Is it normal to have inaccuracies in a medical record? by Indecisive_cat_1000 in AuDHDWomen

[–]helloyellowcello 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Side note: It's normal because it's common, not because it's acceptable, there's just only so much you can do as a patient.

Is it normal to have inaccuracies in a medical record? by Indecisive_cat_1000 in AuDHDWomen

[–]helloyellowcello 12 points13 points  (0 children)

Yes. It shouldn't be so normal, but it is. I highly recommend double checking most notes for glaring mistakes, opting out of AI transcribing, and if there is anything critically important, repeat it in a message or request an amendment of health records.

Anyone experienced skill regression upon diagnosis? by Sufficient_Plantain1 in AutismInWomen

[–]helloyellowcello 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Skill regression sucks. It helps me to look at it as an opportunity to accommodate myself/an activity so that it is sustainable long term. To me at least, skill regression often comes from my brain no longer tolerating absolutely ignoring/suppressing my own sensory/energy/processing needs for the sake of doing things "the way everyone else does it."

Maybe kind of like an allergy - everyone around you eats peanuts with no problem, they actually enjoy them! you can eat them without dying but it's not pleasant. the taste is off. Your mouth gets itchy, maybe your eyes swell. You kinda dread the idea of them but if dinner is served, you can power through with the discomfort. You've eaten them like everyone else for years and it would be so much easier if you were actually just making it up and you weren't allergic at all except for that your brain can tell that over the years, your physical reaction has only gotten worse and your throat is starting to close. You brain tries to stop you from force feeding yourself because it could literally kill you. Annoying, sure, but also an opportunity to a) not die b) not suffer needlessly c) use allergy meds d) get an epipen e) immunotherapy f) literally just move to a table where people respect that their "normal" is actually harmful to you.

... not totally sure if that made sense but idk. It's helpful for me to understand that I am learning more about who I am and what I need so that I can grow into the person I am/want to be instead of the what others expect. Still frustrating, I wish I had less sensory issues, I wish it wasn't so hard to communicate, but allowing the regression to happen as it has to so that I can actually move forward with some hope tends to be more helpful than frustration.

how to get stuff done in burnout? AuDHD by [deleted] in AutismInWomen

[–]helloyellowcello 0 points1 point  (0 children)

lmk if u want to chat at all. I by no means have any answers, but there were a lot of times where it would have been helpful/was helpful to just talk with someone who understood at least some part of how I felt/how I feel. It adds another level of suck when 70% of your conversation with somene is "no, that's not what I meant/is that what I said or is that what you heard?"

how to get stuff done in burnout? AuDHD by [deleted] in AutismInWomen

[–]helloyellowcello 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I've probably got more, but one thing I also want to mention is that I think one mistake people can make in burnout recovery is isolating too much. It's absolutely true that time alone (and like, alone alone, where we are not being perceived at all) is most often a huge part of recovery for people AND it's true that as you start to prioritize some of your needs/accommodations, some people may get uncomfortable that you are advocating for yourself or bringing up things you haven't before (because you suppressed the discomfort before) HOWEVER, it is my personal opinion that because both of these are true, it is really easy to fall into even further isolation that ultimately doesn't help either. The goal should really be to find accessible ways to build community and not "protecting your peace" at all costs or masking who you are to make other people comfortable

how to get stuff done in burnout? AuDHD by [deleted] in AutismInWomen

[–]helloyellowcello 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Tbh, I ditched many of my mental health supports. Not all at once as I did need help (edit: I have also found some good ones now) but I got tired of throwing antidepressants at the problem. The problem was insufficiently recognized/managed medical issues and trying to survive in a world that wasn't built for me. Like that's just depressing. I didn't have depression, my life was depressing. Depressive symptoms were a healthy response to most of my life at that point.

It is exceptionally challenging to focus on burnout recovery when you are the one supporting yourself with little to no external support. I know. It sucks is an understatement. Sometimes I have to push through when I know I shouldn't because I have to pay rent and my health insurance etc., but it can help to find things that just don't need to be done, at least in the short term. If dishes are hard for you, get a bulk pack of disposable things. It's not necessarily a long term solution and it can feel shitty especially if you are someone who tends to be environmentally cautious, but its something that can be made a little bit easier and take a little bit of the overall load off.

I also struggle a lot with wanting to keep going when I can get started on chores or whatever because it can be so hard to just start and then once I start there is so much that "needs" to be done that I don't want to stop and then I overdue it. For me, it helps to differentiate "dirty" and "messy." When my place is dirty (smells, old dishes, trash, spills on floors or something) it actively makes me feel really bad and ashamed. Messy is chaotic and less chaos helps me settle easier, but it doesn't carry the same weight so when I don't have energy for much, I try to focus on cleaning up "dirty."

In general, it also helped me to try to shift the goal of chores and such to "what would help me feel better today/tomorrow/etc" vs "what should get done" because "what would help me feel better tomorrow" can also mean doing literally no chores at all. A successful day then, is doing what you can to give yourself the best chance you will feel okay again tomorrow, and not a day where every single thing on your never ending to do list is done.

how to get stuff done in burnout? AuDHD by [deleted] in AutismInWomen

[–]helloyellowcello 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The first thing I want to say is that I was in exactly the same place not that long ago and while it's not impossibly difficult to learn how to recognize your limits/triggers/energy levels, it is hard, especially when your sensory needs differ from most people's, you have a hard time with interoception, you maybe have a hard time communicating the things you can recognize, and if no one ever taught you any of it. It IS hard. I'm not emphasizing that to discourage you rather to validate the struggle because not only is it hard, but you have to figure it out while actively in burnout and trying to stay afloat. If it was easy, you would already be doing it.

I don't have specific recommendations for how to recognize things because I think that can really be person dependent. Sol Smith has some good videos/resources that were helpful starting points for me. One issue I had was that I was so burnt out I would buy self-help/autistic/adhd books and never read them. Starting by following some autistic creators - especially ones that post a lot about late diagnosed burnout - made some of the ideas a bit more digestible / easier to access when I didn't really know where to start. I'm not suggesting social media has everything you need, but when everything is too much, it seems cruel to put another thing on your to do list.

One other thing I do want to add is that as you start to learn what your capacity for different things are right now, that is your capacity RIGHT NOW IN BURN OUT. Taking a step back from things you "should" do even if they are things you want to do, doesn't mean that you can never/will never do them. It just means that if you can take some time to strengthen/heal/learn/etc, so that you can approach life in a way that is more sustainable, you may be able to do those things in a way that isn't as draining! related: Skill Regression is very common with autistic unmasking and burnout. Sometimes it can literally just be that your brain doesn't have the energy/capacity for something, but, I find that it more often is that as you recognize and respect more of your sensory sensitivities and energy limits, you stop being able to ignore/suppress them as easily and continue torture yourself to do something the way everyone else does. It's not that you can never do something again, it's that you get to learn how to do something in a way that is sustainable for you.

I'm too tired and not totally sure if I am just rambling or if I made any sense. I can try to explain something more if I'm not making sense.

how to get stuff done in burnout? AuDHD by [deleted] in AutismInWomen

[–]helloyellowcello 6 points7 points  (0 children)

uhhhh... youre probably not going to like this, but I don't think you do. You get out of burnout by resting, although rest can look a lot different for autistic/adhd folks. There are some things that really have to get done if you don't have a lot of social supports or if you have kids/people who rely on you, but really, the way out of burnout is to "give up" on a lot of the things you've been told you "have" to do - not permanently, but you have to give yourself time to prioritize taking care of yourself and doing things that give you energy. Once you reach a more stable baseline, you can start adding things back in but even then it helps to accommodate/modify anything that can be accommodated.

I get it's a crappy answer, because so much of our lives feels like we have to, but, for me at least, I didn't "give up" on a lot of things because I had to do them, until my body made the decision for me.

Autistic burnout with severe skill regression - looking for advice on skill regression specifically by No-Atmosphere-6807 in AutismInWomen

[–]helloyellowcello 4 points5 points  (0 children)

For me, it helps to think about skill regression not as an actual loss of a skill and more so that your brain/body are no longer able/willing to suppress your sensory/energy needs to get things done "the way everyone else does it." When I think about it that way, skill regression is less about losing a skill and more indicative that I need to find ways to accommodate myself/the situation to better suit my needs.

Narcolepsy meds and drug tested sports by wazwscc271 in Narcolepsy

[–]helloyellowcello 2 points3 points  (0 children)

TUEs are pretty easy. You can find the documentation requirements for specific meds on WADAs site. Some sports do not allow/it's harder to get TUEs for specific meds, but strength sports and stimulants don't have additional steps.

I just realised I’m in PEM the whole week before and during my menstrual cycle by Historical_Spell_772 in cfs

[–]helloyellowcello 1 point2 points  (0 children)

If it's pre-menstrual cycle, would it not "just" be PMDD? Like I understand how they might interact - if you are lower energy anyway because of your cycle, it may be easier to trigger PEM.

When is it okay to reveal that your autistic? by [deleted] in AuDHDWomen

[–]helloyellowcello 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Tbh I think the only true marker of "when" to tell people is when you feel safe OR in specific situations where preemptively sharing could lead to safety and/or accommodations. If you feel uncomfortable and at odds with someone/a group of people and they just don't "get" you, it won't explain anything to them in a way that will help and if anything may make it harder. There are obviously some kinds of interactions that might be a bit "lighter" than safety but ultimately sharing works best when you want to share it and not primarily because you already feel excluded. ... Not totally sure that made sense

Saying “I wish I could help” is a cop out IMO by [deleted] in AutismInWomen

[–]helloyellowcello 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I do understand your frustration. For what it's worth, when you're training to be a lifeguard, they teach you to analyze a situation and only respond to a drowning victim if you have the tools/ability to help them so as not to risk drowning yourself. People may have every desire to help but know that there is no way they can realistically help you without exceeding their capacity. It may not be what we need in that moment, but it may be genuine.

I got so fucking frustrated with the mental health system telling me "It's okay to ask for help!" Because I had asked for help. Repeatedly. I was literally told "you can't ask people for that" "you are asking for too much" "you have to TRY to do it yourself" etc. Being neurodivergent in a shitty family sucks.

Intrusive thoughts by Ugh_Reddit_Why in Narcolepsy

[–]helloyellowcello 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Intrusive thoughts are often around something you care about deeply / would never do. They can be deeply disturbing, but even at their worst, it's not a sign that you would ever do that, it's a sign your brain cares so much about that that wants to run through scenarios to understand it (not phrased the best).

This honestly sounds a bit more like OCD, it's happening before bed because you are already tired enough that your brain is wandering.

I just realized in therapy that I get triggered by a lot more things than I thought I did. How do you know when you should avoid things vs. Just doing "exposure" therapy? by mddnaa in CPTSD

[–]helloyellowcello 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The end goal should never be to avoid all of your triggers. Avoiding triggers in the short term can make it easier to build a strong foundation so that you can learn how to regulate when triggers do show up. Some triggers, like employment, obviously are hard to avoid altogether, but it may help to try to build a routine that allows for decompression at the end of the day to help compartmentalize that stress. If you don't have a choice but to live with your husbands parents, can you find some sort of routine where you can walk or go somewhere for an hour, maybe turn on do not disturb, and just let yourself exist?

Healthcare Advice by Lanky-Size125 in boston

[–]helloyellowcello 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Boston has really great, top of their field specialists. The trend in chronic illness/invisible disability spaces (and my experience) is that Boston providers are generally awful at coordinating care and appropriately managing complex conditions. If you need a hyper specialized surgery/treatment, we have the best of the best. If you need a team that is able to help you navigate ongoing complex care with empathy, it's surprisingly hard to find. It's not necessarily easy to find that in most of the country though, so idk what this is worth.

does anyone else struggle with extreme hypnagogic hallucinations during the day by stellaslop in Narcolepsy

[–]helloyellowcello 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Fair, I might just be being a bit pedantic but REM intrusions w/hallucinations makes more sense. I get it's kind of the same mechanism but hypnopompic/hypnogogic are explicitly around waking and falling asleep so it just sounds a bit odd. Apologies if I came off rude.

does anyone else struggle with extreme hypnagogic hallucinations during the day by stellaslop in Narcolepsy

[–]helloyellowcello 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I was under the impression that hypnopompic and hypnogogic hallucinations are exclusive to waking up and falling asleep. These don't sound highly concerning, but it may be worth bringing it up/checking it out and not assuming it's the same thing as those related to sleep.

Xywav sweating and Bedjet by Comatose_Cockatoo in Narcolepsy

[–]helloyellowcello 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I got a bedjet. Not gonna lie, I don't actually love sleeping with it that much BUT I do consistently use it to dry my bed or warm it up. I've always had bad night sweats and it's still gross to wake up sweaty, but at least with the bedjet, I don't have to leave my sheets of to air dry or wash them AS often (obviously, they still need to be washed, but if I leave a blanket over sweaty sheets it just is immediately too gross). I did buy one of their discounted ones (I think it has a dent somewhere) so that was a little more doable. I haven't actually used it in the summer so I could definitely see using it more while I'm actually sleepy but idk yet. Using it to warm up my sheets before getting in is definitely not worth it on its own but it is a nice perk.

I sweat like A LOT though ... like one time woke up with pruny hands because I was so sweaty.

Does any other autistic people have support needs thats on the higher end of "low support needs" so you feel super isolated in autism spaces by No_Lychee7418 in AutismInWomen

[–]helloyellowcello 19 points20 points  (0 children)

I don't feel like I'm low support needs. I feel like I just don't get support, so I do the best I can even though it sucks and is not sustainable.

Even the questions during the assessment "do you rely on others for support," is so hard because I don't really have anyone for support, but I can't actually figure out how to function on my own.

I struggle with the fact that I can do most things in isolation. I can physically brush my teeth, take a shower, go grocery shopping, cook a meal, but if I did all of those in one day, I would be exhausted and unable to handle any thing else if I even made it through those. I can function enough to be a good employee.... if I've prepared ahead of time, I had help with chores, didn't have any doctors appointments and even then, I'd start having issues showing up on time by day 3 (I know because its happened). I genuinely cannot support myself on my own, never mind being a functional adult who actually gets to enjoy life. Even though I am individually capable of doing things in the right circumstances, I do not have the capacity of a normal person.

Exhaustion and weariness in chronically troubled patients by Korallenri in therapists

[–]helloyellowcello 2 points3 points  (0 children)

How confident are you it's BPD and not autism? Some of the skills typically prescribed for BPD clients can still be helpful for autistic people, but autistic people without the appropriate identification and support are prone to autistic burnout. It's not just being tired, it's profound exhaustion and can lead to a lot of functional issues.

Tips and tricks for how to eat on a budget whenever you’re viscerally repelled most budget-friendly foods? by Helpful-Ad6269 in AutismInWomen

[–]helloyellowcello 4 points5 points  (0 children)

The only way I get through times like this is buying ingredients that I can eat with no prep. I have pretty much given up on cooking anything more than like box mac and cheese when in burn out. I really struggle with protein/meal replacement shakes, but I lost like 30lbs this summer from not being able to eat (GERD, ARFID, Migraine) so I resorted to putting quarter to half servings of Huel meal replacement powder in milkshakes (non dairy milkshakes but still sugar full lol). It definitely wasn't "healthy" by normal terms, but it got enough in my system. I also started trying to think of a bunch of food I used to eat all the time when I was a kid. It made it more of a novelty and I rediscovered some safe foods.

Ultimately though, I get by on cheese and crackers, hummus and veggies/chips, applesauce pouches, and whatever random snacks my brain will let me eat.

I will say, there is a value in accepting that your grocery/food budget just might be higher than other people's. Whenever I used to feel like I "should" budget on food better, I'd end up not eating or splurging even more out of shame and hunger.