Unlearning Internalised Ableism (Without The Politics)

[@TimoDcTheLikelyLad]

This resonated greatly thank you so much :)!

[@JustMyAutisticalities]

Thank you very much for your encouragement and comforting words. I feel that shame almost everyday now since I have been in an autistic burnout for over two years now and somehow I have the feeling the regression hasn't hit rock bottom yet and I'm still 'falling'. When or will it ever start getting better again... Due to the exhaustion and overwhelm I am almost completly isolated and most just move on because they just don't understand. Once friends are living their lives and my life feels like someone with ADHD hit the 'pause' button and got up and left and totally forgot to unpause - and I have no control - stuck in 'freeze'. So videos like yours really are soothing to my soul. Thank you for understanding and helping where you can. Oh, and I mean no disrespect to fellow ADHDers 💝 I'm an AuDHDer myself - so I've been there and done that...

[@ByrdieFae]

Thomas Henley, posting important things on Christmas. Love it. This is really good and definitely hits home.

[@isabellammusic]

This video is very good and explains a lot of my own experiences.

[@micheals1992]

When I think of what defines Autism I always think of the scene from Matilda where she makes the TV blow up because her dad is forcing her to "be a part of the family". While the label it's self is socially constructed, the reasons behind the label is to protect people who are different being forced into conformity by the people around that person, forcing yourself to put on an act to fit others expectations of your behaviour and social interactions is essentially masking. I think there's a deeper meaning to the word "Autism" as the greek origin of that word means "Self".

[@micheals1992]

I always imagine the demolition man shouting "these people just want to be themselves!" 😅

[@PaulaRoederer]

This one really hits home.

[@leilap2495]

Great video 👍🏼

[@anthonygriffiths6113]

Thank you Thomas, keep up the great work !!!

[@jordanlehn]

wow. this hit more then i was expecting. thank you Thomas for such a great and relatable video as always. definitely has left me with lots to think about.

[@the_mad.s_hatter]

Amazing video, thank you!

[@stephenie44]

I was just trying to work out why my brain categorized walking on my tip toes as a never-do-that-again thing as a kid. Because I was never berated or bullied for it. My dad just asked with curiosity if I /could/ walk with my heels on the ground, because walking on your toes was apparently an autistic thing, and just that little bit of feedback told my brain, “look, you’re doing it wrong. Don’t do it that way.” So I stopped, because I’d learned toe walking wasn’t “normal.” And another bit of my mask was built. And at 5 years old, I already had internalized the ableist belief that there is one normal way to do things, and everyone who can’t just must not be able to help it, how sad and unfortunate; and if you can help it, you obviously should. 😔

[@sarahbarton4100]

@stephenie44 My mother has talipes and a clubfoot, so I remember being reminded to walk on my feet properly constantly, not telling me to act normal, just a parent worrying her child would develop physical trouble later in life. Tiptoe walking can indicate internal foot deformities or disease, can cause shortened tendons, as well as indicate ASD.

[@solipsisticBovine]

lots to chew on. worth saying, and well said. thank you.

[@andressantiagobonillapaez6521]

no politics zone IS politics zone. Being apolitical IS A POLITICAL CHOICE. Ablism is a political issue.

[@docbrown.]

I am autistic, and a year or two ago, I wouldn't have even known what the word 'ableism' meant. I feel that the word can be used by people who are more or less able than I am, so I personally avoid using it.

[@laura.bseyoga]

💚

[@sksk-bd7yv]

Rates of ptsd, cptsd among us? Anybody got credible numbers?

[@musiqtee]

At the moment no… Still, I believe (!) these three societal trends coexist; One, increased empirical knowledge on understanding trauma, especially preclinical complex trauma as being highly prevalent - as in actually “normal”. Two, generally decreased “systemic welfare agency” from policies and changes to ideals of what a “social contract” should entail - i.e. since 1995-2005. It’s harder to practically “act” on available knowledge. Three, a decay in general public trust, increasing individualism and tougher enforcement of imperatives in education, careers or work - e.g. sick leaves increasing, receiving more flak than just a decade ago. - If the above holds, I would posit (!) trauma-related suffering prevalence to increase consequently. Neurodivergence is already a factor of incidence, known since studies mid 1990s. What am I trying to say… We “know” more, can “act” less, and (western) societies change rapidly. More people get ill, ratio higher for NDs. (Little research to go on, at least well cited - and is increasingly paywalled. I’ll keep digging…)