actuallyautistic

@autistics #ActuallyAutistic 1,000%…
https://mas.to/@skeletor/115310940132056231

ALT

@autistics #ActuallyAutistic

ALT

okay so, i want to knit some wool socks for charity this month. i also want to make dragons.

so to keep my AuDHD attention spam, PDA and brain stimulated enough but not too hard i made a plan.

1. knit socks down to the heel.

2. finish a tiny dragon.

3. knit sock until narrowing for toes starts (or half way there, these are some big ass socks).

4. work on tiny dragon.

5. finish the socks.

6. dragon.

7. new socks.

etc. #audhd #actuallyAutistic #pajusCreations @autistics

ALT

ALT

@autistics #ActuallyAutistic anyone else getting ready for their annual vacation in the next 7 days like me…

https://www.instagram.com/p/DPTxA3Xj4-L/

ALT

So tomorrow is that "mixer" I've mentioned, organized by my local autism employment assistance organization, for Disability Employment Awareness Month. Naturally, I'm still nervous.

But I was thinking, that the employers that will be there are there specifically to meet autistic people as prospective employees. So they should be at least somewhat aware of what being autistic entails. And if that's the case, then masking is surely a big enough issue to know. Therefor one could surmise that they are prepared for meeting unmasked autistic people, because really, not to do so would be unfair.

So given that, I should go tomorrow wearing my favorite autism t-shirt (pictured). 😁

(And this part of the text should really go below the picture, but whatevs.)
Ok, I'm joking. I won't. I wish I could, but even my RSD won't let me. I'm just kidding around to help deal with the stress.

#ActuallyAutistic @autistics

ALT

#ActuallyAutistic #Autism #Autistic #AuDHD #AI #GenerativeAI #ClimateChange #Environment #GlobalWarming

ALT

Hey @autistics can you please chip in with reasons why CBT is bad for Autistics? I have a follow-on appointment today (edit: in a couple of hours!) to talk about alternatives to CBT, because I had an NHS "Talking Therapy" phone appointment yesterday about my ongoing #AutisticBurnout due to work stress. The lady was very nice, but told me that essentially what they offer is CBT, to which I said "no way", but I now feel I need a bit more information to be able to defend my decision. #ActuallyAutistic

UPDATE: Thanks for all the input. After discussing further, they have referred me to some Autistic-specific services, I think mainly because CBT is the only thing they can do. Going to follow up with their recommends and see where it leads.

Ello sweet and lovely Friendos

Another Toot that goes out especially to my #NeuroSpicy 🌶️ #ActuallyAutistic Friendos!

Yesterday I shared a bit of info on Autistic Burnout, as I realized that I am currently struggling with it... 😔 I got some very sweet replies, fankoos for that! and I noticed the Toot getting some likes and boosts.

For those who aren't familiar with #AutisticBurnout, I found some info that I'll share here, with the link to the original source.

> Recognizing the signs of autistic burnout is the first step towards recovery. Some common indicators include:

1. Increased difficulty with social interaction and communication
2. Heightened sensory sensitivities
3. Extreme fatigue that doesn’t improve with rest
4. Loss of executive functioning skills (e.g., planning, organizing, decision-making)
5. Increased meltdowns or shutdowns
6. Difficulty performing tasks that were previously manageable
7. Increased need for alone time or reduced tolerance for social situations
8. Feelings of overwhelm, hopelessness, or being “stuck”

🔗 https://neurolaunch.com/autistic-burnout-recovery/

There are many tips on this page on how to deal with the burnout in the "best way". There are many tips for different types of situations, and they could help you to find a way to recovery (or help you to find help for recovery).

Hope this helps a bit to those that, like me, feel like they're "not doing well" at the moment...

Much 💜 🫂 in your journey to recovery...

@autistics

@autistics

If you're autistic and struggle with making phone calls, what is the major challenge for you?

- Getting started (inertia)
- Delayed processing of audio input (need for clarification requests)
- Anxiety (fear of missing info, being rude, bothering sb, relying on notes taken...)
- Something else (please comment)

Or all of it?

Please comment if you don't struggle with this (anymore).

#actuallyautistic #autistic

RE: https://mastodon.social/@filmfreak75/116610249613915036

@autistics #ActuallyAutistic watching a different show where a removal of a foreign object advanced death…

…character one inserted the object and then a minute later character two removes it…

…character one then says to character two:

“Technically, you killed him”

…and i find that hilarious for some disturbed reason

@autistics #ActuallyAutistic never believed in the "Success is the best revenge” and this seems a bit more resonating…
https://mas.to/@skeletor/115333560878611054

ALT

@autistics #ActuallyAutistic

I have never found the standard advice about autistic alexithymia very useful - for example those rainbow coloured emotion wheels. My problem isn't that I don't know what word to attach to the emotion I'm feeling. And I also don't think it's "people have always invalidated what I'm feeling so now I don't trust myself".

I just learned about "emotional marbling" and this makes a lot more sense to me. The idea is that I feel a lot of emotions at the same time, all mixed together in a way that seems contradictory. Using the emotional valence chart while keeping in mind that I'm feeling several things at the same time seems like a more useful approach in my case.

Article about how black and white thinking and emotional marbling can be confusing, and how to find your way through:
https://caitklein.com/blog/finding-the-middle-way

Video about emotional marbling by Sol Smith (who is amazing)
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/-l8QpPCnpZo

The arousal/valence chart
https://neurodivergentinsights.com/arousal-valence-model/

@autistics #ActuallyAutistic add to being undiagnosed and you get a vortex of horror...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cL8TyK9Grq8

@autistics #ActuallyAutistic my new fantasy “drop the mic” moment for work...

https://www.instagram.com/p/DO8oKdFjre3/

@autistics #actuallyautistic

They always say show your work.

My brain makes leaps, conjectures, multiple outcomes, feverish attention to detail, long chains of gibberish that suddenly result in just the right answer, everything explained.

Talking it through, even after the right conclusion is obvious, makes me seem crazy. Nobody exposes their thought processes.

Somehow I invariably choose a good path.

Better to just quietly give the correct answer and hope someone listens.

I always find it challenging to tap back into the flow of #Mastodon after even a short time away. I come back and I suddenly find it awkward again, like I don’t know what I want to say again.

It’s likely because there is very little I want to say to a mass of strangers in public, (I'm private, and it takes more translation effort than one-on-one for me), yet social networking is a thing that I need because of my IRL isolation.

Any other #ActuallyAutistic peers experience the same?

@autistics

Ello sweet and lovely Friendos

With a special wink towards my #NeuroSpicy 🌶️ friends, especially the #ActuallyAutistic ones...

I felt like I was struggling again with the dark monster (depression). But, after some DuckDuck scrolling, I came to a site where they had an article on "Autistic Burnout".

I read more and when I came to these bits, I felt like they had been writing about me!

I hope I used the right symbol to show that these texts are quoted, original link to the article is below the 3 quoted bits.

> Meltdowns and shutdowns, those intense reactions to overwhelming situations, might become more frequent. You could find yourself losing control over your emotions in situations you’d previously learned to manage. These episodes can be frightening and embarrassing, further fueling the desire to retreat from the world.

> Even your special interests, those passions that have always brought you joy and comfort, might lose their luster. The hyperfocus that once allowed you to dive deep into your favorite subjects now feels elusive, replaced by a fog of disinterest and fatigue. This loss can be particularly distressing, as these interests often form a core part of an autistic person’s identity and coping mechanisms.

> Self-care routines that once anchored your days might start to slip. Keeping up with personal hygiene, maintaining a tidy living space, or preparing healthy meals can feel like insurmountable tasks. The structure that once provided comfort now feels like a series of impossible demands.

🔗 https://neurolaunch.com/autistic-burnout-symptoms-adults/

I will definitely try to find more about this... But I wanted to share this, and if I find more info, I'll try to share!

Catch you all later folks!

💜 🍀 🐾

#PixysJourney

@autistics

"It's the fear, that if everybody stops drinking coffee the way I drink it than I will become the outcast. And that is scary to someone who suddenly is remembering how they have always treated outcasts."

This gives me strong "Everybody is autistic nowadays" vibes and expains the sociopsychological thinking pattern behind similar statements and behaviour, e.g. why so many people create the narrative of the "angry vegan" or are afraid of the visibility of marginalized people.

Such an insightful and interesting video.

#ActuallyAutistic #psychology #queer #vegan #sociology #nobot

Subject: Autistic ‘black and white’ thinking.

It's framed as a deficit often seen in autism, but... is it that simple?

Autistic people are traditionally criticized for our inflexibility, or cognitive rigidity.

But I think this isn’t the whole picture.

To start with what we know, here are ten things we autistic people generally have in common (refs at the end of the thread):

⬇️

#Autism #Neurodivergent #ActuallyAutistic #AuDHD #Neurodiversity

@autistics #ActuallyAutistic

i wish i had thought of expressing this experience like this -- happens all the time and i can never quite find the words https://neurodifferent.me/@theautisticcoach/115339225498682688

@autistics #ActuallyAutistic if i still had an office, i’d need a poster of this for it…

https://www.instagram.com/p/DP_aFP5iFbP/

ALT