Someone asked me how I think about the difference between autism and ADHD in my own life. I gave this answer, I wanna post it publicly so others can provide feedback too.
I dunno how "accurate" this is because I dunno how I feel about these labels being treated as distinct?
The above is my contribution to the "What does it look like to be #ActuallyAutistic and #ADHD at the same time?" discourse.
Please share your own takes if you share this neurotype! #AutisticADHD
...huh. I'm not sure if I like this framing or not, because ADHD has needs too, and Autism has wants.
But I can TOTALLY see how this framing can emerge, because they feel like they're at different levels. Autism feels more rigid? ADHD more indulgent?
Thank you especially to @AnnMemmott and @AutSciPerson for leading the charge on this. They are both leaders in our community and you should follow them if you don’t.
Yikes, wow, unfollowing now. Was a big fan of successfully and predictably replicating measurements to prove theories, did NOT know about the total inability to engage meaningfully with the subjective domain of experience.
But yikes, unfollowing now. I was a huge fan of its ability to treat illness using scientific rigor, I did NOT know it pathologized everything it didn’t understand and normalized anything it couldn’t address.
Big yikes, unfollowing now. Was a huge fan of the ability to use numeric values to explore relational truths, did NOT realize it was impossible to do this with any kind of internal consistency without injecting external context and meaning.
I take Vyvanse for my ADHD but I don't spend all day thinking about my next pill.
I eat food to stay alive, but I don't spend every moment thinking about my next meal.
And yet with weed if I'm not smoking I'm thinking about it. That feels unhealthy, I'm not using it as a tool.
Last night I was weak, and I ended up putting a ton of pressure on my accountability buddy when they didn't need that kind of pressure. I wasn't looking for support, I was looking for permission to lapse. And only I can give that to me.