people. I hope you will find some time to recharge.

Plsik (born in 320 ppm)Dec 21

@KaCi I'm learning it 🙂

J.A. Machete Dec 21

@KaCi virtual deafy hug from the Mediterranean. With a touch of undiagnosed side of the spectrum.

@josemachete79
Thank you 🫂

Poindex76 Dec 21

@KaCi
Thanks for the invitation. I’m definitely alone. I moved to Ukraine to help, but I’m still struggling with the language. Even if I were back in my home country, I’d still be alone since I am excruciatingly sensitive to others’ energy. It’s exhausting. So I’m an introvert but a lonely one.

It’s really nice of you to reach out to others who might feel isolated. 💗

@Poindex76
That sounds like a difficult situation. I very much relate to being sensitive to other people's energy and the need for alone time, while sometimes feeling lonely. For that reason my online friends are so important to me 💖

Cavyherd Dec 21

@KaCi @Poindex76

I'm in the weird position of being someone who came up as an introvert bc of family & school social dynamics, only to discover in later life that I'm a voracious extrovert who thrives on social energy.

The problem is that my lifestyle is structured around aloneness and, on blance, people are just so damn exhausting 😂

It's a conundrum!

Cavyherd Dec 21

Hey, there, pocket friends! >settles in with cuppa & dinner<

Am currently sipping my way through Part 4 of this astonishingly well-done YouTube family drama series: (Sips bc it is densely packed & fast-paced, & so good I want to savor it.) #JoinIn
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHRmDz_h2Y4

PART 4 | EVERY LORE SKIT IN ORDER

YouTube

Cavyherd Dec 21

Hah! Just realized there are #CelegratingAlone story beats in this video, so it's directly on-topic, even!

Gnome Kat Dec 21

@KaCi alone and not vibing with it.. idk what to put here other than thanks for making this post..

@KaCi I'm spending Christmas trying to finish these books before the year ends: A game of thrones, the hobbit, We by yevgeny zamyatin, Night Shift by stephen king.

@crisps
We by yevgeny zamyatin I don't know, but I am a great fan of game of thrones (read all the books as far as they exist) and Stephen King. 😊

@KaCi I looovve King. Despite all the disturbing shite that happens in his books, idk why, but I find warmth in his writing.

Purple Skies Dec 21

@KaCi i like to ask friends in other countries about what kind of foods they like for xmas, and then cook them myself (with much back and forth about recipes and sharing of photos and experiences and whatnot). becoming a bit of a personal tradition at this stage.

@Leviamicky
That sounds great 😋
What are you going to have for Christmas dinner?

Purple Skies Dec 21

@KaCi an italian friend inspired me into attempting to make porchetta.

Broken Reality Dec 21

@KaCi I saw a post yesterday it's about people who want to hide out from Christmas by video chat together. Maybe you would like to join them? #CircusInPlace
Wishing you Merry Christmas ahead of the festival🎄

The Tattooed Nonna 🧙‍♀️Dec 21

@KaCi I'm sure someone mentioned already but just in case, the hashtag #joinin gets a fair bit of use over the holidays

AutistiCritic Dec 21

@KaCi Although I shall be at a family gathering, I shall probably be left alone with my thoughts for the most part. Trying to follow everyone’s conversations and failing to interact “properly”. 🫤

I would actually prefer some solitude on that day because my thoughts are often with those who are sadly no longer in my life. Being alone means I can grieve comfortably without fear of ruining everyone else’s day. Hell, I could even spend the day here without appearing “antisocial”. 🤔

@benjamincox
I understand. Sometimes we feel the loneliest among other people. I hope there will be some alone time for you to be in contact with yourself and space for your grief.

AutistiCritic Dec 21

@KaCi Thank you. 🙏🏻