Literally Autistic

We all have it harder in life and things for neurotypicals that they find easy or simply often end up being hard or nearly impossible for us to achieve. Whether it's in our careers or in a relationship, we often find that we struggle to do the required basics in order for things to stay happy and continue onward. The key really is for neurotypicals to learn to adapt and accept us in society as ourselves and to learn how to make changes, adjustments and to be open minded to what our needs are in order for us to succeed and be happy in our lives. Unfortunately the large percentage of neurotypicals today are not very open minded and often prevent us from achieving happiness and success but that doesn't mean we stop trying because through hard work and persistence we can get there and become successful individuals even with our Autism. www.ko-fi.com/livingwithadhdandcptsd livingwithadhdandcptsd@gmail.com

I often get overwhelmed because my other disabilities, (ADHD, CPTSD) get in the way. I have impulse control issues where I blurt out something or do something that mostly have little to no thought behind it. I get a sudden avalanche of overwhelming and stressful feelings, sensations in my body but they are slow and hard to recognize, often until the melt down starts. This does not help my relationship with my GF at all, makes our lives more difficult to handle and causes a lot of hardship on it. I need to learn to control the Impulse and then learn how to recognize that feeling over being overwhelmed and step away before things get out of control.. yes I know it's not easy.... www.ko-fi.com/livingwithadhdandcptsd

My communication skills and my emotional connection skills are sorely lacking, it was evident today as I could not do it, no matter how hard I tried. I failed miserably to show proper and authentic empathy to my girlfriend and she became upset as a result, something that has repeatedly occurred. I don't really know how to improve them, I can't seem to figure out what is wrong and how to fix it. I know I am on the ASD and this of course explains my issues but I really wish I could figure out how to make it all better. www.ko-fi.com/livingwithadhdandcptsd

I struggle with Autism daily! being a HFASD I often get frustrated with how my brain functions and the issues I create, not just for myself but for my partner as well. I wish for all those who have Autism and are on the ASD that they could get the same chances and choices and abilities in this world as those who are Neurotypical do. I do believe in personal choice however, that includes a person's or couple's choice to do what they think is best and I will always respect the choices that they make for their child. I may not necessarily agree with it but I will not fight something that I really have no say in. I think that others out there should also stop trying to tell others what to do simply because it is not their choices to make! What a family does or does not do will never directly affect the way your life will proceed day to day so you do not get to have an opinion on the matter. anyway, there's much more in this episode, enjoy! www.ko-fi.com/livingwithadhdandcptsd

knowing that I have communication and emotional understanding /relating issues because of Autism I have been trying to find books that are more on the instructional and scientific/factual side rather than storyline and personal experience types. Not saying that those are not helpful but I want a book I can read that is going to give me actual information that I can use to assist me with learning to overcome my shortcomings and flourish more and be better in my relationship and in life. Autism Spectrum Disorders in Adolescents and Adults by Matt Tincani and Andy Bondy so far is the one book I have found to be very helpful with learning more about Autism and what to do to adapt in my life. However, Living Independently on the Autism Spectrum by Lynne Soraya started out well but became less useful due to the structure of the book, imo being more story telling and how to in aspects of life that were not important or necessary. Autism Adulthood by Susan Senator is the poorest help to me, it was basically a story about her son who has Autism and had to learn how to be more functional in society and it was of no help to me at all. If you have any books that you believe would be helpful to me in my goal of learning skills and goals to help achieve success in overcoming my issues with Autism then please let me know. www.ko-fi.com/livingwithadhdandcptsd

Communication.. so very important in life, in relationships and in the world in order for us to survive. I struggle every day to communicate effectively and properly to those in my life that are most important. What do I do? well, learning how to notice your weird or unusual quirks is important, also for someone like me being able to stay calm and grounded is a big key to getting anything across. I have to figure out HOW to notice however because saying that you need to notice is one thing... learning and doing it is a whole new concept! www.ko-fi.com/livingwithadhdandcptsd

Learning how my communication abilities change when I go from a calm state to a near melt down state of being is so frustrating and can make me feel angry or sad, depends on life. I do wish more people would understand why things go wrong when they do! I also wish I could explain to them why my brain does the things it does! I want to learn how to know when I melt down, learn the signs! www.ko-fi.com/livingwithadhdandcptsd

Applied behavioral analysis is the most widely used therapy for autism, but some people say its drills and routines are cruel, and its aims misguided. ABA therapy in my opinion is dangerous, abusive and controversial and I fiercely believe it should be banned as a form of therapy for Autistic Children and Teenagers. https://www.spectrumnews.org/features/deep-dive/controversy-autisms-common-therapy/ https://youtu.be/94sy4YrUGRk

If only my parents had known 39 years ago when I started school to question the behavior of a 5 year old child in school and say to themselves, "this kid, there's something about his behavior that is off..." decided to go to the doctor and ask for opinions on what could be done. It's very likely that I would have been diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome or at the very least Autism. Life, love and my relationships have taken a beating because of this Autism but it has also created and helped develop early childhood trauma and more trauma in my teenage years. I just want to find a way to make my Autism less likely to create problems for my future and bring some peace to my world.

I had a shutdown which turns into a meltdown... have had them a number of times already and I can't see that they're happening! Doesn't really seem to matter what I do, there's little hope of me noticing that a meltdown is coming on and to verbally declare and walk away... well, maybe it's getting better? I sorta declared!.. I mean I did say "Excuse Me" ...

There's no surprise that I am considered anti-social. I don't really make much of an effort to be social with people who I don't know and if having a choice i'd rather be by myself than with others. My life has had a lot of bullying, teasing, issues and problems with making friends, keeping friends and the desire to want friends. I have issues with social etiquette, social rules, required behaviors that are needed when interacting with people. Every job I've had I had little to no desire to make friends beyond the walls of the 8-4 week day. not really regretting any of it because I feel safer, more comfortable by myself, enjoying what I do alone than with others, mostly because I control where I am, when I go, what I do and how long I wish to stay there. Sound familiar?

The first episode, I soon learn that I likely am on the Autistic spectrum when I start my relationship with my GF but don't immediately believe that it's happening until nearly 3 years later there's just too much evidence and a lot of symptoms that we experience together. Realizing that I'm likely on the Autism Spectrum is difficult to accept at first and still tends to be today as I go through the stages of knowing you are Autistic!

Imagine being Neurotypical... able to understand emotions and give proper emotional responses, to be social and have friends. Now take a step back.... You have Autism.. you're on the Autistic Spectrum and all that I described before is not possible... Like all people on the autism spectrum, people who are high functioning have a hard time with social interaction and communication. They don't naturally read social cues and might find it difficult to make friends. They can get so stressed by a social situation that they shut down. They don't make much eye contact or small talk. People on the spectrum who are high-functioning can also be very devoted to routine and order. They might have repetitive and restrictive habits that seem odd to others. There's a wide range of how they do with school and work. Some do very well in school, while others get overwhelmed and can't concentrate. Some can hold a job, and others find that really hard to do. It all depends on the person and the situation. But even for someone on the spectrum who can do a lot, the commonality among those diagnosed with ASD is underdeveloped social skills. This podcast focuses on my Autism and what it does to my life every day. You won't want to miss this!...