Hi folks,
Hi folks,I am a 15-year-old girl who recently got diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. I was wondering if any of you guys have tips on how to cope with life, especially when you're going through something.(Note: I do have Bipolar Disorder, so I don't know the line between Autism and Bipolar. It could be that I'm confusing the two, not knowing where to draw a line. I am in a manic episode while describing this.)I just lost my dad. One month before that, I was officially diagnosed with Autism. After masking the crap for as long as I lived, 'refinding' myself was my next job because I don't know about you guys, but masking is hella exhausting. Learning that things (which I thought were weird) were, in fact, normal for autistic people. Tics are a thing in real life, and not just something in movies. While I was still processing this, my dad died.Since he died, I have been in a manic episode, and my tics have become worse and way more frequent.Though I know that tics are okay and respected, I'm still scared to just not hold them in or do it silently and feel bad. I have received a lot of comments from people saying I "behave more autistic" than I did before my diagnosis. And I have the feeling that just ticcing will make people's reactions worse.The point of this very long, confusing story (sorry guys :( ) is: does anyone have tips on how to handle the Autism, the manic episode, and the tics?
Yours sincerely,
Gandalf
Hey, some tips for sensory overload and meltdowns that use are: find a quiet spot; sensory tools like earplugs, face mask, etc.; and having people I trust who can take care of me when I feel like this. Same with manic episodes, kind of. I am also bipolar. I thankfully have a good net of friends who keep me in check when I'm severely manic, but also, if you notice you're manic, or someone else does, have them or you take you away from dangerous objects or activities, and set alarms for eating food. I really struggle with losing track of things so alarms and lists on my phone really help me.
Hi! I am not diagnosed with autism yet, however, the doctors and my parents are thinking about how I act and if I do.
I think tips on how to help autism may be to pull away from any type of masking. I know you said you don't mask now, but perhaps sometimes you forget?
I have the manic episodes. I don't know what to do when I get one. Usually, I cry, and I don't talk to anyone. I isolate in my room and sometimes don't eat. Obviously, all of this except the crying is quite unhealthy, so I reccommend discussing it with someone you live with (when you're ready) and distract yourself by doing something you love! Of course, try not to ignore the way you feel during one of these. Process the emotions before then using a distraction.
With your father passing away (I'm really sorry for your loss! It's obviously contributed to your mental health), of course the stress and sadness and all these strong emotions will add to ticcing. This will make people judge you as they'll think, "You weren't like this before." However, when you let tics out and stop masking, that's expected. It's probably healthier to tic than to hide them.
I have "meltdowns" – I don't know if they're autistic or just "normal", but I cry every time someone tells me to: clean my room; do my homework; go outside; eat; read a book; and some others. Firstly, could anyone advise me if or if not this COULD be linked to autism or if it's something teenagers do? I don't know if it's to do with puberty or an actual disorder.
Anyway, for absolute months, I hyperfixated on writing and reading. I read and wrote every day, not just for school but at home and in my free time. However, I've started to dislike this and move away from it. Again, maybe I've just grown tired of it, or it's something more.
I also sort of tic. I think it's ticcing. Sometimes, I'm not sure if I lie to myself, but I know for a fact that I do involuntarily move. It isn't at all every day – I could go a week without 'ticcing' – but it's still something which worries me.
That's all! I'm sorry, I know it was long. I hope anything I wrote helped in some way! :)
Thank you tomorrow I'm going to try and get a sunflower lanyard as going xmas shopping on friday