I knew that I had depression and anxiety many years before I realised that I was autistic. At university I was known as the guy that was usually sitting in the corner with my head in my hands. I have spent far too much of my life worrying about all kinds of things and have been conscious for a long time that I am a generally morose sort of person. I was finally formally diagnosed…
I have always found change difficult. I know that it is constant, and often necessary, but that does not mean that I have to like it! My aversion to change is such that I have stayed in situations that were clearly very bad for me for years longer than I should have done. I have resisted change that deep down I could see would be for my own benefit. I have frequently said no to…
When I was at school, foreign languages were without a doubt my weakest subjects. When I scraped the lowest possible mark that was still a pass in French, I was happier with that than with much better grades in other subjects. Nowadays if I hear or read some French, I can generally pick up a few words and may be able to get the general theme of what is being talked about, but I…
Autistic people still face many barriers in society and have so much to contribute if only given the chance to do so. Indeed, in these difficult times, different ways of thinking, fresh ideas and seeing the world in an alternative way may be more important than ever. I truly believe that a big step forward in helping autistic people to thrive in the world is to increase knowledge and awareness of what autism is…
Have you ever watched one of those TV shows where people buy the contents of abandoned storage lockers base only on a quick look from the doorway, usually seeing just piles of boxes and odd shaped objects covered in tarps? I could never do it but it can be fun to watch others taking those risks! In most of the shows I have seen, at least one locker turns put to contain some type of…
I have been in trouble many times. I was frequently in trouble as a child and have not exactly avoided being in trouble in my working life. Nothing too serious or criminal, I would add, but I have been far from well-behaved, at least as far as others are concerned. Sometimes the trouble was well-deserved. I knew that I had done something wrong, and I may very well have known that it would lead…
Why mental illness should be taught in schools is one of those questions that I hope will one day become redundant. It will be such an obvious priority that people will be aghast that there was a time when it was not taught to all children as part of a full and well-rounded education. There are several reasons why greater education and understanding of mental health and mental illness are needed across society, starting…
If you are new to the world of autism and neurodiversity, perhaps having just discovered that your child or another friend or relative is autistic, it can be a worrying time. You will have lots of questions, like can autistic people work, and it is absolutely the right thing to do to ask them and find out as much as you can. That is the best way to equip yourself to give an autistic person…
I have felt exhausted almost all the time for about as long as I can remember. I know that being autistic is a factor in this as I have talked about in other articles, not least because I have to spend much of my life living an “act”, trying to work out what a supposedly normal person would do in my circumstances. But I also know that my depression and anxiety play a huge role…
The word “essential” is perhaps one of the most overused of our time. It’s definition according to lexico.com is “Absolutely necessary; extremely important.” And yet I frequently see it used in a myriad of ways which are patently at odds with that definition. The misuse that irritates me the most, for no obvious reason, is “essential oils”. I have never used one of these oils in my life – indeed I am not even sure…