Hey y’all! It’s been a long time, glad this thread has been revived (thank you @FourteenEyes@hexbear.net ).
I have gone through the process of getting diagnosed since the last post. Turns out I have ASD! Thank you for giving me the tools to go through this process.
I think my breaking point for getting diagnosed was when I felt like my coping strategies weren’t working anymore. I felt like I had to get some help because things were not sustainable as they were.
I’ve used endurance sports in order to numb/quiet all my emotions, my anxiety and my body. I’ve had moments where I’ve had panic attacks because I did too much while not letting my body recover. I felt like if I’d stop I’d have too much time to ruminate on negative thoughts. It used up all my time and I did that alone, so I didn’t see or talk to anyone for weeks. It was horrible (but looked socially acceptable). I’ve used fawning in my past relationships, which burnt me out emotionally, it took so much out of me in the long run.
I’m trying to heal now and to have healthier coping strategies (and to lessen the need for coping). With sports, I’ve learned to let go, to listen to my body a bit better and to find other people like me in order to make things more social. It’s been a long process. As for fawning, I’m definitely still struggling : it’s literally my job to help people do their tasks. I am now at a point where I can do everything and can help entire teams of people. I feel like I am putting too much on my shoulders and it takes a toll on me. In my personal life, I am trying to put boundaries, to learn what I like and to find my “strawberry people”.
As an aside, since I’ve finished reading this book, I have read the following books to help in my journey :
“Autism Relationships Handbook”, “Unfuck Your Brain” and “Unfuck Your Boundaries” by Faith G. Harper
“Attached: The New Science of Adult Attachment” by Amir Levine
If you ever have any other books that have helped you (not necessarily related to ASD), feel free to add them to this thread!
Hey y’all! It’s been a long time, glad this thread has been revived (thank you @FourteenEyes@hexbear.net ).
I have gone through the process of getting diagnosed since the last post. Turns out I have ASD! Thank you for giving me the tools to go through this process.
I think my breaking point for getting diagnosed was when I felt like my coping strategies weren’t working anymore. I felt like I had to get some help because things were not sustainable as they were.
I’ve used endurance sports in order to numb/quiet all my emotions, my anxiety and my body. I’ve had moments where I’ve had panic attacks because I did too much while not letting my body recover. I felt like if I’d stop I’d have too much time to ruminate on negative thoughts. It used up all my time and I did that alone, so I didn’t see or talk to anyone for weeks. It was horrible (but looked socially acceptable). I’ve used fawning in my past relationships, which burnt me out emotionally, it took so much out of me in the long run.
I’m trying to heal now and to have healthier coping strategies (and to lessen the need for coping). With sports, I’ve learned to let go, to listen to my body a bit better and to find other people like me in order to make things more social. It’s been a long process. As for fawning, I’m definitely still struggling : it’s literally my job to help people do their tasks. I am now at a point where I can do everything and can help entire teams of people. I feel like I am putting too much on my shoulders and it takes a toll on me. In my personal life, I am trying to put boundaries, to learn what I like and to find my “strawberry people”.
As an aside, since I’ve finished reading this book, I have read the following books to help in my journey :
If you ever have any other books that have helped you (not necessarily related to ASD), feel free to add them to this thread!