Able and Disabled

Hey All! I hope everyone is well! For those of us at university term one is now in full swing. At this point it is easy and understandable to start feeling a little overwhelmed. I know that with both university and work, I have found myself experiencing an increase in instances of overload, particularly as a student with autism. It is often part of student and autistic nature to want to push through the overload, meltdowns and shutdowns and keep on working but too often this is actually the worst thing you can do. Sure, you need to keep on top of assignments and due dates but it is also important not to push yourself too far because if you burn out it is likely you'll struggle to do anything at all. As an autistic individual I find myself often seeking and relying upon routine and plans. In order to prevent myself overwhelmed and make sure that everything gets done I've been creating weekly schedules for myself, containing my classes, shifts and the work I need to do at hom...

Hey All! Sorry for the delay in posting, it's been kind of a hectic week! That's actually part of why I've chosen to talk about 'Functioning Labels' today. Both those within and outside of the autistic community will be aware of the phrases 'High Functioning' and 'Low Functioning' but less people will probably be aware of the controversy surrounding them. I've heard several different people define these terms several different ways. Some people use quite a broad definition of 'High Functioning,' using it to mean anyone they deem to be 'coping,' while others seem to use a very specific definition as a reference to average IQ and the ability to talk. Regardless of the exact intended meaning of these phrases many of us believe them to be outdated and unhelpful. There are two primary problems with the use of 'Functioning Labels' and this is what I wish to discuss. Firstly, we don't always feel 'High Functioning....

Hi All! Today is #WorldMentalHealthDay. I have been quite open on this page about my history with anxiety, mood problems and trichotillomania, so today I thought I'd talk about my more recent experiences with getting to know the relationship between my autism and my mental health. This year's theme, I've been told, is young people and mental health in a changing world. As a young person with autism it feels like the world is constantly changing and changing far too quickly. The kind of change I mean here isn't global progress but rather that small, personal change that can send you spinning. We can all struggle with large change every now and again but for the autistic individual it can feel even more dizzying. So what does this have to do with mental health? As many of you may be aware recently I've been forced to process an awlful lot of change, moving to somewhere new, going back to university, a new job. All these things are ultimately good experiences but th...

Hey All! Hope everyone is well! Just yesterday I stumbled across a Facebook memory from this time last year during #BFRBWeek, and it really got me thinking about progress and how we define progress. At that point in time I had no eyebrows and a small bald patch in the centre of my hairline. I was pulling everyday and losing considerable amounts of hair. Now I have eyebrows, my hairline is slowly become full again and I have my urges far more under control. But, do I still have trichotillomania? Don't get me wrong, I am incredibly happy with and proud of how far I have come, but that doesn't mean that the 'progress' doesn't terrify me! The word 'progress' comes with pressure. You don't really want to say you've beaten something like trichotillomania because it just makes it 100x more heartbreaking and scary if you do relapse. It's that pressure to be 'cured' first time, to do recovery perfectly. However, this is very rarely our actualise...