First published by Mix Diversity for Anti-Bullying Week November 2024: Sticks and Stones | Blog | Mix Diversity Sticks and Stones ‘Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me’, says the old adage, but another says, ‘the tongue wounds more than a lance’. Although I have no experience of beingContinue reading “Sticks and Stones”
Category Archives: AuDHD
Alexithymia, community, and ‘jelly buddies’
I had an absolute blast at the Professional Speaking Association summit over the weekend, but I need to get real for a moment. Sometimes things can happen that make me feel incredibly disabled, and incompetent, and this can have a devastating effect on me, but not immediately, it is a delayed emotional response. I haveContinue reading “Alexithymia, community, and ‘jelly buddies’”
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 andContinue reading “My pronouns: What and why?”
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 inContinue reading “7 facts about my Complex PTSD”
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.
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 fromContinue reading “Neurodivergent or neurospicy?”
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 SharedContinue reading “Support Local Artists over AI Art”
Introduction Post for New Followers
Introduction from me: I am Charlie, my pronouns are she/her or they/them. I am bisexual, pansexual, and gender non-conforming. I am also multiple neurodivergent (autistic, ADHD, complex PTSD). I have been a social media neurodiversity advocate since my autism epiphany in 2018, under the name ‘Ausome Charlie’ with an ‘Au’ for ‘Autistic’ in addition toContinue reading “Introduction Post for New Followers”
Reflections on WSPD2024
As many of my friends and followers here will be aware, the time around 8th to 10th September is hard for me. 8th September is Iggy’s birthday. He would have been 21 this year, but he will forever be 15. 10th September is World Suicide Prevention Day, which I find hard, because Iggy’s death, likeContinue reading “Reflections on WSPD2024”
Autistic Identity
When I discovered that I was autistic in 2018, aged 42, I set up the Twitter account @AusomeCharlie and there I found a thriving mutually-supportive community among the hashtags #ActuallyAutistic and #Neurodiversity. After feeling like an outsider and broken, for so many years, the labels #Autistic and #Neurodivergent helped me to accept myself, and learnContinue reading “Autistic Identity”
Ausome Charlie 