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I think that one of the most challenging aspects that I find as an Adult on the Autism Spectrum, is the ability to balance all my responsibilities at the same time that I carve out time for the creative, joyous part of me. I was so neglectful of myself for so many years, it is actually like waking up and consciously deciding who I want to be that day. Does that make any sense? There are so many demands on my time, your time, everyone's time. But we have to breathe. We have to relax, and enjoy taking our time with the beauty that is all around us. I feel as though I have been given a second chance at life. I try to stay in touch with what is going on around me. But I deliberately schedule time for me to do "Autism things" every day. To study about what makes people tick. To look at past mistakes and move on, realizing that they were lessons learned. To be patient and kind with myself helps me to be more patient and kind with others. I was not raised to be a planner. I was not raised to be organized. But for me, learning daily how to be more structured, and to plan the things that matter to me, helps me to weather the stress of living in a world that is too loud, too busy, and extremely anxiety-provoking. I am a concrete thinker. Whatever you tell me, I will believe, unless it is proven otherwise. I don't get jokes, cannot tell a joke, although people do say I have a good sense of humor. I am a Mac in a PC world. I think differently than most people, outside of the box. I don't fit in. But I do come in handy. And learning to live in the moment, to be mindful, to have balance, is a noble task. To sum it all up: Make every day count! That is my challenge!
Replies to "I think that one of the most challenging aspects that I find as an Adult on..."
Mamasitalucita , I bearhug you the area of the brain is the Hypercampus and amygdala and occurs when floods of Epinephrine adrenal gland hormone floods this the flight and fight hormone the Hypercampus and increases anxieties and depression . anotherfrind of mine uses cannabis oil as a nightly dose to help her depression and chronic illness and it gives her fresh relief i am on anti depression meds and usually get changed once a year .I also have cognitive based therapy useful assistance and paintingor singi g or listening to music ,helping others and cuddling a cat or dogs because of the unconditional love
living as an Autistic in an able bodied world and for no sympathy nor empathy in the work environs and to know that one will be demeaned ,mocked, denigrated and abused
@sirgalahad , I have been told I was stupid. That I should shut up. That I should keep my mouth shut. That I was too nervous to do the job. ( This after I reported a facility to the State Welfare Department for child abuse.) You would be nervous too if you saw continual neglect of small children, and you wanted the place to wake up and do what's right. They never did. The state didn't do anything. I left. My friend who worked there left. Autistic people feel very derply. We do care about others. We care about animals on a deeper level, I think, than perhaps Neurotypicals do. Animals are lovers of their human friends no matter what color you are, how you vote, or where you live. Animals are good people. Anymore animal lovers out there?
Kitties are my best friends! I've never met a cat (all cats are kitties to me) that I couldn't relate to. I remember my Mom once took me to visit my kindergarten teacher. I think her mother may have died. I sat down on the floor with a book as they talked, and within a few minutes my teacher's Siamese cat came over and curled up on my legs. The teacher was amazed and said her cat doesn't like any strangers, especially children. I continued to pet the cat and love on it the remainder of our visit.
At one time I had the unofficial "kitty rescue" in our small town. I caught over 100 feral or abandoned kitties, and had them spayed or neutered at the vet in the neighboring town. We gave many of them to local farmers who need barn kitties. Some were adopted by our inn guests, and I took litters to the Amish spice store where the lovely owners kept them contained to give away to visitors to their store. We kept about 5 or 6 around the B&B, as long as they had been "fixed." I was the original Kitty Whisperer.
We had a 19 acre ranch at one point with 16 miniature horses, 3 quarter horses, numerous chickens, turkeys, and a dog. I love all animals. The main thing I noticed when we sold all the horses and other animals as we were preparing to sell the ranch, was how "dead" it seemed when I was outside. Their presence was definitely missed and had contributed to the peaceful, wonderful feeling our ranch had. Our daughter has 3 indoor kitties that I love. I'm so happy to have these little furbabies to love! Yes, I'm an animal person.
Gail
VolunteerMentor
Absolutely an animal lover and a believer in how they can help people with all types of ailments. If a person is unable to have their own pets they can volunteer at shelters and help socialize cats or walk dogs etc.. You can even go to dog parks and just visit the pets/owners there because USUALLY dogs brought to a dog park are friendly and get along with other dogs, etc.
I was also involved with both my children and my pets with our local 4H in the Pet Therapy group. We visited assisted living places, the VA homes, etc. What a joy to see how those residents even the bed-ridden ones loved seeing the pets.
We like you too!
@mamacita There is a hospital in my locale that has an active dog therapy program. Dogs and their owners walk the halls and everyone has a drop in blood pressure and feel happier after petting a dog! Teresa
@calypso those are the kinds of things that make life worthwhile and besutiful. We had a precious Sheltie named Franklin who we had to put down. He was suffering, and old, and he was only going to get worse. When he died we all went to the vet to see Franklin and love on him. It brought family members back together who hadn't spoken in years. Couldn't even be in the same room together. But there they were, one on each side of the precious soul who gave so much unconditional love to all he knew.
sad and stupid and also discriminatory
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@mamacitalucita here. I have had more time to think of this question. Some of the most difficult challenges I have had are issues that frequently are associated with Autism. The Depression, Anxiety, and to a lesser degree, OCD. As I have said many times regarding my physical conditions, all of them respond to the power of positivity, eliminating negative self-talk, and practicing mindfulness. When one practices self-care, the diet is managed by reading everything one can and implementing legitimate, health-giving foods. Exercise, keeping busy, taking time to rest every day and just be still ...all of these things help the body, mind, and soul. There are certainly times when medication is a necessity. The more detailed and honest I am with my doctor, the better he can understand what is going on with me. If I do not tell him what is going on, his hands are tied. It took me years to tell him of my extreme anxiety. I was embarrassed, because I felt there were so many other things wrong with me. I felt so broken, so damaged. So, there you have it. It's difficult at times to find quality medical care to help you live your life as full as possible. It's even harder when you have multiple conditions that require "fine tuning." Oftentimes you are given the impression by medical staff that they find it hard to believe that one person could have so many ailments. Sometimes they even act like you are making it up. But you have to keep trying. You have to keep believing that tomorrow will be a better day. If you have co-existing conditions, they will wreck havoc with your Autism if you allow it. Keep your meds filled and take them as directed. Keep a journal, jot down times when you feel bad, or your meds don't seem to be working as effectively. Make sure you include things in your life everyday that give you joy. If you don't have any, you need to find some. They are out there. And they are in there - inside of you. Remember what you loved to do as a child? It's time to get back to it. Or a reasonable attempt. .Need a tribe? Community? Come here. We are a very diverse bunch but we work together as a team. That's what community is about. We are better together. Love and light, @mamacitalucita