It was probably November of 2016 when I really crashed hard. I got my autism diagnosis in August and then began getting extensive dental work done soon after, which sapped most of my energy. Goodness, and looking up old posts it seems that 2016 was just a difficult year of grieving in general. I'd forgotten … Continue reading Slogging Through Burnout
My Life
Re-Stating (Writing) Dentist Supports
CW: Dentist visit After avoiding dentists by necessity (no extra money or dental insurance) for most of my life, it seems that I'm seeing the dentist with alarming regularity these days. Bad tooth genetics, struggles to find a regular tooth hygiene routine that works for any amount of time, and a lack of previous dental … Continue reading Re-Stating (Writing) Dentist Supports
Gender and Pronouns
I'm non-binary agender. Sometimes I joke (in a not really joking way) that my gender is "Autistic" and that feels about right. Part of my mind is still good with "female" or "demi-girl" because they're somewhat familiar. I don't feel upset by she/her pronouns either -- familiarity goes a long way for me. The only … Continue reading Gender and Pronouns
Work, Energy, & Autistic Inertia
CW: some internalized ableism regarding productivity and energy levels. I was (text) chatting with an Autistic friend a while back about how some of our abilities can make us appear to be far more functional to others than we actually are because we do some things that most people would find difficult to do, but … Continue reading Work, Energy, & Autistic Inertia
Autistic Body Language and Emotion
I've written some about this topic before, regarding the joy I feel when I see other Autistic people moving in Autistic ways, but today I want to write about how my own movement affects and reflects my emotions. I get a little sweary at the very end when talking about getting rid of the allistic … Continue reading Autistic Body Language and Emotion
Requesting Support – Doctor Edition
A while ago I posted my letter to my dentist, which was my first attempt at letting a medical provider know that I'm Autistic and that I do, in fact, need specific accommodations and support during appointments. It has helped at the dentist, I think. The staff seem to take more time with me (allowing … Continue reading Requesting Support – Doctor Edition
Preformed Performing
Reflections on my life and activism after re-reading "Clinically Significant Disturbance: On Theorists Who Theorize Theory of Mind" and being so tired & wordless lately. I have been a painfully honest person performing a preformed lie. Obsessed with accuracy in every other area of life, I still found myself trying to blend in. Trying to … Continue reading Preformed Performing
Dental Emergency
CW: dentist visit, tooth issues - nothing described in detail. I have a thing about teeth. One of my biggest fears has always been my teeth falling out. Unfortunately for me, I have really terrible teeth along with awful sensory issues surrounding toothbrushing. We also haven't had any money or insurance coverage to see dentists … Continue reading Dental Emergency
Mismatched Dishes
I eat from mismatched dishes. They're my favorite kind. Lonely, without the rest of their set, they wait. I find them on shelves and tables at thrift or charity shops, at church rummage sales, and at yard sales. I bring them home and they become part of my very unique and awesome set of dishes. … Continue reading Mismatched Dishes
Kittens!!!
CW: Pet death mentioned briefly About a year ago now the cats we'd had for many years died. I waited not-so-patiently all that year for my family members to be ready to get another cat. I was ready pretty much immediately to go out and adopt all the cats possible, but other family members needed … Continue reading Kittens!!!
Mamautistic 