The Biggest Change I Made Post Autism Diagnosis #shorts #audhd #autistic #momonthespectrum

The Biggest Change I Made Post Autism Diagnosis #shorts #audhd #autistic #momonthespectrum

[segwrites]

Absolutely. Same for me.

I’ve also 100% stopped taking advice from neurotypical people in all forms. Our brains are too different, and sometimes even their advice for “rest” is too stressful to manage.

My therapist is an HSP who primarily (at one point, exclusively) works with neurodivergent clients; namely ASD folks. Her guidance is gold to me, and I’ve gained so much from neurodivergent creators of all ages here and from Reddit subs for us. And ND Substack writers! We have so much more to offer our community, and I’m just loving how many unique voices are stepping up to fill the void most of us have been missing for the majority of our lives.

Thank you, Taylor, for being such a positive, strong voice for us. You’re wonderful. 💝

[ScienceMom]

I spent 58 years of my life beating the crap out of myself for needing to rest more than other people. Finding out that I actually NEED the rest has helped with the enormous guilt and self hatred I had all my damn life. And people who are supposed to love you can be really cruel about the shutdowns.

[Newton-Reuther]

I'm currently struggling to overcome an obsession with productivity. As someone who's dealing with burnout, I can totally relate to the importance of rest.

[PENGUINGIRL]

I’ve been doing my best to rest more frequently, too, and take social breaks. I’m especially tired because I also endured a lot of trauma in life, so I need a lot of rest. It makes me feel lazy, but I have to reword it to being self-care and important for me to have energy to do things again

[mozie]

I'm trying to accept that I need more rest than most people and that it's okay. My parents and I all struggle with finding a balance between work and rest and we tend to overwork ourselves, so I'm trying to unlearn lifelong habits (and I'm trying not to feel guilty about taking more breaks than they do and getting less done when I have time). It's rough.

[karolinaska]

I just have myself permission this year to not internalize sleep shaming. Morning are difficult. It's a very long transition period for me. Finally I see it as an accommodation.

[UPGAX]

Before I could even comprehend autism I was diagnosed, probably my biggest struggle is productivity I'm good at working, im straight A student, but recently I've been working on a comic book because I love drawing and thinking, but shading is unreasonably hard for me because I spend so much time on one panel.

[pmurtaConTom]

I’ve been punished at work for wanting perfection. I’ve been told I need to understand nothing is perfect yet I cannot bring myself to believe that. Rest/alone-time is a weekly ritual for me. I need that routine of self-reset and when I fail to get it, my life becomes more challenging.

[MyHumanSuit]

Thank you, again. So much shame for me is relieved every time we can support each other in our time of healing and rest.

[bettysutton]

Thank you for sharing . Because I have felt bad about myself in the past for needing rest. Just like .. what in the word. Mental rest and reset. Away from folks . I love them but need alone time for my own mental productivity.

[dannynolan]

Absolutely I'm the same to After I was diagnosed the biggest change I made to my life was rest to and another change I made was getting fit and active again and have a more healthy lifestyle

[IExpectedBSJustNotThisMuchBS]

Resting is so very important. Researchers think ME and autism are connected somehow because so many people with ME are autistic and also because so many with ME, if not ND, have relatives who are ND, particularly autistic.

[lillystark]

SAME! aghhh as I've transitioned from college, I've struggled with burnout a lot before realising... my brain works EXTRa hard so it needs that extra rest, and I try not to compare myself to neurotypicals in that department either (which is hard, havng grown up in a "learn to be normal" envronment, but i'm getting better)

[nryane]

Good to know these things.

I didn’t know I was neurodivergent until my grandchild was diagnosed at 14 and I was almost 79. I recognized myself in that child, as we discussed how they knew they were neurodivergent and also how they experienced/experience life and I began the diagnosis process.

Looking back on my “undiagnosed” life, I used to nap at noon, in my 20’s! I was simply “tired”. I have continued to have naps during my work day, now my waking day, whenever I needed them.

I didn’t have “accommodations” for my non-diagnosed ASD. However, I must have followed my instincts, to deal with my stress/anxiety/exhaustion.

[Michellasteo]

Me too rest I always thought I had to keep up. It’s crazy but I door dash in case of melt down ever comes on. Works for me

[sunflower]

I learned to be more patient with myself and not be so hard on myself. 💖 🧩

[Emhen]

I got a lot kinder to myself. Because for years I was asked, "ARE you stupid??" By my own mother anytime I struggled. Anytime I couldn't keep track of something, everytime I mis-spelled a word, everytime it took me twice as long to read a book, because it took me twice as long to process the info, or because my eyes would jump across the page. Well mom, yes, I'm not stupid. And neither is anyone else who struggles. Any of us could have just needed a little more time, or a few more tools, but that never made anyone with ADHD a retard or an invalid.
I stopped thinking about myself and others that way.

[robbiegibson]

I do not rest enough. I am just diagnosed ADHD. I did realize in the beginning that I have to rest sometimes. I require it. I didn't realize that before I was diagnosed with ADHD even. Atleast. I have to rest more. I've been overly stressed out all day long because where I live you cannot even order many products for your health and its so frustrating.

[JunisGiehl]

I've finally stopped beating myself up mentally about how I'm sometimes less productive than other people and about having periods of poor executive functioning.
In general I avoid comparing myself to others altogether now bc I understood that I'm just too different. Living life like the NTs do would simply ruin me. I just have to go on my own path at my own pace.

In exchange for these shortcomings I'm able to do and accomplish or have some other things that they mostly can't. Trying to appreciate that as much as I can. 😊

[The-Autistic-Strategist]

My mom needs this.

Context: I’m a dependent autistic adult, and my mom has recently been opening the idea that she has some autistic traits, and is likely on the spectrum.

And so I’ve been trying to give advice from that context. (She says she’s fine, but I’ve always seen the toll she carries, but haven’t known how to help)
Recently I’ve been advising (from the angle of theory of her being on the spectrum) for her to “find that thing, you’re topic of obsession. And use it to help recharge” (Mine is Star Wars) and also to rest more as the toll is exhausting.