I’m autistic - here’s why I decided to stop masking | BBC Ideas

[@bbcideas]

Thanks for all your comments. For more, see our playlist My Autistic Self 👉kzbin.info/www/bejne/eqTMgWqwarecldE

[@bbcideas]

And if you're in the UK, you can watch Inside Our Autistic Minds on BBC iPlayer (UK only) 👉www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0bbnh47

[@jenmorricone4014]

" I'm tired," I know the feeling...Best of luck on your journey Flo. And thank you for being so open about your struggle to fit in. Wishing you peace and contentment .

[@JustAThought155]

Thanks for your candidness. I too am on the spectrum, but I was diagnosed later (or late) in life. I think your film opened my eyes to my at home behavior: absolute isolation. This is because I have learned to live by dismissing me and my norms when out of the house. Therefore, once I return to my home, albeit a room or apartment with or without roommates, I do not converse with ANYONE, for it is in that space that I exhale. I relax. And I am me with me, and it is then that I feel finally feel and live free.

[@JillWhitcomb1966]

My ex-husband used to rock back and forth when he read or watched TV. He isn't diagnosed on the Autistic spectrum, although he has a multitude of the symptoms. Our grown up son, age 30, has been diagnosed (twice) to be on the Autistic spectrum. I can understand what this young lady is going through. Much of what she is describing, my son has gone through.

[@MargaretShephard]

Thank you for the video Flo. I found it by chance .Even people who are not Autistic but are introverts, sensitives, loners, will greatly benefit from your brave decision to let go and be you. I am on that journey late in life. It is not easy but I now feel like me. I am experiencing feeling free, liberated ,happy ,glad to be alive and excited about the future. Well done you ! Best wishes for the future.

[@ChickennoRotMG]

Fuck I relate to this video so much. I'm an adult who just recently became open to the idea that I could possibly have autism. I feel like I'm just starting to see the authentic (not "mimic") me for the first time! I did door to door sales since I was 13 years old so I thought it couldn't be possible... "how can someone who has autism do that?" I thought. Sending blessings to everyone else on the journey of accepting themselves.

[@PJW-g3y]

I can understand how hard it must be to be on your own for a long time without asking help for anyone. Your are not lone. Best wishes from Japan.

[@nicolabrownlee5493]

Such a beautiful, amazing young lady , don’t be ashamed of yourself, you are gorgeous in every way xx

[@rebeccamcewan4787]

I know this feeling only too well. I can relate to it 100%. I am a 30 year old female aspie and I was lucky get diagnosed at 3 years old. However, I still feel I have to mask in front of my family apart from my mum. I fear the rest of my family will disapprove of me looking down on the floor, rocking back and forth and flapping, etc. I get flustered if asked a question as I struggle to get the answer right because it's embarrassing. I feel my dads side of the family are trying to make me be normal. I would like to get my own place as my stepfather is very rude and unsympathetic and doesn't understand me at all. He is a judgemental bully and it makes me feel uncomfortable. Sorry but I am just being honest. I just feel I can't be myself in front of a lot of people. Luckily my boyfriend has Aspergers too so I can unmask when I am with him which I can then relax .

[@slavkaj8285]

I understand that masking must be incredibly tiring in a long run, but there are aspies who found a family with a neurotypical partner and then get tired of masking right after their first child is born which is a disaster for the partner.

[@anamerandom5147]

You speaking from experience bruv?

[@oisinmckellar3046]

And? masking can lead to depression, burn out low self-esteem and sucid*

[@spicybiscuit88]

Why is it a disaster ?

[@deedubu1]

Pretending to be someone you’re not to make someone fall in love with you, then resorting back to the real you, is undeniably selfish. Been there and wasted years of my life trying to get the person back I thought they were.

[@manassavornindrabhinduwat1961]

The world should be more opened

[@corrigana1]

Yes you are right

[@ElliotHaganOfficial]

Exactly have more open minded people

[@ShannonHassouneh-gg9gn]

Lovely 🥰

[@adhyayansharma7908]

what exactly does being autistic mean ?

[@milson721]

It's a condition you are born with. Usually people with autism find it hard to read social norms and social cues. For example someone with autism might invade people's space and be overly in people's faces thinking their being friendly without realising they are making someone feel uncomfortable. Another thing is autistic people tend to be literalists and live by the book, like if someone says " I'm only staying for a minute or so", an autistic will probably interpret that as he/she only needs an exact minute and I'll time them exactly. Autistic people also tend to have small narrow minded interests and hobbies that normal people wouldn't have. Like they might only listen to a certain band or artist an be overly obsessive about it. (I got diagnosed at 15 with autism)

[@adhyayansharma7908]

thanks i am beginning to think that i am also autistic like i also have these kind of behaviors but i also think that autisticness is not an illness, it's just that autistic people tend to think differently from the crowd and others are not able to see the world through our eyes @@milson721

[@Oylebiseyleriste666]

​@@milson721 is it hard to live your life autistic? Tell us more

[@sturmtheguitarist]

Misery.

[@GalacticTr4veller]

I'm glad three mask is off. We all deserve to be ourselves.

[@ElliotHaganOfficial]

She looks really beautiful

[@redhotkido]

....im on the spectrum myself. Hardly mask. I have before a little here and there but I will be honest its quite exhausting, BUT BUT fun as hell when you dont know the people and when your interacticing with aquaintances and you know they will be people you wont see again. But when its potential friends....yea I just say fuck it and dont mask at all. Its like your an actor almost, like a totally different person

[@Talia778real]

Warming❤

[@ElliotHaganOfficial]

This girl thinks too much and needs to stop giving a crap what people think

[@isabellepaoli3238]

From France 🫶🌺

[@sandrahernandez-g2y]

I crying holds my two.crystsls calm me down and my stuff in .y house

[@lauraluey]

❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🩷

[@nnkk7742]

Why am I subscribed to this channel

[@corrigana1]

My autism wasn't diagnosed until 2018 and my learning disability wasn't diagnosed until 2004