I have severe mental health issues including agoraphobia and I am autistic. I know that these things affect everyone differently so before I start, I don’t want to be judged based on what another autistic can manage.
I usually have just about enough energy and focus for the basics. If I spend energy on anything else including trying to socialise with ANYONE including anyone like my mental health support workers, that causes me to feel drained and I lose some of my ability to function for days, or a week. I need to decompress and recover doing nothing and essentially being a vegetable to get it back and I can no longer function completely. If I continue, I lose my ability to function at all. for example the things I lose are the ability to remember, including issues with memory and listening and paying attention to what someone saying to me, I lose my ability to read. I lose awareness of my surroundings and am more likely to walk out infront of a car. I lose my concept of time. I lose my spatial awareness and ability to cook safely etc etc. I essentially become a low functioning autistic person, I get dark thoughts and I can’t control my moods or behaviour until I can think straight again.
I get adult disability payment but if I spend a month or more able to function and am not effected by these issues because I am not socialising with anyone, am I still entitled to my disability payments? Or am I counted as not able to do these things because I have to trade in speaking to anyone to do them?