Good on you for the self insight! What science knows about the true scope of neurodivergence among populations is in its infancy. My biggest problems are social communication and overwhelm caused by too much sensory stimulation. Auditory processing is one of my biggest problems; I wish I was wrong in some respects, but am greatly relieved to know that a pair of noise cancelling headphones and closing my eyes may just do the trick in stopping a meltdown! I use the "autist" handle, but in real life people see me as quirky, not abnormal, and labels have never really stuck to me. Neurodivergence is a spectrum, just like anything else. Thanks for all you do - I hope you keep it up because your content is great!

So basically you were a controller. That's okay.

No1curr

Israel is not Netanyahu. Palestine is not Hamas. The war needs to stop forever.

Also obviously this is the best opportunity to have this done for a lot of us.

Feel free to write it down, this is a lot of worki'm sure , it helps to have this already done by another person and it helps in experimental ways too

Dang it's crazy people are mad that an autistic person is tryna explain that autism is a spectrum and just wants more people to question things openly to be helpful.

Apparently you have forgotten that Hamas and the entire middle east has had the explicit intention of Genocide of Israel. Or are you in favor of this? Also, if you trust Al Jazeera to tell you the truth, you are really naive.

You are so good at making fanominal content. ,

Curious what researches would say about freeze and flop being dorsal or vagal. I know being frozen feels like you can’t move - but it’s nothing like actually being at rest. I would imagine it takes a lot of mental resources to override all of your instincts and keep you stuck there. At least that’s how it feels for me. And it’s just as exhausting, if not more.

*F R E E P A L E S T I N E*

Thank you for all your tips!! It feels like they could really help, and I’m gonna put them to test very soon!! ❤❤❤

You are truly sick. Read Denial by Olmstead and Blaxill.

Love your tracker. I had a student colour petals on a flower to show how they feel over a month. It really helped them realise that its not always bad, its a great idea for those who catastrophise. Love that you are recording other factors like alcohol too! Really good to see if these things are affecting us negatively! ✌️💗

Where was this meltdown?

Are you a doctor? Or, just full of crap?

I've just recently started wearing my socks inside out so that I can't feel the seam on my toes.

Deciding to suffer now is pretty profound. Admit you’re going to suffer. Stop beating yourself up because other people don’t have to suffer. They can just do things. It doesn’t mean we’re being weak or deciding to turn ourselves into victims. It’s going to be painful and it’s going to suck, but we’ll survive it. It’s going to be OK afterwards.

While I have no diagnosis (and know so little I wouldn't know how to get one), ADHD hacks really resonate with me. The body-doubling thing? I was only semi-aware that it was a thing. I often ask my partner to 'come help me' without any real idea of what it is I want him to do, other than exist in the same space. I nearly cried when this was revealed! I am convinced he is on the autism spectrum so it frustrates him that I ask him to 'come help' without telling him what with. He demands clarity! I am so happy I can tell him 'just exist with me!' and he can pick his own activity. If I don't have a plan, I have to pick one, and I panic and choose at random, and then he complains about the half-assed way I've gone about things... this will relieve so much friction for both of us! Thank you so much these videos. Inertia problem?! YUP. Time-'blindness' (I agree that it does need a new name, its not blindness its more like... time-insenitivity. Like, I can't feel time accurately, the way the skin on my knee that was damaged in a car accident doesn't feel touch properly. I know its being touched, but I'm not sure exactly where or if its soft or rough, just that 'something' starts then stops) I HAVE BEEN APOLOGISING FOR THIS ALL MY LIFE WHILE RESENTING EVERYONE WHO EVER POINTS IT OUT. To do lists? I have two - a long one (to remember the 500 things that always need doing) and then I triage out onto a small one for 'doable' - either time sensitive or quick to deal with, always a mixture. I delight in a completely crossed off list. Oh, and being stuck in a loop?! Yes! 😭 So yep, I do things the 'silly' way so I don't get stuck in a 'do this, then that, but need to do this to do that' priority loop. I just do what I have to so both get done. I count 'the long way' towards my step goal anyway. Its hard to get 10,000 steps in if you are stuck in a house all day... doing things the long way solves that problem! "Junebugging" - yup. So guilty its my whole personality. If there was a nature documentary about me I'd be compared to entire colony of ferrets on a sugar rush. EFT - that is going to be huge for me. Its true! I sometimes don't know why I'm stuck and can't 'make progress', because there's a 'big feeling' in my way. Most of the time I have to write the day off. No more lost days! And the final one? Yep, I celebrate every win, no matter how small. I find a cheer-squad helps, and its probably why I love animals so much - did you know dogs will hype for anything, they just like to be part of it? Cuddle-dance sessions, random treats, an extra cup of coffee, a colouring-in session, it doesn't matter what it is that brings me joy (heck, I'm a gardener, sometimes its just more work) but as a novelist, waiting til the end of a long-ass book to celebrate is dooming myself. Finishing a book is just the start of more work. Celebrating every 'ending' is like trying to come home and have a 'cured' party after the first session of therapy. Nope, long way to go buddy! Great first step though! A completed and published novel is so far into the whole process (and just the end of the easy part of being an indie author 😅) that if I wasn't celebrating all the little wins there'd be no win at all. I don't see it as coddling (as some do, it was a popular criticism in my tender years), it is a genuine part of my process. It has taken me so long to find ways to work with myself that I weep for my younger self... but only for a minute or two, then its time to make the best of what I have now! These videos are so helpful. They are reassuring, affirming and provide a wonderful launch-pad for me to explore options to get know myself and lead a productive and enriched life. Thank you! 💛❤💙💜

Hello. This might be abit off topic but recently I have been thinking a lot about energy and how I never have any. I have never been an energetic person and often need to nap in the day. The only time I feel like getting stuff done is in the morning after a full nights sleep. The amount of activities my NT friends cram into a day is unthinkable to me. I just wondered how common this is for ppl with autism. Like us. I have a good diet and sleep ok. Could it be autism low level burn out? Does anyone else feel like this? Thanks for reading x

But what type do I haveeeeee argh I thought it was ADHD but none of the meds I tried are working

My intellectual is thinking...how do I understand my emotions 🤔💭...😂 help 🥹🫤

What is that background music supposed to be doing apart from dustracting the heck out of us? Music cannot ignored and why play somtething that needs to be ignored?

I love the way you speak,it's clear and concise. I believe I have ADHD and have come to this conclusion over time. Unfortunately, I'm now in my 50s, and besides it being impossible to get a GP appointment in the UK, I truly do not believe I will be taken seriously enough to get a referral for a diagnosis.

What is the name of the medication/s to reduce the effect of meltdowns?

You make so much sense!

All these disorders are psychosomatic crutches women especially seem to rely on to form communties and friend circles where they then brag on whose kid is the most autistic and they vrag about how irreverent they behave because its ok cuz autism.

I have very little " easy for me to".

This exact thought has been kicking around my head and someone finally put it into words! Also leaving a party by eleven is three hours over time and I expect to be compensated for my time. 😉

Please don’t self diagnose. Just because it’s a trend. Personally I think that you should get a proper diagnosis

I've said that AuDHD is sometimes like car whose brake and gas pedals are pushed the same time. The casual observer doesn't notice anything special going on, but it's really straining the engine and finding the balance is hard (kind of like the over/under stimulation). I often feel like I need to rest but I'm not able to as I want to use the free time to do something interesting etc. Also I just recently found out about the seven types of rest people need, and while my hobbies give me some kinds of rest, I should really focus more on making sure I get all kinds of rest I need.

Or maybe talk to a doctor? Because these things can also be social anxiety. For instance, I don't go to parties because I don't have the social battery to keep up with a group of people. Or I go into hysterics, because my anxiety level goes through the roof. And yes, I do have a system to go to work, because I have to be nice and not uptight to be able to do my job. But no, I don't have autism.

I have that shirt too :000

GDI. I really need to get tested. 🙄 (Note: frustration at medical community, not potential diagnosis.)

The important part is that you have something wrong with you making you a victim and are therefore not responsible for your own life.

What's the push for everyone to be autistic all of a sudden

I don’t drink if I go out because I’ll start talking about how much I hate going out. 🤔

This seems like wanting to be autistic so you can fit into a group and say "I am totally like you guys". Because you have social anxiety and are looking for something to cling to to help you with that.

Im on the spectrum. Can i just say. Shut up. Youre making it harder for people genuinely on the spectrum. This is social anxiety.

Bro social anxiety isn't autism

Lmfao. Why are we so attached to trying to attach a disability to ourselves. If someone doesn’t feel autistic and doesn’t want to associate with autism then let them be a strong grown individual who doesn’t need the crutch of that title.

🤯

Stoo calling me autistic

This is such a great switch up that makes me think about things differently ❤

That forehead is epic though

😳😳🤯

Before diagnosis, I thought I was having panic attacks, which supposedly make an individual feel like they are dying. Realized after diagnosis that those panic attacks I thought were happening were more likely meltdowns. They are painful, and they feel like the world is crashing down on top of you. And they can be so exhausting because your whole body goes through it that I can't stay awake the rest of the day despite being a well-seasoned insomniac. I also want to say that I've had my AuDHD diagnosis for about a year and a half now and kept doubting because of the hyper/hypo stimulation. I thought I couldn't be autistic because I could deal with my socks for example, or really loud music, but then put me in front of the buzzing freezers at the grocery store and suddenly I can't handle it. Just wanted to say, your description of that narrow window makes a lot of sense and has me a lot less doubtful. Thank you for your explanation!

I have traits that cover both - even in specific areas that are seemingly mutually exclusive. For instance, I'm very empathic... except when I'm not. I was diagnosed as being an HSP with high sensation seeking nearly a decade ago, and having that information certainly helped me, but it still didn't seem to cover it all. For instance, for me, I have to admit that much of my empathy is learned, and not natural (autistic masking?). However, when I hear of someone getting physically hurt, I often have an undeniable and uncontrollable neurological reaction that makes me react in a way that people would say is my empathy coming out spontaneously. After many years of telling myself that I'm a HSP, and not Autistic, I've recently come to the realisation that I probably am autistic, whether I like it or not. Thanks for addressing the elephant in the room. While a certain researcher has done a lot of good work that helps a lot of people, she earns a living from it, so whether she realises it or not, she has a vested interest in keeping HSP and ASD as separate conditions. Perhaps HSP is just mild ASD, while not having so much of the visual cue problems (or having masked by working it out so early that it isn't so noticeable - or maybe just noticing things that aren't really there, and as such, swinging the pendulum from one extreme of error to the other). On the other hand, perhaps HSP and ASD are related, but depending on which set of symptoms a person has, they're more to the HSP side, or more to the ASD side.

21/21. I was diagnosed with ADHD well into adulthood, but I've often suspected I may also have autism. My head's a real fun ride.

I'm just the opposite of being disorganized; I'm (borderline obsessed) very organized because my temporary memory is very short and therefore memories doesn't make it into long term memory (especially trivia things) resulting in forgetting where I put stuff. So, I put things in logical categories (labeled box, clothes on hangers, underwear in draws, toothbrush in the bathroom ect..) If i drop things out of "place" i therefore I won't be able to find it or "I lost it."