Mental Health – Page 5 – Ausome Charlie

Neurodiversity inclusion tips

We all have unique strengths and challenges, so understanding these is key because everyone has specific accessibility and support needs. Autism, for example, is a spectrum condition, which means that it affects people in different ways. It is unhelpful to stereotype people based on their neurological condition, so please do not make assumptions about whatContinue reading “Neurodiversity inclusion tips”

Human not Waxwork

Make-up free Monday, no filter. Have you ever wondered why I’m such a fan of TikTok filters and FaceApp etc? Well, I am not good at applying make-up, and I never have been, and don’t always have the spoons. I am also somewhat self-conscious about the scars around my left eye and eyebrow, from gettingContinue reading “Human not Waxwork”

5 Years of Ausome Charlie Transcript Extract

Extract from my nostalgic monologue at the start of the 5 Years of Ausome Charlie online event with David Gray-Hammond, Katie Munday and Quinn Dexter on 8 June 2023 (see YouTube link at the bottom). “I have been flicked through the old tweets on my Ausome Charlie Twitter. I had been on Twitter longer, butContinue reading “5 Years of Ausome Charlie Transcript Extract”

Neurodivergent school kids with interoception and proprioception issues

Neurodivergent school kids with interoception and proprioception issues. I received this message this morning, from my friend Angela Loynd, of Umbrella Alliance: ‘I heard yet another story today about a young autistic girl refused a toilet break during class time at school, who then ended up wetting her pants as a result. I’m so sickContinue reading “Neurodivergent school kids with interoception and proprioception issues”

Alexithymia

Alexithymia: Difficulty experiencing, identifying, describing our feelings. This is common with autism and ADHD. My emotions can be buried deep under the surface, then bubble up suddenly, engulfing me. I can feel nothing, and compartmentalise my feelings. I lock them up in a box, and do whatever I can to feel something. Often for me,Continue reading “Alexithymia”

Autistic burnout at work

I can get easily overwhelmed, eventually tipping into autistic burn out – especially when I have to work on two different projects at the same time, with conflicting priorities, too many instructions communicated verbally, and long project meetings in which I am self-conscious of my meeting behaviours, which is draining. Autistic burnout manifests exactly likeContinue reading “Autistic burnout at work”

How my neurotype affects me at work

I have what you call a spiky profile, which means instead of being competent at everything I am highly skilled in some areas of work and challenged in other areas. Autism and ADHD (AuDHD) are “dynamic” disabilities for me, so some days I am on very good form (hyper-productive, in a “flow state”) and otherContinue reading “How my neurotype affects me at work”

My neurotype and diagnoses

I was diagnosed on the NHS with Asperger’s Syndrome in 2018, aged 42. I reject the wording of this diagnosis, and I just call it autism. I am autistic. I also have ADHD, self-identified in 2021. My GP referred me for ADHD diagnosis in 2022 through Psychiatry UK via NHS “right to choose”, and IContinue reading “My neurotype and diagnoses”

Neurodiversity inclusion tips

Mental Health Awareness Week

Mental Health Awareness Week is upon us. Personally, I handle this by self-advocating away any toxic positivity. I don’t plaster on a fake smile like this one. Instead, I tell people how I really am. If they don’t care, why ask? We need to tackle the causes of mental health challenges, not jolly our mentalContinue reading “Mental Health Awareness Week”