@Susan60@aus.social
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Susan60

@Susan60@aus.social

Lifelong learner, leftie, AuADHD, Bunurong country, Australia. She/her. Won’t boost photos without alt txt (unless I forget!).

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Susan60, to actuallyautistic
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Just saw an interesting post by someone missing the simplicity of their childhood. I know that most people wear rose coloured glasses when they’re feeling nostalgic, but I wonder how many autistic people read such posts & think, “No way!”?

I had lots of fun & interesting times during my childhood & adolescence, but there was also so much complexity, confusion & distress. Learning to mask made it easier. I could at least pretend to understand what was going on & therefore attract less negative attention.
@actuallyautistic

Susan60,
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@gooba42 @actuallyautistic
Ah…
I found high school easier due to a bigger pool of potential friends & better social skills. OTOH, dealing with raging hormones was a massive challenge.

Susan60,
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@anomalon @actuallyautistic

That’s a good point, & one that I’m guessing a lot of people could relate to.

I developed a very simplistic, linear way of thinking, probably in my attempt to reduce the confusion. It worked for me, but shut down my creative & problem solving capacity. I felt like I was constantly in survival mode, never getting ahead.

I think that started to change when I started teaching & learned more about thinking tools such as mindmaps. Something which was probably innate but had been shutdown, sprang into action. But it is exhausting.

Susan60,
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@chevalier26 @actuallyautistic
My teen years were particularly difficult for family reasons. Life became something to endure for several years, and the habit stuck for a long time.

Susan60,
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@pathfinder @actuallyautistic
I remember when I turned 18. I was working as a bank teller at that time. A customer commented on it being the best time of my life. The teller next to me, an older woman around 40 (!!!) said that she’d found that period difficult. I felt so grateful.

Susan60,
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@dancingtreefrog @anomalon @actuallyautistic @n69n

I was watching a colleague teach using Inspiration. My brain exploded. And it’s bottom up. You’re starting with all the details then linking them together to see the big picture.

dave, to actuallyautistic
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@actuallyautistic

I have to admit: I was worried about my trip to Italy. My wife was as well.

It's the first time we've travelled away from home in years - since before COVID - and also the first time since I discovered that I'm Autistic.

I was worried about what unmasking has done to my ability to cope with change, disruption to routine and the chaos and unpredictability of travel.

I used everything that I've learned about being Autistic in the last 10 months, and I actually overestimated how stressful and taxing it would be. By doing so, I planned for a lot of downtime. Taking time off work - and not trying to balance work with travel - has also helped tremendously. It has let me focus on travel and rest.

My wife has a chronic illness, which means she needs just as much - if not more - downtime than I do, which helps avoid conflict between our energy levels and motivation. The pace of our travels seems to work well for both of us.

We planned for two full days in Venice. We spent all day yesterday walking and exploring, and today we're mostly staying in our hotel and recharging. We've both become better tuned to our needs, and we both need this downtime before we move on to the last leg of our trip in Rome.

I do expect this coming week to be a bit more challenging, as I'm returning to work while we're still in Italy. But the last couple of weeks has given me more confidence in my ability to recognize, plan and advocate for my needs, and I'm confident that will carry over into this week as well.

#ActuallyAutistic

Susan60,
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@kliplet @ScriptFanix @dave @actuallyautistic
I get that some people need that level of input. ADHD types. Our nearest big shopping centre (the largest in the southern hemisphere) has soaring ceilings & lots of natural light now, which I find much easier to tolerate, but the ostentatious consumerism is depressing. The top floor is brand label shops, the types where beautifully dressed customers line up to enter when the centre is busy. Sickens me.

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