Neurodiversity thread - for all MNetters who are neurodiverse - ASD, ADHD, Dyspraxia and more.

[FaithAscending]

Welcome one and all to the new thread. A safe haven for MNetters who identify as neurodiverse, diagnosis or not, and those waiting for assessment. Links available in recent threads. Newbies welcome. We just ask that you introduce yourself

Mog and Francine, I'll have a look into light boxes and daylight bulbs. Thank you.

Francine, I seem to remember I sent this to DS1's preschool when they were struggling to grasp why he might act so differently at home and at school:

www.autism.org.uk/about/behaviour/common-questions/school-home.aspx

But if you find something better, please let me know because DS1 does a lot of masking and his teacher at school doesn't really 'get' it.

Oh, I totally X-posted there (that'll teach me not to reply without refreshing first!).

Luke Beardon masking

Luke Beardon masking number 2

Blog by consultant clinical psychologist Judy Eaton

Planet Autism blog about masking

Another blog about masking

Sorry, I realise I'm probably too late with these.
If they're any good you could always email them on.
Hope the meeting's gone ok.

I have the boiler man coming sometime today, so not feeling great. Dryer engineer tomorrow too.

I've found those really useful so thanks for posting links. I have parents eve next week where I fully expect to be told how "good' DD is.
They have only seen her have one meltdown, on the school trip, which I went on. The teacher was of the opinion she was just acting up for me. I know she was totally overwhelmed at being out of her structure and forced to attempt a climbing wall. ( Not fun for a probable dyspraxic child)

Just on clouds - I took a photo when I was at Santa Monica beach, and when I looked at it I could see a huge face in the clouds - nobody else could though. I also have A LOT of photos of clouds.... I love the huge banks of clouds in front of a storm that are almost a straight line

I was freaking out about family members in the assessment too because my husband thinks I just 'want to be autistic' and so I'm worried he'd deliberately downplay things. I'm just going to say that nobody would come!

We're choosing school as well and haven't looked beyond the gates of our first choice. I just let DH get on with it because I know I'd have no clue how to decide.

Polter here's my list:

Reactive depression
Alcoholism
Drug addiction
Anxiety
BPD
Multi-impulsive PD (no longer exists, never really did)
Anorexia
EDNOS
PTSD

My boss decided once to involve occ health (to see 'how best to support me' i.e. he wanted me to test the process rather than actually get any benefit) and helpfully somewhere between him giving them my information and them calling me they wrote down that I had multiple personality disorder. They didn't understand why I corrected them EVERY TIME. And yet they still didn't bloody correct it!

Oh and does anyone else get stuck on foods?

This is currently my every day lunch. In winter

I'd happily eat the same thing day in day out, Dh gets bored as I buy the same things.
We try to meal plan now so there's more variety.
I'm a bit addicted to pickled onions at the moment!

I used to have to avoid them, due to dodgy tummy stuff, but since low carbing they're fine, which is weird!

Boiler man is here. The house stinks. The pump and the motor need replacing, so we'll have a lovely bill of over £300 just before Christmas

Oh yes I get stuck on foods, especially breakfast. It's so much effort to change. I'm doing SW which has helped me to vary things a bit.

I meal plan and take DD to the supermarket at the weekend to get everything we need for the week.

I find it very hard to cope with changes to the meal plan though! I can manage it (through telling myself I'm being ridiculous) but if it has to change I get this sense of rising panic.

I have just told my Mum that I am having a pre-diagnosis diagnostic assessment tomorrow which resulted in me getting upset again! She said couldn't I just go to the gp about my indigestion and see if I feel better about it all soon to which I replied that I had had this my whole life and it wasn't going to just go away and I am 38 and fed up of it all. She then said that paying for this assessment was essentially like private healthcare and they could never afford it - not even sure what the point of that comment was, she knows we live on a low wage but I gave tried so hard to get answers via the NHS and they weren't able to help at all. She also said that her and my Dad think I think too much and that he did think I had ADHD in my teens and that I had to line things up or I would get agitated but that my new job would stop me from thinking too much. Instead I am so scared that I will start this job and it will yet again result in a major breakdown and depression. Anyway she was really funny about. My husband doesn't give a shit and us emotionally abusive. All I want is one member of my family to actually care about this. They don't have to understand my difficulties but just accept that I have them and it is important for me to try to get to the bottom of it. So like a few others have said above I don't want my family in with me in any assessment either. My husband already uses my difficulties against me and he would just use it as excuse to slag me off even more. My parents would muck it up for me too i fear.

Thankyou Polter, that is kind. I suppose i thought i may get have gotten a different response really. So glad i found this thread though as it is really helping me to not feel alone

Good luck with the assessment tomorrow rural and I hope you find some RL support soon!

I tend to buy/eat the same things, not in any particular routine (so I don't have chilli every Wednesday or anything like that) but when I shop I tend to find I've put the same things in the trolley again. And lunch (and breakfast) tends to be the same meal (or 2) day after day till I bore of it and choose something else. It's an executive function thing I think, reducing the need to choose and plan and prepare, rather than actually liking to eat the same things over and over! (I also love pickled onions)

I liked bdh's link with the bit about relaxation after school, I do that as soon as I get in from work or a social event, my iPad goes on and I shut out external stimuli for half an hour or so. DD is pretty much trained! I get a snack and a drink for her and she will watch TV or go on her kindle for that half hour.

I'm impressd with some of your lists of diagnoses, I only had depression and anxiety in various guises, probably because I 'responded' to talking therapies and meds every time (I say that because a lot of the time I think I was just trying to give the right answer and please the therapist)

Polter the flowers did help thankyou. Oh when i said i thought i would have got a different response i meant from my Mum, but i dont know what response i wanted from her - not the one she gave me anyway! As for my husband - yes this is all part of the process. One of the reasons i got this new job was to help me get in a position where i can leave him more easily. I am self employed, which suits me as if i am struggling I book in less clients. But I have no financial security with my work at all. But I do see a diagnosis as a step towards leaving him. His abuse makes my issues worse.

Thanks CrohnicallyPregnant x