Autistic burnout and the dichotomy of “living to work” when your reality tells you it’s the other way around

All my life, I have struggled with the fixed cultural idea of "work", the ability to perform a job of work, to succeed at it as others do and to not burnout when I have one (having done so in every job I have ever had). I have discovered this is yet another common factor of autism and that it is profoundly linked to chronic health issues, to lifelong feelings of shame, of not belonging and of "being a failure", associated also with strong desires to work differently to mainstream and to get out of the present culture, change priorities around and do something different with life. In fact, an autistic viewpoint on some of these things could be of great value in these times, especially post-pandemic and faced with some of the current challenges. Exploring some of these things today.

The long-lasting impact of parenting style on the HSP child

Today, I want to share an article that resonated with me very much so, for the main part, I want to direct you to that article. By way of an introduction, I want to ask any of you that identify as a Highly Sensitive Person (especially those who struggle with emotional, health or other issues, … Continue reading The long-lasting impact of parenting style on the HSP child

Choosing my edges

We all need some sort of containment, a reliable edge to our experiences, to enable us feel held and supported in life...and belief systems can do this for the majority of people (to a point). My neurodiverse way seems to have required that I build by own edges from scratch, plucked from a cacophony of sensory experiences and turned into the life supporting routines, rituals and focal points of my life; some distinctly more supportive than others (but getting there). Exploring the need for edges and how to make them better - Asperger's style.