Me, Right After I Get A New Diagnosis: HA, I Knew It! All Those Crappy Doctors Who Told Me I Was Faking

One of the worst parts about being autistic is never knowing why. Not knowing why you don't get invited to things, not knowing why people bully you, not knowing why you can't make friends or get a date or connect with people. There's no cheat sheet or exit survey or easy fix. It's just lonely and isolating.

sure there’s a ramp, but is it steep? is there a curb at the top? is the ground uneven? do i need a key for the elevator? are the aisles and doorways wide enough? do i have room to turn? is there furniture and clutter in my way? is the carpet difficult to wheel on? can i open the doors myself?

accessibility to wheelchairs is more than just a ramp.

People who are not afraid to text you 40 times in a row and don’t take it personally if you haven’t replied are literally the most valuable members of our society and should be recognized as such

Rupi Kaur, Milk and Honey

i do not own this video, but i feel like it’s something you guys would find useful! all credit goes to tik tok user @/csellyyy!

Here’s a small, pretty personal comic, about how growing up with undiagnosed autism has led to me struggling to share negative emotions with other people. (I think unfortunately many can relate to this)

A lot of pop psychology gets thrown around and since I already have a headache, here's preventing you lot from making it worse.

Love-bombing: A manipulation tactic of increasing affection and grand gestures before or after doing something abusive, specifically to weasel one's way out of consequences.

What it is not: A streak of affection and generosity towards friends/loved ones.

Trauma-bonding: Knowingly traumatizing someone to take advantage of their vulnerable state, to then act like the "hero" or the one who cheers them up.

What it is not: Bonding over similar traumas.

Gaslighting: *Knowingly* convincing someone they cannot trust their own perception of a situation in pursuit of one's own narrative.

What it is not: Misaligned perception of events.

Narcissist: Someone afflicted with Narcissistic Personality Disorder, a traumagenic cluster B disorder, that struggles with self-obsession, paranoia, craving validity from the public, delusions of grandeur, and social disconnection.

It is not: Your rubbish ex that cheated on you.

Thank you for coming to my TED Talk.

-Xanthe