Friendly Neighborhood Autistic

This is a Medium Friend link, so everyone can read through without interference of a paywall.

I apologize for the multiple tags, but I thought yall would find this article interesting.

Having hEDS is moving your shoulder and inch and feeling it pop so violently that you have to check for subluxations (or to see if it glows in the dark (⊙ˍ⊙)).

Having hEDS is waking up and deciding that you need more sleep, but it ain’t happening (fatigue and sleep problems).

Having hEDS is making 40 year old man noises when you move, yet being able to reach your entire back with one hand (stiff, yet hyper mobile).

Having hEDS is not knowing where to place the heating pad (widespread chronic pain).

Having hEDS is feeling like you spawn a new condition twice a month (generalized health problems).

Having hEDS is being asked by strangers about your cane (invisible disability).

Having hEDS is feeling like you’re collecting braces for every joint in your body (joint instability).

Having hEDS is having a pulse of 130 and people saying you need to see a counselor for stress management or other unsolicited advice (orthostatic intolerance and tachycardia).

Having hEDS is dying of heat exhaustion in 85 degree weather (temperature dysregulation).

Having hEDS is wondering in what way your stomach is malfunctioning, because it could be one of ten things (bowel and digestive issues/ allergies and food sensitivities).

Having hEDS is being told there’s nothing wrong with you, when that couldn’t be farther from the truth (symptoms are scattered/ seem separate or unrelated to each other, tests come back normal, findings don’t make sense, may appear psychological).

Repost if you too are a Zebra, or to spread Dazzle awareness and support ✨✨✨

Myth VS Reality

“You don’t look autistic!”

Can everyone please stop saying things like this? Just because we don’t show traits around certain people doesn’t mean that we’re faking/don’t have the disorder. I had to learn to the best of my ability to be, what society says, is normal. And not be so “weird”. It’s harder than people think. And it really drains you too.

i struggled to brush my teeth for years. i still do! but i made it easier for myself by paying attention to my needs. what kept me from brushing? part of it was the sensory experience, so i switched to an electric one and it works much better for me. part of it was having to stand in the bathroom for two minutes, so i moved my brush and toothpaste into my bedroom, where i lay or sit in bed and look at my phone while i use them. this didn’t solve the entire problem for me, but it made things so much easier.

i can’t stand having a shirt collar, so i wear mostly tank tops, but for the shirts i really like, i usually just cut the neck part out. yeah it’s not super pretty, so i keep some of my shirts uncut if i really like them for their look, but it helps for my every day clothes. (my mom taught me this one.)

showering and doing dishes are two things that make me want to die from boredom(? i don’t really have a term for that crushing boredom/dread of executive dysfunction and trauma responses). now i have a speaker for my shower and headphones for chores, and i just listen to music or podcasts. it makes things easier, even if it isn’t enough every time.