What is your understanding of mental health first aid? Mental Health First Aid is when we help another person to get through an acute mental health crisis, for example a psychological trigger or a panic attack, often using techniques learned from Mental Health First Aider courses. We may also signpost the person to a professionalContinue reading “What does being Mental Health First Aider mean to me?”
Category Archives: Mental Health
Inclusion Calendar Events for Booking Ausome Charlie as a Speaker
I am getting increasingly popular as a speaker, so if you would like to book me for one of these events please get in touch soon to avoid disappointment: Friday 23 February – International STAND UP to Bullying DayMonday 18 March – Neurodiversity Celebration Week (almost fully booked)w/c 1 April – World Autism Acceptance WeekAprilContinue reading “Inclusion Calendar Events for Booking Ausome Charlie as a Speaker”
Time to Talk Day 2024
Hi, I’m Charlie, and I am neurodivergent, which means I am ‘neurologically different’; my brain is not standard issue. Some of my neurological differences I was born with, and others I acquired. I was diagnosed Autistic, aged 42. Then with Complex PTSD, aged 46. I am now partway through ADHD assessment, aged 48. Before myContinue reading “Time to Talk Day 2024”
My RED Dry January
Update on my RED Dry January RED (Run Every Day) January I smashed my fundraising target. Our team, I Like To Move It (members of the Speakers Collective) made over £1000. There were three days when I didn’t get out to run or walk, due to having a bad cold, but also three days whenContinue reading “My RED Dry January”
Happy 48th birthday to me!
Happy 48th birthday to me 😀 Thanks for all the DMs, I am feeling the love, but will not have time and energy to personally respond to all the messages. And happy birthday to you too, whenever it is (or happy belated birthday if I missed it) (see what I did there). Reasons to beContinue reading “Happy 48th birthday to me!”
Just me raging about my missed diagnosis
The doctor doing my ADHD assessment through Psychiatry UK has asked me for a write-up about how I think my autism affects me, to inform my ADHD diagnosis. This is tricky, because I cannot easily distinguish one from the other – I feel like they blur into one distinct AuDHD neurotype. Not wanting to accidentallyContinue reading “Just me raging about my missed diagnosis”
It’s not OK to not be OK
Video (6 minutes with captions) about the many societal and systemic failures to protect, or frankly even give a shit about, the mental health of neurodivergent people, especially autistic teenagers. TW suicide, child death, bullying #Autism #ActuallyAutistic #ADHD #AuDHD #Neurodiversity #Neurodivergent #MentalHealth #CAMHS #CAMHSCrisis #ItsNotOKToNotBeOK #ItsNotOkayToNotBeOkay #DifferentIsOK #Antibullying #SuicidePrevention #ThisIsNotOK
Dear Santa… from Rudolph
Dear Santa, I hope this letter finds you in good health and high spirits. I am writing to you with a heavy heart, and after much consideration, I have come to the difficult decision to resign from my position on your team as the lead reindeer. Over the years, I have had the privilege ofContinue reading “Dear Santa… from Rudolph”
AuDHD inclusion tips
As an AuDHDer myself (autistic and ADHD), and a professional speaker and HR Consultant specialising in Inclusion and Belonging, here are the tips that I want to share for working with Autistic and/or ADHD colleagues and helping us thrive in the workplace: Create and demonstrate a culture of psychological safety. Protect and defend us fromContinue reading “AuDHD inclusion tips”
An unusually chill Christmas, chez Ausome
I usually struggle a lot with December and Christmas, for many reasons that I will not go into today; I am just taking a moment to count my blessings. At the end of June 2023, I finally left my HR Analyst job, and I have never looked back. I had been working for Together forContinue reading “An unusually chill Christmas, chez Ausome”
Ausome Charlie 