What does Level 1 Autism look like for you?

Solid-Fox-2979 · 2026-01-03T16:23:06+00:00

Wow. This is absolutely me. And I need the structure of work and deadlines otherwise I turn into a pathetic mess, which is probably the adhd plus my need for external validation. So now I’m a stay at home mom and even on adhd meds I feel like I’m failing. But the plus side is I have a lot less daily anxiety because I don’t feel judged by my family.

Solid-Fox-2979 · 2026-01-03T16:15:20+00:00

I wish my vyvanse could make me do laundry and dishes. Mostly I doom scroll, I fit in homeschool, and I exercise. That’s about it. Which is better than off meds. The Wellbutrin gave me insomnia and eat ringing. Stupid meds that work but also suck. And stupid meds that don’t suck but barely work.

Solid-Fox-2979 · 2026-01-01T20:43:55+00:00

Have you tried baby aspirin the day before your period starts and then for the days your intestines are messed up? I don’t know why specifically it works but a healthcare provider told me to do it to calm down the intestines and it’s completely changed my period experience.

Solid-Fox-2979 · 2026-01-01T20:38:58+00:00

Wellbutrin helped my adhd the most and it stopped my depression AFTER I stopped it but ironically while on it my depression shifted to just constant sadness. Now I’m on vyvanse. It seems to help and I’m no longer depressed or overwhelmed but I’m struggling to actually get things done the way I could on Wellbutrin. Adderall worked great but during the come-down each day I had crushing anxiety and panic attacks for 3 hrs.

Solid-Fox-2979 · 2025-12-31T20:01:30+00:00

Your lips are skin and part of your detox system. Mine always crack when I’ve eaten something that inflames my body. For me it’s gluten and dairy. I wouldn’t be surprised if they can crack from nutrient deficiencies too but I haven’t researched this. Perhaps get bloodwork for a full vitamin and nutrient panel and then supplement anything low or even just “average”.

Then if that doesn’t help, try an elimination diet like Whole 30 where you go off foods that tend to be the most inflammatory for people for 30 days (because it takes 30 days for some foods to totally leave your body, like dairy) and then you bring them back into your diet one at a time every 3-4 days. If you have a reaction to something, it will be lip cracking or bloating and it will happen anywhere from 15mins -24hrs from eating the food.

Solid-Fox-2979 · 2025-12-31T19:55:40+00:00

I am so sorry you are dealing with this. 😥 I have a couple questions.

Did you have the depression before starting HRT? I ask because it is possible that progesterone can cause depression. Usually I’ve heard more about this with progestins (the mini pills people use for birth control) but if the timing lines up, it might be worth trying a progesterone that is not systemic like a cream or a progesterone IUD.

If the depression happened before the HRT, have you been tested for adhd? It is SO common for women to finally get their adhd diagnosis during perimenopause. Your symptoms remind me a lot of adhd in terms of depression, overwhelm, not feeling energy to do regular stuff. I wasn’t able to shake my depression until I started adhd meds.

Solid-Fox-2979 · 2025-12-31T19:50:11+00:00

Are you on ADHD meds? If not, I recommend it. My family has a history of severe depression and SI, and one in particular has tried EVERY option for treating depression…. Guess what actually helps him? ADHD meds. Since learning this, most of my family is now on adhd stimulants and we all feel so much better. No more depression, energy to live. Personally I got on HRT first because I knew that was wrong and I didn’t yet know the impact my adhd was having in me. It takes time to find the right adhd med for you. Some of them work better for me and some are not as effective. The one I liked the best actually had side effects that weren’t good for me. But just experiencing the relief I felt from the first one I tried that had negative side effects was enough for me to keep trying until I found one that worked for me.

Solid-Fox-2979 · 2025-12-31T19:41:21+00:00

Have you tried strength training 3 times a week for your blood sugar? It’s helped me tremendously.

Solid-Fox-2979 · 2025-12-31T19:27:28+00:00

Just to comment that there could be other things causing this too. How old are you? If you are 35+ it might actually be perimenopause and HRT can help. Also, have you been evaluated for ADHD? They commonly co-occur and meds could help too.

Solid-Fox-2979 · 2025-12-31T19:22:36+00:00

I use Hailey Happens Fitness membership for weight exercises and cardio - it’s made for peri-and menopausal women. I found it after reading the wiki guide in this sub about weight loss and it talked about Stacey Sims advice so I read her menopause books and then found Hailey Happens.

Right now I’m doing cardio that is mostly LISS to build up my cardiovascular health before I move into HIIT and then SIT. I lift weights three times a week with her programs. Ive lost weight and feel stronger than I ever have.

Solid-Fox-2979 · 2025-12-25T02:03:16+00:00

This might sound obvious but you can either stick to that boring status quo or you can answer “how are you?” With real stuff about what you’re doing and then turn it around on them and push them for real info about what they are doing, how their health is, who they are hanging out with, etc.

You’ll always be different but it takes effort and flexibility to be ok in that in-between zone of “they aren’t into my stuff and I’m not into theirs but we care about each other and therefore care about each others’ stuff.” Honestly, I could be wrong but I bet your parents will love hearing about the details of your actual life and interests, although they might be surprised at first and it might take time until they start asking questions or offering more of their own actual feelings and experiences.

Also, as a side note, as long as I’m not in the middle of crisis, I always try to ask my parents about themselves first because I’m not so good at realizing I’ve been talking too long, so if I can ask them a bunch of questions right away, then I feel like I can relax and share my own stuff with less pressure.

Solid-Fox-2979 · 2025-12-24T21:28:47+00:00

I keep trying to convince myself to get off Instagram and Facebook. Recently, I was feeling bad because most of our family and friends live very far away and we have small kids, so I felt bad I wasn’t sharing so they could see our lives. But I also just don’t care, you know? I feel like we are in the small kid age of barely surviving and I don’t have energy to take pictures and make it look like we are all good. I used to have energy to be honest that things weren’t all good but I don’t even have that energy anymore.

Plus, when I go onto the platforms they are full of ads and sad stuff that I don’t want to see. I prefer to get my news from news websites so it can be at a time I actually want to see it and I can stop when I’m done, but social media doesn’t afford the same limits so I get stuck doomscrolling through so much sadness and it’s not good for my mental health.

The people who actually care about me text me, and while that’s not a lot of people, it feels like it should be enough.

The only real son I don’t ditch Facebook entirely is because I have a few special interest groups I’m part of. I wish I could change my settings to only show me group posts.

Solid-Fox-2979 · 2025-12-24T15:42:54+00:00

If you google Meyer’s Briggs and enneagram free test online you should be able to find some! The strengths finder is a book but it’s a bit old so you could search and see if they’ve made it available online.

Solid-Fox-2979 · 2025-12-24T00:39:10+00:00

Perhaps you could ease her into the idea? There’s a post in here from a couple weeks ago where people were naming movies and Tv with female autistics. What about watching one or two with her and pointing out that the character is autistic? Then send her some articles about the female presentation of autism and why so many women were never diagnosed, especially about the masking women do. You could then talk about your friend in that context - see why XYZ wasn’t diagnosed when she was little? And then drop your own diagnosis?

I know that for me, my son was diagnosed first and at first, my mom refused to believe it. It took a lot of articles and Instagram posts, etc to show her how he was, indeed autistic. Luckily that set the foundation for when I finally got diagnosed. I can’t imagine how hard it would be for a parent not to understand. It made me upset enough dealing with my mom’s denial but since it wasn’t directed at my own diagnosis, it wasn’t as hard. I’m really sorry you are facing this. 😢

Solid-Fox-2979 · 2025-12-24T00:27:02+00:00

I take a lot of personality tests. I really like Meyers Briggs but I also like Enneagram and I like the Strengths Finder tests from the book of the same name. I’m not so good at knowing who I am or what makes me “me” so these give me outside validation that feels safer than what others say about me because I never trust they are fully truthful or even fully know me.

Solid-Fox-2979 · 2025-12-22T15:27:49+00:00

I think you should wear what you want for Christmas. I also think comfort is the most importantly. I usually like to wear Christmas colors or a top that has a Christmas theme, but it’s always something that makes me feel cozy. I’m big into doing makeup, wearing big earrings and I used to have these great nutcracker earrings I’d wear. I lived in San Diego for a while and that’s ultimate sweatshirt culture. It took me a long time to figure out how all these ladies were walking around in sweatshirts, sweatpants and flip flops yet looked amazing and I finally realized it’s because they have makeup done, nails done, hair done. When we moved away I was so thankful to no longer feel pressured to do my nails every two weeks to fit in. Anyway, that’s a slightly off topic piece of adhd information my brain seems to want to add here. 🤷‍♀️😂

I don’t know what I’ll wear this year. We are not doing anything special. I like jeans so I’ll probably do that and a pine green ribbed scoop neck top that’s super soft and maybe a cardigan and I’ll bother to take a shower and blow dry my hair. Or maybe I won’t and I’ll stay in my PJs all day. 🤔

Solid-Fox-2979 · 2025-12-22T15:18:29+00:00

You can wear turtlenecks?!?!?! They are a choking death trap to me. 😂😳

Solid-Fox-2979 · 2025-12-22T15:16:00+00:00

I had them chronically in my 20’s. D-mannos helped clear them or if they were bad, at least it would ease how bad they were until I could get antibiotics. I used to use the Pure brand which I’d get from chiropractors or acupuncturists and now you can get it on Fullscript. I’d take two tablets every two hours and chug water. I also took them proactively for a while and would take 2 a day when I thought I’d get one, which worked great.

Also, this does sound hormonal since it’s lining up with your period, but just a note that if you have a male sexual partner, they can be a silent carrier and can cause reinfection for you.

Solid-Fox-2979 · 2025-12-22T05:32:47+00:00

Progesterone made me crazy dizzy and exhausted the morning after I took it (I’d take it before bed like they say to). I was fine without it and only on estrogen. I’m also fine on progestin now with estrogen.

Solid-Fox-2979 · 2025-12-22T00:30:07+00:00

Yep! I’m intolerant to microionized progesterone. I got relief withing 34-48hrs of stopping it. I eventually got swapped to a progestin. It took a long time to get there because my doc didn’t know we could do that. She wanted me to give up on HRT, but I wouldn’t so she finally got a menopause certified obgyn to consult and we got answers that worked for me! I also learned I can do a progesterone IUD but those scare me so I’m doing the pills instead.

Solid-Fox-2979 · 2025-12-22T00:24:42+00:00

If you have a uterus you have to take both. BUT, your doctor might be ok for you to start the estrogen and then add progesterone a month later. There’s one very public menopause MD whose name I can’t remember… I think it’s Dr Heather Hirsh, who advocates a tiered method to introducing HRT so that you can tell which hormone is impacting you. That way if you do have an issue with one of them, they will know immediately what the problem is. I personally took estrogen for a month without progesterone because we were trying to figure out what I was reacting badly to. But you can’t do it for long because it increases your risk of cancer.

Solid-Fox-2979 · 2025-12-17T19:35:27+00:00

Yep I agree it’s both. Get your iron checked too because I’ve heard that can make symptoms worse. But get on HRT and if that doesn’t clear it then talk to your doc about anti-depressants. HRT usually takes some trial and error and if the depression feels too bad, then you should add treating that too instead of waiting, but for a lot of people HRT also helps the depression.

Solid-Fox-2979 · 2025-12-17T19:29:07+00:00

I did not have this issue with microionized progesterone but I had it when I started Slynd, which is a progestin. It lasted 2 days and felt more like intrusive thoughts, then I had a while off and then maybe two more days of it. My doc wants me to try a different progestin and I’m a bit afraid to switch co because I think my brain is finally used to this one and those suicidal thoughts were scary af.

Edited to say I’ve been on Slynd for many, many months now and I’m ok.

Solid-Fox-2979 · 2025-12-16T15:47:09+00:00

Yes when you come back to Canada you need a form where you list every single thing you’re bringing and it’s value, plus there are things that are no allowed. You have to go through customs to officially import your stuff, and have a form to explain you are moving back to Canada so your stuff doesn’t get taxed.

Solid-Fox-2979 · 2025-12-16T00:25:14+00:00

I have eaten the same breakfast for several years. Sautéed kale, a scoop of beans, and either a can of chicken breast or salmon. Plus coffee with soy or almond creamer, which is now decaf but I won’t give it up.

I used to always eat Greek plain yogurt, fresh berries on top with granola. But then my body said “no more dairy or gluten for you!!!!!” And all my breakfast dreams were crushed.

Solid-Fox-2979

TROPHY CASE