One of the best things I’ve ever learned is to identify my different kinds of anxiety.

For example, a few years ago, I couldn’t tell apart “I’m about to start my period” and “My trauma has been triggered” and “I’m about to have a meltdown,” etc etc🧵 I have only one tip on how I did this but I’ll share what I’ve got. I don’t know if it will help anyone else though.

My hot disability take is that you’re not a bad person if you feel gross around disabled people.

If all you’ve ever seen is inspiration porn that’s the natural reaction. It’s just classical conditioning.

(It’s not ok to MISTREAT people because of those feelings though.) *Man climbs everest.* News headlines: “Wow! Great Athlete! So strong!”

*Disabled Man Climbs Everest.* News headlines: “What’s Your Excuse?! If He Can Do It What’s Stopping You from Being Exceptional?!”

We tell kids they need to decide their life path by the end of high school and there’s no coming back from making certain mistakes (eg, unprotected sex, smoking) and then get butthurt when they say 30 is old.

We’ve told them to have everything figured out long before that! Yes it’s important to teach kids not to make certain mistakes, but my version of sex ed was learning that if I had sex with anyone before marriage it would be cheating my future husband out of exclusive rights to me and could screw up my entire romantic life forever.

Meghan Trainor is brave to speak up about Vaginismus. No one should have to be in agony for their partner to have pleasure. But so many people assume that’s normal. “I thought that every woman walking around was always in pain during and after sex. I was like, ‘Doc, are you telling me that I could have sex and not feel a single bit of pain?’”

today.com/health/womens-…

A list of things that could cause sensory overload in Autistics from JUST. ONE. MEAL. 🧵 Smells of the food while cooking

As much as I hate the cult-y atmosphere of many mega-churches, I feel a bit sad when I see people labeling them as bad by definition.

A lot of those “add ons” in mega-churches make them more accessible to disabled people. 🧵
#Christianity Note: this is based on my own experiences attending events in dozens of churches throughout my life. This is meant to spark discussion on the subject. I do not intend to present this as hard rules, but rather observable trends.

I think I’ve discovered part of the reason I struggle to accomplish tasks as an Autistic, and it’s fascinating 🧵 I call it “Stress Tax Theory.”

The more I take care of my sensory needs, the more I enjoy previously unpleasant feelings. Let me explain 🧵 I’ve spent a lot of the last two years since I got diagnosed as Autistic doing an overhaul of my life. I changed my wardrobe to be sensorily-pleasing, got noise-cancelling headphones, slowly learned to read my body’s signals better, etc

One of the best things for me since learning that I’m Autistic is putting names to my feelings. Here are 3 very Autism-y feelings I identify in myself 🧵 I don’t know if other people will experience all these feelings or feel them in the same way, but I’m making this thread in the hopes that it helps people sort through their own feelings.

10 Principles I Use with my Autistic Brain That have Changed My Life: 🧵

https://twitter.com/ivictoriaruth/status/1629698227183439872

*Disclaimer: these are largely based on my own experience. When in doubt, always consult peer-reviewed research and/or a mental health professional.

Churches really tell young men that certain emotions are “feminine” and therefore should be avoided,

AND claim that men are constantly fighting massive rage and lust,

AND THEN expect those young men to grow up to be pastors and hold the hearts of an entire church. Misogyny and purity culture largely affect women, but they certainly aren’t doing men any favors either.

(I recognize that gender isn’t binary, but according to the evangelical framework that we are discussing it is, so that’s what I’m referring to.)

One of the hardest parts of still taking Covid precautions is feeling like I’m letting relatives down if I don’t attend. I can count the most risky events I’ve been to on one hand, and all of them were for loved ones, trying desperately not to fall into the cracks and disappear from the family altogether.

Ways I Help My Autistic Brain Be More Productive 🧵 1. I get overwhelmed by tasks easily, so I turn my to-do lists into games, like bingo boards. It helps keep things fun, but also helps me visualize how much I’ve accomplished.

6 ways I make hygiene easier for me as an Autistic 🧵 I make brushing my teeth a stim.

I try to brush as fast as I can. It helps me focus on the challenge, rather than the sensation.

Ways I Plan to Make my House “Autistic-Guest-Ready” once I have my own place: 🧵 Context if you’re new here: I’m Autistic and so are a bunch of my friends! I want them to feel as welcome as possible.

Ways to put the “Fun” in “Funeral”: 🧵 Wake party Princess

Fun quiz time!

Ok it’s just a bunch of polls about disabled characters in the media and how good you think they are.

Anyone can play. Let’s go! 🧵 Quasimodo from Hunchback of Notre Dame:

Stimming is the oil that keeps the gears of my brain turning smoothly. I work from home and do almost none of my work sitting in chairs. I’m pacing for about half the day. When I’m not doing that I’m sitting somewhere weird. When I am sitting down it’s usually in a weird way. And when I sit normally it’s because I’m doing art — a stim in itself.

Purity Culture and Autism was a catastrophic combination in my childhood. Here’s 5 ways: 🧵 1️⃣ Autistics can go into meltdown and even be in pain from uncomfortable clothing.

Purity culture teaches that you need to wear a lot of clothing at all times, and often demands scratchy, chafing, thick, hot clothing styles like Bermuda shorts, Prairie dresses, and extra layers.

I’m thinking about putting together a zoom “candlelight” Christmas service for the disabled people who cannot access church because of ableism/ illness/ trauma/ etc.

No hymns or traditional church songs, short, online, accessible.

Would anyone be interested? Everyone, regardless of religion, would be welcome. Doctrinally, we’d be very inclusive. No complex theology discussed. Just a simple message of “Merry Christmas, you are not alone, yay Jesus.” The basics.

I have an idea for meal planning that I think might help me function a lot better. Let me know what you think. Will this work? 🧵 I read this 80s fashion guide when I was a kid that introduced me to capsule wardrobes and I wonder if it would work with food.