Blogs by Charlie

  • My pronouns: What and why?

    It is International Pronouns Day so here is what my pronouns mean and why I share them. “She/they” (or I sometimes express this “she/her or they/them”) means that I am happy for you to refer to me using the traditional female pronouns (she/her) or standard gender-neutral alternatives (they/them/their). Although I do identify as a woman and Read more

  • National Coming Out Day 2024

    National Coming Out Day 2024

    I was sixteen when I first concluded that I was bi (thanks, Winona Ryder). I was open about this with my best friend, and my boyfriend at the time, but I was too embarrassed to discuss it with my family or wider social circle. However, the truth did come out during a sixth form residential Read more

  • 7 facts about my Complex PTSD

    7 facts about my Complex PTSD

    This World Mental Health Day, here are 7 things I would like you to know about my PTSD and complex PTSD (cPTSD, C-PTSD). #WorldMentalHealthDay #PTSD #ComplexPTSD #CPTSD I mention both because I self-identified complex PTSD, but my official diagnosis just says PTSD. Complex PTSD is not recognised by the medical profession; it is not in Read more

  • Neuro Women Natter, Episode 1: Back to School

    Neuro Women Natter, Episode 1: Back to School

    October is here, and with it comes episode 1 of Neuro Women Natter with me and Toni Horn! In this episode, we each reflect on our school days – a bittersweet trip down memory lane. Read more

  • Neurodivergent or neurospicy?

    ‘Neurospicy’… This word is again a hot topic in the neurodiversity scene. Some people love it, some do not like it. And some don’t like the word ‘neurodivergent’. Here are my thoughts: ‘Neurodivergent’ is a deliberately vague and inclusive socio-political term that expresses in non-medicalised language that one’s mind works in some way differently from Read more

  • Support Local Artists over AI Art

    Rather than flooding social media with AI art, why not commission a local artist to create your images? Here, Piper Strange Arts captures one moment when I felt truly seen during my autism diagnostic appointment, and the moment I informed my employer. Yes, I texted the good news to my line manager, the HR Shared Read more