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Zebra Not Horse
Великобритания
Добавлен 10 сен 2023
Welcome to my RUclips channel, I'm EmJ, and like many, I was diagnosed with autism in adulthood. My journey of self-discovery and understanding has led me to create this channel. I believe that being autistic is not a limitation but a beautiful and diverse way of experiencing the world. I hope I can empower other to feel the same.
The Zebra Analogy -
"There is comfort in knowing that you are a normal zebra, not a strange horse. Because you can’t find a community of other zebras, can’t learn what makes a zebra thrive, what brings [you] a zebra joy, if you don’t know you are a zebra and you are learning solely from horses. It is near impossible to be happy and mentally healthy if you’re spending all your life thinking you’re a failed horse, having others tell you you're a failed horse, when all along you could be thriving and understood if everyone, including you, just knew you were a zebra."
Zebranothorse.emj@gmail.com
The Zebra Analogy -
"There is comfort in knowing that you are a normal zebra, not a strange horse. Because you can’t find a community of other zebras, can’t learn what makes a zebra thrive, what brings [you] a zebra joy, if you don’t know you are a zebra and you are learning solely from horses. It is near impossible to be happy and mentally healthy if you’re spending all your life thinking you’re a failed horse, having others tell you you're a failed horse, when all along you could be thriving and understood if everyone, including you, just knew you were a zebra."
Zebranothorse.emj@gmail.com
Living with ASD | Who am I when no one is watching?
I'm discovering who I am in light of my new diagnosis and coming the realisation I become who everyone else wants me to be. Strip away the layers and lets see who the real EmJ is. I'm trying to be me.
Просмотров: 284
Видео
A misconception of Autism| Language is important!
Просмотров 8514 дней назад
Language is so important. How we describe autistic individuals effects how they are seen.
When an unexpected demand throws you off
Просмотров 9121 день назад
I use up so many spoons during the week that by the time the weekend comes I have none left and need to recover. I also have lots of tasks to do on my days off because I'm too tired in the evenings. Sometimes these tasks don't get done because I need to look after my mental health. Not following my usual routine can be problematic and having extra demands can be problematic. In this video I tal...
I was that painfully shy kid
Просмотров 93Месяц назад
Social interactions can be very difficult for autistics. For me, it was a long journey from being the extremely shy kid who wanted to remain invisible to now being a person who understands she has worth and is worth having a conversation with. It's still hard to interact with strangers and sometimes even with people I'm familar with but I've learned good social skills along the way and see this...
How I revealed my Autism to others
Просмотров 2842 месяца назад
After I got my autism diagnosis I thought about how I wanted to tell people. I decided to make a video and post it on my Facebook. It's awkward, unedited and kinda long but here it is. Maybe it will help someone who is struggling to know how to share there diagnosis with friends and family. There is not a rule book on how to go about this but for me personally I wanted to tell people so I did a...
3 ways to feel safe / ASD
Просмотров 1092 месяца назад
Being safe isn't the same as feeling safe. In this episode I talk about what the difference is for me as an autistic person. I'm pretty much always safe but rarely feel safe. Just want to say sorry this video is really hazy, not sure why the quality is so bad.
A year since my Autism diagnosis
Просмотров 634 месяца назад
What have I learned about myself since receiving an autism diagnosis a year ago? In this episode I talk about a few things that have come to light in my life as my awareness of my neurodivergent brain increases.
An Autistics view on ABA Therapy
Просмотров 445 месяцев назад
In this episode I share my perspective on ABA (Applied Behaviour Analysis) Therapy. With a deep rooted conviction against the conventional methods employed in ABA, I express my dissent and hopefully shed light on the reasons behind my stance. I aim to challenge the status quo and spark a meaningful discussion on the topic. If you have more information on this topic please reach out and educate ...
Review on Astrid | Social bloopers | Special Interests
Просмотров 226 месяцев назад
A review on the latest show I'm watching. Some reflection on conversations I've had decently where I don't say the right thing. When you meet someone and can instantly talk about each others special interests.
Unprepared social game
Просмотров 297 месяцев назад
Understanding social cues and what is appropriate to say can be difficult if we are in a situation without a script. I live my life by scripts. But being so rigid isn't always possible. Sometime opportunities present themselves with no tools and we have to navigate through conversations and have no idea how things are landing and then beat ourselves up for ages wondering why we allowed whatever...
An Autistics experience of going to the GP
Просмотров 297 месяцев назад
As an autistic person it can be hard to know when to seek medical attention. Is our pain or discomfort worth bothering a doctor about? Are we going to be told there is nothing wrong with us? Will we get mis-diagnosed? So many of us don't bother making appointments out of fear of being judged or not know how to properly communicate what feels different to us. In this episode I talk about my expe...
10 Autistic Traits I don't have
Просмотров 627 месяцев назад
There are so many traits that are associated with being autistic but that doesn't mean we have to have them all. The spectrum indicates how different we all are and depending on what autistic traits we have will impact our level of support needs. in this video I talk about some traits that can be common in other autistic individuals yet I don't have them. On the other hand I will have specific ...
8 Top Female Autistic Traits (Part 1)
Просмотров 509 месяцев назад
8 Top Female Autistic Traits (Part 1)
I'm Autistic | Spoons Theory | Nothing special
Просмотров 33Год назад
I'm Autistic | Spoons Theory | Nothing special
What is sensory sensitivity for an Autistic person?
Просмотров 31Год назад
What is sensory sensitivity for an Autistic person?
Asperger's Syndrome - Who was Hans Asperger?
Просмотров 42Год назад
Asperger's Syndrome - Who was Hans Asperger?
I feel like good manners are wasted on a lot of people these days, you can hold doors open for people and they just walk through and dont say thank you, ive stepped in to the gutter to allow mothers with push chairs through on the pavement.no thank you. Even my own father would just shove me out of the way instead of saying excuse me! I took him to task on it i said you expect to be treated with respect and dignity but you never recipricate it. He just glared at me. The woman on the supermarket check out scowling at me and being friendly to other customers!! Even though i am polite to her? She said you cant take that shopping basket outside!! I said i have no intention of taking it outside! Why would i be walking down the street with a shopping basket. I mean what the hell was she going on about. If you cant be respectful then keep it zipped🤐🙋♂️
Oh man, those sound like awful experiences. I agree though, sometimes manners are wasted on some humans. Society really has shifted, I feel respect and professionalism is lost in some workplaces too.
Agreed, my channel is small as an AuDHD creator but I'm trying desperately to focus more on being authentic and myself than a super edited version of me just to get views. I enjoy videos like yours and I'd rather feel like I'm sitting down to have a conversation with someone than watching a flashy soundbite.
For me a lot some of my stims were and are self harming. That's the caveat i would add. I am a skin picker and hair puller (as well as a leg shaker and finger tapper). I have many memories of siting in the school secretary's office with a finger in hot salt water as i would anxiosly pick at my cuticles causing nasty infections. I also pulled out all my eyebrows and they've never grown back ( thank goodness for mcroblading and makeup!). Not sure whether these stims should be encouraged. Be interesting to see what the advice is on this...maybe gently redirecting the hands/focus to another self soothing activity...
I have to agree, these stims are very harmful. I also used to skin pick and I actually believe harmful stims stem (for me anyway) from a place where other stims were not encouraged. I wasn't allowed to flap my hands or flick my fingers so the urges turned into skin picking my cuticles and more acceptable stims like playing with my hair or bouncing my crossed leg. I was constantly making my cuticles blood. Since I have embraced 'finger dancing' the urge is less, I still do it when I'm super stressed or anxious but I'm so glad I have managed to switch this stim for a healthier one. I know some young autistics hit or bite themselves, this is also something that can be very damaging. I don't really know the answer to this one. I guess we are all learning how to cope better in this world. I'm sorry you have harmful stims. I know it's an impulse and not a choice. I pray you can find different stims to replace them 🙏
@@zebranothorse-EmJ Thank you for your prayers 🤗 They are a lot more under my control now. I also leg bounce! My school friends always used to point it out and once in a Uni lecture a guy sitting in front of me turned round and asked me to stop kicking the back of his chair 😯 I didn't even know I was doing it. Like with the hair pulling and skin picking I go into a trance like dissociative state which is why I guess we do it. It's a form of escapism and very self soothing. Sadly though with harmful skins it causes and maintains a shame cycle which can be very destructive. Do you also like to rock? I have a rocking chair which I love. Very comforting 😊 It sounds like we come from similar families. Religious and controlling. None of my behaviours were picked up as a cause for concern but were shamed or even ridiculed. Many also a generational issue too. Fortunately children today, on the whole, have far more emotionally aware and intelligent parents
Your channel is so unique in the autism community - Christian Autism is so rare!! I value your content so much more because of it so please never underestimate how God is using you to help others. You are so lovely and relatable. Thank you for all you do and please keep going ❤
Thank you. I realise I may loose subscribes if people have different values to me but actually if someone strongly believes differently I'm OK if they choose not to watch my videos. It is rare and sadly too many autistic loose their faith when they go on self discovery journeys. I just know if it wasn't for Mt faith I would never have discovered it myself, I wouldn't be here to discover it!
I admit that my favourite RUclips videos right now are of autistic people being open and authentic. This was a really good example of that. Thank you. And, having grown up with horses, I love the zebra metaphore you created so, so much. It is spot on as an analogy.🎉
Thank you. Yes Zebras, horses, they are both amazing. I also love giraffes 🦒🦓🐴 My analogy means so much to me so thank you for mentioning it.
Stay authentic, EmJ-- it's your best version, and it's the version that helps the rest of us the most. Thank you for being committed to being genuine. We need that. And yes, you and the rest of us are valuable because we are children of God!
Thank you. Sometimes I feel I don't say anything worth watching in my videos but comments like these are very encouraging.
I totally relate to this EmJ!❤the outfit. Love it! Wear it somewhere. Thank you for mentioning how God plays into it also! Yes, we are a child of God. But with people it's difficult. We try too hard to impress others. How about we not?😂
I have to agree with Jenny about everything, and that yes, you should wear that outfit somewhere-- it is really cool!
@@Imagination_lives thank you!
Thank you Jenny. I want to look for more outfit that are as comfy and stretchy as this jumpsuit. God is my number one. I care about His opinion before anyone's else's, but it's still hard not to listen to others who are negative.
@@zebranothorse-EmJ yes, that is true. We are on this earth and what we see and experience is around us. Those things that are above sometimes we don't notice as much as we should. But we know there is a whole spiritual battle going on that is unseen.
Hi EmJ! I like you, just the way you are! That is a lovely jumper, by the way. Let's keep encouraging one another to be our authentic selves. Yes, it is so hard to hold on to our own identity when we are around others! It is just part of our autism, isn't it? I got the official diagnosis last year too, for the same reason. Amen! Forever you will be His beloved child. Holy and dearly loved. By the way, it is very bold to share videos like this with us. You go girl. I love moving, walking, dancing, running, swaying, even standing. These are my stims and I am learning to celebrate them. I think that it is part of autism to feel different and to have difficulty accepting ourselves. We are just so different, and we know it. And it hurts. And we are obsessive by nature too, so of course that is going to bleed into our RUclips experience. Let's pray for each other that we keep giving it up to God for His purposes. But also accept that we are sometimes going to get obsessive. It is authentic for an autistic person to get obsessive. Thanks for your transparency EmJ! You are joy and I am glad we are friends!
Wow where do I even begin to reply to this beautiful comment!? Firstly thank you so much for taking the time to write it and uplifting my soul. I so often feel iv said nothing relevant in my videos. I never know what to title them because when I'm editing I just think I've said a lot but not really said anything. You're right, celebrating our stims is so important. They keep us regulated, they keep us focused and they ground us. Doing whatever makes us feel in control, calm and happy should be celebrated! Thank you for all your encouragement Lisle 💕 and well done on joining the youtube community. Keep sharing and being a light in the darkness. Big blessings 🙏
@@zebranothorse-EmJ 🧡🧡🧡
Hello dear EmJ! Thank you for bringing glory to God by sharing His Loveliness. He made us, just as we are. And I am delighted to be part of this community with you. Lord, may we discern and "tune in" to Your Voice. Yes Grace! When our conscious condemns, He is greater than our hearts! What Amazing Grace! I read this quote today, "There God always is, covering you. Not with some withering leaf, but with His everlasting Love." (Rachel King). Covered and Loved. Yes! Thank you EmJ. Keep Shining!
@@Dr_Lisa_Sosin you have so blessed me today Lisa, thank you. 💕
@@zebranothorse-EmJ 🧡
I'm always wary when people say that they have told me about something and that i know about something and have agreed!. I have a good memory so if they have told me i would remember because i would be ruminating on what they have asked of me right up until the day🙋♂️🦂
Yeah this is me too. I must have been distracted when he told me or he never told me and just thought he did. Usually I'm like you and go over and over the conversation and obsess over what the expectations of my role is.
It's great when you can find a good church😊 It is hard for me to go socially but I go anyway bc I know afterwards I always am glad I went❤ And yes on lockdown....i think as autistic people we probably enjoyed it most.
Very well stated-- the wrong language can cause any autistic person to be unfairly discounted, no matter their support needs. I usually am not too strict on the use of language, but I think in this case, it is important.
I thought this would be a short, I thought anything under 3 minutes would just become a short 🤔
Great video and I relate to much of what you expressed. I just recently started a channel as well for the same reasons after receiving my diagnosis this year! I would love to connect with you!
@@OutOfTheMudWellBEING I love this. I really enjoy when autistic creators come together. Well done on starting your channel, hope you enjoy this creative journey. I love mine. Wish I had more time to make videos but I do the best I can.
@@zebranothorse-EmJ you're doing a great job! Here to support you on your journey. ❤️
I struggle a lot like you do when something unexpected gets thrown on my plate! I don't have any useful advice as this also has a tendency to dysregulate me, some times all the way into a meltdown. I did want to share though that I also struggle with seasonal issues and started taking a Vitamin D supplement last winter to help my brain combat it. I think it helped! I wasn't as depressed last winter as I have been in past winters.
That's good advice. I forget things like supplements exist sometimes. I should get some Vit D this week. Thanks 😊
I was very shy too and clung to my mother as a young child, until I learned she wasn't a safe person for me. I certainly didn't have that language as a child, though. I don't think of myself as shy anymore, but I do consider myself an introvert with a small handful I can happily be extroverted with. I do force myself to do social things I don't always want to do, but I usually (not always) wind up having a good time.
Yeah when I push myself to engage in conversation with others, especially strangers, sometimes it can be really enjoyable as it's the only way to really find common interests.
So how do you learn these skills?
You know what- some days are easier than others and I think the day I made this video was a good day. It's incredibly difficult and I almost deleted this video because I watched it back and thought I might be coming across as ableist or encouraging people to mask and that's really not my intention. I guess I have learned social skills from trial and error, also from watching lots of reality TV shows.
Oh my word you have described everyday life! PS. I have changed all the light bulbs in my house to "Daylight Temperature/Spectrum." It helps enough for me to notice, though slightly. Demand initiated melt downs seem to take me longer recovery time - multiple days, not just 2 days - than even sensory overload melt downs. Which is saying a lot. Just this morning, I was thinking of no longer thinking of being "High Masking;" but, rather, "High Faking!" Feels like it sometimes! Carry on the good work!
Thank you. And good advice about the light bulbs. I didn't even know that was a thing but I'll be checking them out now.
I very much relate to you have shared. Unexpected tasks or changes to my routine can really throw me off and I am especially thrown off by unexpected company or company showing up later than I expected them to arrive. I can get overwhelmed by these things and it often takes me days to recover. I need to stick to my routines to function well and you are right about the importance of prioritizing our need for rest and recuperation after times of stress. I usually feel better on sunny days also. Those of us who live at northern latitudes can easily be affected by the shorter days of late fall and winter. I try to get as much natural light as I can during the winter months and spend at least a few hours outdoors even in the coldest weather. Some people find full-spectrum artificial lighting helpful during the season of short daylight and darker days. I hope that you that you get through the gloomy weather season ahead as well as you possibly can. Just know that you are not alone in your challenges. Thank you for your video.
Yes unexpected company is a no go for me and I hate waiting for people to arrive especially if they are late. We don't often have people in our home, I enjoy inviting people over and doing life with them but I actually hate people being in my safe space, in the area I unmask in and then feel I have to mask when they are in my home. It's hard to get the balance. I have had a light lamp before, not sure what happened to it, need to get another one. Salt lamps are good too but I need a new bulb in my one. I try to get outdoors on dry days but find it too difficult on wet days unless I'm going somewhere specific. Thank you for your encouraging words. It's helpful to know we are not alone in this thought.
I'm still that painfully shy kid and i'll be 46 next month. And i share my birthday with jeff buckley who went swimming whilst wearing heavy boots! 🙋♂️
Thank you EmJ! You are a brave soul. :) It has taken me a long time to tell people. I started with my immediate family and then I've worked my way outwards. LOL you've gotta a lot of views on this! It's exciting when a channel grows! I enjoy your content.
I don't feel brave, most of the time I feel frustrated because I expect people to have better understanding of autism then constantly reminded of outdated language and misconceptions about autism that people today still have/use. But I love talking about autism so it is still a win. This video did get a surprising amount of views. I like that my channel is growing and doing so at a manageable level. I just wish I had more time to create content. Do you find that a hard balance?
You seem like a lovely woman to me. Very easy to talk to. Then they say I'm neurodivergent. This did traumatise me at first, even though I knew I was different. Deep down I've always believed but turned my back several types because of hurtful experiences in church. Not having the connections I crave does hurt and has stopped me from attending church at times. Thank you for your encouragement and enthusiasm. You are not in the least bit intense
Thank you for commenting. Church is such a good Sunday routine but it can also be incredibly hard to leave the house and do church for some people. I know for me personally during lockdown I really loved not having to go and do all the small talk convos each week. Then once churches oped up again I was so anxious and took me months to get back to church and I felt disconnected from my church family and from God. I think that experience is more common for NDs.
The whole process right from making the initial appointment is demoralising😮💨🙋♂️
Yes EmJ i dont like it at all, when your in the barbers there's always men waiting to get there hair cut sat behind you as your getting your hair cut looking in the mirror at you😬. And one barbers i used to go to his mates would come right up to the barbers chair and talk to the barber as he was cutting my hair😬 and in hairdressers salons ive had a chap cutting my hair and his hands were badly shaking !😬 also a chap who used to cut my hair would always be walking off every 2 mins when he was supposed to be cutting my hair ! Not to mention the barage of questions they fire at you 😬. I Ihavent been for 11months 🙋♂️
@@jamesnock5572 😳🙅🏼♀️
I had a water spot as a child too! It was on a neighbor's property. I would jump the fence and walk to the pond. I called it My Thinking Spot. I loved the water and the ducks. I could hide out there for what felt like hours!
@@actually.amanda Water is special to us neurotypes. Ever moving yet very calming.
I also thought I'd be able to stick to a recording schedule when I started my channel. Spoiler- I couldn't!😅
@@actually.amanda Girl! You need to get back out there. We started this journey together, you've got this 💪 it's good to release yourself of the pressure of putting out content as often as other creators manage but you have many obstacles. Many other creators- This is a paid gig and there is expectations of being relevant and keeping the algorithms on their side. We are just sharing our journey and helping others feel seen.
Thank you for being brave and sharing! I've struggled with knowing who is safe to disclose my diagnosis with, including close family members. It feels scary. But your video gave me hope I could do something similar! Maybe for my 1 year mark in November.
@@actually.amanda Not all my close people know iv got my RUclips channel. It's bit scary thinking they could come across it by accident. But I'll face that when I have to.
I can relate to so much of what you have said, understanding what is happening is liberating and being able to understand past events. You're so fantastic for sharing what you are experiencing and have experienced. I am not diagnosed and I am still deciding on whether I will get assessed, I probably will but right now I feel a bit overwhelmed by it all. I did tell my close friend that I was pretty sure I am autistic and her response was "no sh*t sherlock"! Hahaha! Maybe that's all the validation I need right now, but I'll see how I feel in the near future. Keep sharing! x
Yeah validation is so important. I was self diagnosed for a few years before going for official assesment and I was fine with that but there was just always a niggle at the back of my mind saying I needed to know, even though I did know 🤔😅 I'm glad we have connected. I have an insta page too, if you wanted to connect privately at some point. Ps. You are my 100th subscriber 🙏🥰💃🏼🎉
@@zebranothorse-EmJ yay!!!! I LOVE that I'm your 100 subscriber! So glad we've connected too ❤️
It's womderful to find another Autistic Christian woman here on RUclips! You are a rarity. Thank you for loving Jesus enough to not be embarrased/ashamed to proclaim your faith at the very real risk of facing condemnation and persecution. I noticed your cross necklace at first and I could see that there was something special about you that sets you apart. You have a glow and serenity about you. I'm going through your videos now from the beginning and resonate with so much. I'm 50 and was diagnosed with ADHD at the age of 47 and am awaiting an autism diagnosis. I have been misdiagnosed all my life and have learnt to mask really well but at a cost to my health. I look forward to getting to know you over RUclips. Thank you for being here. God is using you to be the light and the salt in this community ❤️🤗
Wow what a beautiful comment. Thank you do much for reaching out. Nice to have you here. I want to talk more about my faith in my videos, I'm also aware it may put some people off engaging with my videos that could really feel empowered by my journey. Thank you for encouraging me today 🥰 many blessings.
@@zebranothorse-EmJ Yes the Bible and talk of Jesus is all foolishness for those who are perishing but for those who have been called He gives life and hope. The absolute loving thing to do is to share the good news to those who are lost. I struggled for a long time to accept I am autistic and ADHD as I believed it conflicted with my faith and identity as a new creation in Jesus. I'm still grappling with it all to be honest as the cast majority in the neurodivergent community are so "woke" and follow the world and it's ways/beliefs. There is another guy in RUclips who shares his faith and his experiences being ADHD but he hasn't posted in a while (""I have ADHD?!"). lAlso I follow another lady who lives near to Glasgow and her channel is very similar to yours ("The Great Reveal"). Her name is Gina and she is diarising her unmasking journey (she is also late diagnosed - early 40's). I only follow a select few people who I can relate to and it's lovely to be able add you to my list. It was through watching your colab with Autistic Jenny. Also check out Creative Autistic. I think you'll get a lot out of her videos too xxx
@@dawnb8906 thank you for the recommendations. And the support. 🥰 I follow creative autistic but I'll def check of the woman from Glasgow.
Yes EmJ iv'e always struggled to take in information in an academic enviroment. 🙌🙋♂️
I have a question how did your husband say or feel after the diagnosis.
My husband was really the only one who knew the whole process. From 1st talking about possibly being autistic to talking about getting diagnosed to finally going through with it 3 years later. He was supper supportive and actually read lots and watched lots and said very affirming things along the way. His first comment after official diagnosis was "congratulations!" and gave me a big hug 🥰🥹
@@zebranothorse-EmJ 😍😍😍😍😍😍 tell your husband he's awesome.
🥹🥰 Thank you. I will.
I like food except for shrimp, but I'm not a big fan of the texture. Everything else I'm good. The one thing I do love a lot is crossaint😂😂. If I eat too many I'll have to go on a diet.
Ha ha too funny. Yeah the cereal I love has a lot of sugar in it so i totally know what you mean. 🤣
@@zebranothorse-EmJ 😍
I told my bestie and her husband said of course she has Autism and ADHD it's so obvious😲😲😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂.
🤗 I mean yey for been seen but also 😳 gosh I thought I was acting just like everyone else 😱🤔
@zebranothorse-EmJ I thought so, too.
Love the video😻😻. I have a question since you have the diagnosis do you feel so tired every day. Since my diagnosis I've been so tired and want to sleep, and I realized that I have been masking for 54 years🤦♀🤦♀. I'm done masking.
Yes, when I first got diagnosed I was always tired. But I felt the whole assesment process was so full on that it took me a while to recover just from that. Then I did a complete deep dive into other newly diagnosed creators and listened to many stories. That process although totally amazing and exciting was also quite draining. Then just spending the 1st year figuring out who I am and which part is a mask. I also went through the process of getting accommodations made at work which was a lot of talking to different professionals and repeating my struggles which is very tiring. I have recently applied for the UK government Access To Work Scheme and that is so overwhelming to me so everything just continues to be exhausting. You're right though, the main reason we are so exhausted is a lifetime of masking. It could also be your going through autistic burnout. I talk about that in another one of my videos. ruclips.net/video/GNLLU4wxNcY/видео.htmlsi=Sga64CKMBt7-qUGU
Yes EmJ i can definately relate to using up all my spoons, like you say tasks that other people take for granted are very energy sapping for us. Another great video EmJ. You asked for future video ideas! Err autism and agoraphobia? I struggle to leave the house it takes a lot of effort, i have an autistic neighbour who has it a lot worse than me she hardly ever leaves her house😟. 🙋♂️
Thanks for the suggestion. I'll think about it. Sorry to hear this is something you struggle with.
Very insightful. Is it harder for people without formal diagnosis to disclose?
It will be different for everyone. I personally didn't tell anyone other than my husband and mum before formal diagnosis, I was too fearful I had got it wrong. Have the formal diagnosis gave me a back bone, it was something reliable and trustworthy that people could argue against. I do honestly admire self diagnosis individuals who tell people they are autistic. I'm not sure how people would have responded to me if I didn't have my diagnosis. But then I didn't know how they were gonna respond with it either, but with it - it wasn't just 'my truth' if you know what I mean.
Thank you for the video EmJ . Such a shame how girls and women go under the radar so much regarding diagnosis.🙌🙋♂️
It really is. I'm hoping the future will be better for the next generations.
I totally relate to your experience of wanting others to know that you are autistic. Most of the people who know me have been informed now about my autism awakening journey but it has been more of drawn out process taking over two years to tell my family and friends. Your video was a great idea and you explained your experience in the best way possible. I believe that other people who are learning about their own autism will be greatly helped by watching your sharing video. I love your wonderful attitude! God bless.
Thank you. I know everyone's journey is different and everyone's reaction to sharing such news is unknown and can be scary. I was petrified to post my video and kept off FB for a long time after posting because I was so afraid of what reactions I might have gotten. But I think whatever we share, as long as we share from a place of 'being real' and honest then it will generally an most of the time be received well by the people in our lives.
Yes EmJ im very sensitive to noise its difficult to cope with and there are so many triggers through the day and it all adds up to draining my energy, also smells are ovewhelming to me as well. Hope you are keeping well. Thank you🙌🙋♂️
someone said to me yesterday "you think everything smells", it was in relation to walking into a room after someone had been cooking waffles, so I guess I not only notice but also verbally tell people when something smells strongly 🙅♀
A woman from the local council came to my house a few years ago and one of the first things she said is we are all on the spectrum! I think comments like that dilute the difficulties autistic people face everyday. Very well said EmJ.🙌🙋♂️
Ahhh it's so hard to educate ignorance. It's also like saying 'being autistic is the latest trend' 😒👽
Yes iv'e had a few people say to me i have mild autism! There is nothing mild about it at all, it's so frustrating🙌🙋♂️
5:23 could it be semantic agnosia ?
I had to Google that, but yeah that would make sense. Thank you for educating me.
'I'm not going to waste my time with people who are not going to waste their time with me' - good thinking!
These things all add up to drain our energy and i'ts so hard to navigate our way through it. And we need to get back in to an enviroment where we can let it out without masking any longer. Aww i really felt for you watching this🙌🙋♂️
Thank you. It's a hard part of life and I didn't really want to share it but it's so important for others going through these moments to feel seen and not alone.