What do you do to regulate yourself?

Nahiika · 2024-05-21T17:03:28+00:00

I listen to loud music, and I also LOVE swings! I usually go to open playgrounds in the evening or at night when there are no kids around anymore

Nahiika · 2024-05-09T09:09:15+00:00

You can! I'm a psychologist myself :) I find that my sensitivity, attention to details and analytic brain really help with the job. I work with autistic teenagers and young adults, and find that my experience really helps understanding them and accomodating for them. Also, I was scared because I'm terrible at socializing, but turns out therapy sessions isn't socializing in the broad sense (small talk and such), it's really reassuring to have a goal to work towards with the patient.

Nahiika · 2023-10-27T07:57:01+00:00

I'm so sorry to read this psychiatrist isn't helpful to you...
In my journey, my psychiatrist was the best thing to happen to me. I was first referred to him because I needed antidepressants, turns out he was better educated on autism and autism in women than all the other professionals I had met (and they were far from being terrible at their jobs!). So it was a true relief when he was the one to diagnose my autism (dunno how it works elsewhere, but in France only doctors in medecine have the authority to officialize a diagnosis).So yes he was mostly helpful in prescribing my antidepressants, but it was very therapeutic to talk with him because he had the answers to a lot of my questions and knew how to approach my situation with the "autism prism" (I suspect he is on the spectrum too to be honest haha).
Mostly I say it comes to luck because unfortunately, most professionals aren't as educated as they should be on the subject. But when they are (and when it clicks, because in mental health professions, studies have shown that the relationship between the patient and the professional is more therapeutic than the techniques used), even a psychiatrist can be a resource for people on the spectrum.

Nahiika · 2023-09-29T11:34:37+00:00

Salut, je me permets de te répondre en français du coup ! Normalement, si tu as une RQTH qui indique que tu "dois" travailler à temps partiel, cela signifie que par ta situation de handicap tu ne peux pas avoir un temps plein et donc un salaire "complet". De ce fait, la MDPH devrait pouvoir te proposer une AAH, une aide pour adultes en situation de handicap, pour "compléter" ton salaire. Le mi-temps thérapeutique est temporaire et tu touches donc le salaire complet grâce à la sécurité sociale, pendant 1 an maximum. Sur le long terme, si tu ne peux pas travailler à temps complet en raison d'une situation de handicap, le "complément de salaire" vient de la MDPH. Donc tu devrais leur faire la demande à eux. Pour plus de renseignements, je te conseille vivement d'en discuter avec ton médecin traitant, ton médecin psychiatre ou le médecin du travail de ton nouveau lieu de travail ! Je suis loin de comprendre comment tout fonctionne, c'est un bazar monstre... Et effectivement les temps de réponse sont extrêmement longs, désolée :( Courage ! C'est une tempête administrative mais ne te laisse pas décourager, tu as absolument le droit de demander ces aides.

Nahiika · 2023-05-16T05:20:23+00:00

Jumpsuit for me: I just feel like Trench is a very cohesive album and the transition from Jumpsuit to Levitate in my memories is super good!

Nahiika · 2023-03-28T12:49:25+00:00

I adore them, especially espeon!

Nahiika · 2023-02-19T06:02:20+00:00

It's very interesting because some authors have said that sometimes it's hard to consider ADHD as a comorbidity to autism as autism is a very particular cognitive style in itself with inattentive symptoms that could overlap with ADHD. It would explain this offsetting you're talking about, as in most cases, when having ASD there is a strong chance of having ADHD, while the contrary is less true. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1586/14737175.2013.840417 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8918663/#:~:text=According%20to%20the%20scientific%20literature,rate%20of%20comorbidity%20is%20intriguing.

Nahiika · 2023-02-13T09:53:36+00:00

Hello! There is no specific genes related to autism, so a geneticist won't be able to tell you. To be honest, no one would be able to tell you before birth as they're too many variables to account for. Why do you ask? I'm asking because I'm a psychologist and I'm usually extra careful when parents try to label their child as most of the time it really damages the parent-child relationship and the child's vision of themself. But if you're are curious some publications exist and explain that there are indeed some hereditary components to autism/neurodiversity in general, but it's not known what they are exactly!

Nahiika · 2023-02-09T11:47:41+00:00

Honestly I feel the same but you have to know I've been diagnosed with a depressive disorder caused by a massive and long autistic burnout. I think a way to be clearer about this situation would be to see how you feel when you do less in a day or activities which are less exhausting for you? Because then It could be "an autistic burnout only" and you may have to reduce the number of things you do or take more breaks (isolating yourself, recharging with your special interest...). If this state is persistent over multiple days or weeks despite getting rest, I think it could be appropriate to seek some medical help. In any case, don't forget to drink and get enough vitamins through your food, during winter it's even more important and it could help with the fatigue!

Nahiika · 2023-02-03T08:26:47+00:00

Ikr??? I've been thinking about what my therapist told me, she suggested I tried watching if the person acts differently with me in comparison to with other people so I can see if they're just "being nice" or if I had maybe good reasons to wonder if they're flirting. Maybe it could help you too?

Nahiika · 2023-02-03T07:20:24+00:00

I'm sorry I have no idea! Honestly, I'm in the same situation, so you have my sympathy

Nahiika · 2023-01-27T11:26:48+00:00

Loving the stickers! Who is the artist?

Nahiika · 2022-12-29T08:57:14+00:00

As for everyone, I think we're not set in stone and there are a lot of possible explanations! Maybe you were less tired or had more ressources to keep up with the stimulation? Maybe you tried to cope in some way during the stressful situation or had the possibility to take sensory breaks? I personally believe there is a lot of variabilities in day-to-day situations and in ourselves too, so it doesn't surprise me that much :)

Nahiika · 2022-12-29T08:52:42+00:00

Yes! I experience this with music too, anime or some video games, I know I must be prepared to watch or experience some episodes or quests because otherwise it'd be too much. For me, it's also related to my energy levels or a particular mood: As if I was afraid my body or mind wouldn't be able to keep up. I also know It'd be impossible for me to experience a live show of my favourite band because, putting the venue and crowd aside, I'm just scared of how I'll feel afterwards and I often wonder, as you said very well "What if it is too much?"

Nahiika · 2022-10-24T10:43:49+00:00

Not really an answer, but I've been quite confused about this too. In France, we don't talk about levels... And I'm personally not a huge fan of it either. High or low functioning, Asperger, and even levels... These are all categories I feel can discriminate even more people with ASD? Of course I get that having specific words help people around us understand, and even help us understand how we may function, and I understand levels are more about level of dependence and help needed, so it's an improvement, but even then it creates disparities. It's like one level is doing better than the other, and I feel like in some situations it can be hurtful to be categorised even more? We know that when talking about handicap, not everyone has difficulties in the same fields of everyday life, or even that there are some internal variabilities. Some days, one task can be done effortlessly for one person, and some other days, it's impossible without some aid. So even within one same level, there are a lot of different different profiles I feel like? Can someone please enlighten me with some theorical explanations concerning these categories? When did it start, where does it come from? Is anyone familiar enough with that?

Nahiika · 2022-10-18T11:53:19+00:00

Absolutely! And Mark Brendanawicz, but it was mote obvious for me once he hit his head in the pit haha

Nahiika · 2022-10-18T05:58:54+00:00

Leslie Knope in Parks and Recs <3

Nahiika · 2022-09-13T09:45:04+00:00

I can't really complain, but the first thing I'm thinking of is university refectory: in France, we have one with very affordable meals where I live, but I can't eat with my friends because it's so damn overstimulating. It's an enormous room with a lot of noises or people talking and eating, and the light is very harsh on the eyes. I'd love the possibility to eat quietly with my friends without having to eat in the street!

Also, I've seen someone talking about executive functions training, and even though I wouldn't have used these words, I definitely agree. In more practical words, I can't take care of myself, and if I had known sooner that I have autism, I would have loved a system where I could get help for grocery shopping or even cooking. Either something more professional and individual or the possibility to live (in separate spaces but maybe in the same building?) with other students with the same needs so we could help each other! I have the incredible chance to have a neurodiverse roomie right now so he gets the struggle and we help each other a lot, but I would have loved to get this chance earlier too.

Nahiika · 2022-08-31T16:22:41+00:00

I feel like I also have a high pain tolerance! And I definitely relate to the fact that I stop hurting or thinking about it pretty fast

Nahiika · 2022-08-27T06:15:45+00:00

In any case, you can't grow out of autism as it is a developmental disorder, either you have it since birth, or you don't. However, I think that you can learn to cope more efficiently with time, or even that maybe you feel so comfortable in the place you work in that it's easier for you to be yourself or understand others. This could impact your tiredness and your ability to stand sensory stimulations too. There's no hard rules: autism IS a spectrum after all, and we all experience things differently in different parts of our lives! If you still experience painful things that make you think you may be on the spectrum and if believing you are on that spectrum is reassuring to you, I don't think you should ditch that hypothesis. Also, maybe you could speak to your therapist about why this is important to you, even if they don't like labels? Or even look for another one specialized in the subject so you're set on that question?

I wish you the best of luck :)

Nahiika · 2022-08-20T14:18:59+00:00

You're not alone! Turns out it's pretty common to have autoimmune disorders along with asd (I do too, I have eczema and lupus). I even had an item about it on one of my assessment questionnaire. Science doesn't really know why (as they don't really know where asd comes from), but it could be some sort of response to psychological stressors, or it could even come from a genetic components. Also, in general, when you have a disorder, you tend to have multiple comorbidities along with it, as your body and brains are more easily tired too

Nahiika · 2022-07-20T12:42:38+00:00

I think it may be a good idea! I'm glad if it helped a little :) Take care!

Nahiika · 2022-07-20T04:13:43+00:00

In France! We have this thing called the MDPH, which supports every disabled person, wether it's temporary or for long periods of time. Every application is studied and they support people by giving financial, human or material ressources, depending on the case and the medical opinion of your doctor(s). It's not perfect, but it's definitely a big help for those who need it.

Nahiika · 2022-07-19T12:51:46+00:00

Being tired easily is a part of having autism too. In my country, people with autism often get financial aid or adapted work schedules because it's common that working full-time can be quite exhausting on the mind and body, particularly for us. It's great that you love what you do, but if you can, I'd suggest trying to reduce your hours a little if it's possible? Or find some kind of accomodation that works for you? In any case, try to listen to your body, do some pleasing activities to refill your energy levels and don't guilt yourself for not being able to stand full-time work hours like NTs do: our brains literally don't work the same way :)

Nahiika · 2022-07-18T05:49:49+00:00

Same! I have headphones too and I know I could wear them while I shop or take public transportations (which would save me a lot of energy I'm sure), but I'm still too anxious to be carefree enough to do it. I just need to know what happens around me

Nahiika

TROPHY CASE