ImmedicableME

patrickworld, 1 month ago to gardening

This mthrfkr #Weeds #Gardening #Summer

ImmedicableME, 1 month ago to actuallyautistic

My new therapist is also autistic and they asked me to envision who I could be if if I shed 50+ years of masking and let myself be fully, authentically me. It’s so exciting…I simultaneously grin and tear up when I think about it. I think I’ve been waiting for permission without realizing it. I can’t wait to see who emerges from this. #AutisticJoy #Unmasking #AutisticUnmasking #UnmaskingAutism #ActuallyAutistic @actuallyautistic

ImmedicableME, 1 month ago to mecfs

Jaime Seltzer of MEAction featured in Time100 Health. #MECFS @mecfs

https://time.com/6967257/jaime-seltzer/?mc_cid=87c5bb8c63&mc_eid=0839dc0a7f

RickiTarr, 1 month ago to random

It insane to me how often women are not given pain management for gynecological procedures, because many many years ago a male doctor who's never had a vagina, cervix, or uterus decided that there weren't enough nerve endings up there to hurt significantly. I think it's time to put this fallacy to bed. It most definitely does hurt, and people who have literally no experience with female equipment don't get to decide this for me. Trust me docs, you don't want to taste your own medicine on this.

ImmedicableME, 1 month ago to mecfs

Medicare (U.S.) won’t pay for the CGRP migraine medication (Aimovig) that stopped the daily #migraines that developed with my #MECFS. #Medicare will pay for #Botox, but I am not enthusiastic about 31 painful infections every 12 weeks to see if it works for me, especially since it can take 2-3 rounds before it works. The brain burning sensation is the worst symptom, and I’m not convinced that Botox will address what seems to be neuroinflammation. Anyone have any success with Botox? @mecfs

ImmedicableME, 1 month ago to actuallyautistic

Last week I learned what it’s like to go into a full autistic shutdown. It was hard to talk, move, think, feel. The weirdest thing: my partner kept hugging me and all I could think was, why is she touching me? When I looked it up, it was a shock to see that this is a completely typical experience when we reach a certain point of overload. It’s not the first time I’ve experienced a shutdown, just the first time I’ve known what it was. Still so much to learn. #ActuallyAutistic @actuallyautistic

ImmedicableME, 2 months ago to mecfs

Found out today that I helped my therapist by talking about my illness. She began to wonder if her own history of Epstein-Barr infection was the cause of her health issues, decided to go to the practice that has been so helpful to me, and is now getting treatment through them. It’s nice to feel like there’s some purpose and meaning that can come out of getting so sick.
#MECFS @mecfs

GottaLaff, 2 months ago to Arizona

Pres. #Biden:

"Millions of Arizonans will soon live under an even more extreme and dangerous #abortion ban, which fails to protect women even when their health is at risk or in tragic cases of rape or incest." #Arizona

ImmedicableME, 2 months ago to mecfs

Does anyone else find that vagus nerve stimulation activities/exercises (chanting, humming, meditation, soothing music, cold water, etc.) is counterproductive and can dysregulate your nervous system? @mecfs

ImmedicableME, 2 months ago to actuallyautistic

Does anyone else find that vagus nerve stimulation activities/exercises (chanting, humming, meditation, soothing music, cold water, etc.) is counterproductive and can dysregulate your nervous system? @actuallyautistic

ImmedicableME, 2 months ago to mecfs

I had enough energy to play with some acrylic paints. My plan was just to add some areas of color to art journal pages to get some backgrounds started. I got completely immersed in the way the colors blended and layered, I started glazing and scumbling and using dry brush techniques to pull out areas of texture and suddenly it hit me that I am still in here.

I’m still me, just my body has changed.

I felt joyful and alive in that moment and it was…everything.

#MECFS #Disabled @mecfs

yourautisticlife, 2 months ago to Autism

When Your Sex Bites You In Your Autistic Ass

I’m a cis male, but my autistic traits correlate with those of cis female individuals.

The study of autism is plagued with sexism, even to this day. There is definitely more awareness of the problem nowadays, but the prevalent view of how autism presents in people is largely based on antiquated stereotypes. If you are white, male, and you annoy your parents, you are more likely to get diagnosed by the professionals, than if you are not white, not male, and manage to mask your autism.

(A quick note on my terminological choices. I have no idea how being trans or nonbinary may affect autistic presentation. I don’t mean to exclude, but I also don’t want to speak about things that I’m not familiar with. I’m sorry about this.)

I believe now that my own deceased mother was autistic too, but went undiagnosed because of this sexism. She was bipolar, and alcoholic. These are often the conditions that women who are not diagnosed experience. She was treated for both conditions, but no treatment took. These treatments did not take, because they were dealing with the symptoms of autism, without dealing with the autism itself.

Early on in my research about autism, I came upon this site:

https://embrace-autism.com/

I’ve taken many of the self-assessment tests there, and I always end up neurotypical or borderline autistic. The DSM-5 is not helpful either. Actually, I think it is a step back from the online self-assessment tests. No psychiatrist of mine has ever suggested autism as an explanation for my mental troubles. I’ll remind you that I’m self-diagnosed.

Fediverse user @ImmedicableME recently posted a link to this page:

https://the-art-of-autism.com/females-and-aspergers-a-checklist/

I’ve gone through all the traits there, and I do find a substantial amount of these traits apply to me.

Join Us

Bonfire Merch

It is not the first time I find that the female presentation of autism is more reflective of how I present, too. In the book Unmasking Autism by Devon Price, the author talks of a period of time during which doctors talked about male and female autism. When I was reading this book, I could easily see my traits listed among those that doctors assigned to females.

In fiction, too, I find myself closer to the female autistic characters than the male ones. I am nothing like Rain Man, or Sheldon Cooper. I’m not rude, nor do I have an obsession with trains. The character I compare myself readily to is Quinni from Heartbreak High, an autistic girl.

For the record, I do not think that it is scientifically valid, or useful to talk about “male” and “female” autism anymore. I do not have a problem with the page I linked to above, which gives a list of traits generally linked with being female. It is important to raise the awareness that autism in females may present differently than the stereotypes.

However, once the awareness has been raised, it is better to drop the labels male and female. I am a cis male who presents mostly like a female. I think, just like my mother was undiagnosed because she did not present the male stereotype, so am I have been undiagnosed by the professionals because I do not present as the male stereotype either. Still, again, once I’ve given this explanation, I no longer want to use the binary to explain autism.

Now, I don’t have a great explanation for why I present the way I do. I suspect the pressure of living with a narcissistic father are partially to blame. I sometimes say that I don’t experience meltdowns, but this is not correct. I do experience them, but very rarely. My father, however, is an expert at triggering meltdowns in me. He knows exactly what buttons to push. Therefore, to avoid presenting too big an opportunity to him to press my buttons, I’ve learned to camouflage my autism.

My mother’s and my case are direct examples of how sexism hinders our access to medical care. We’ve both been bitten in the ass because of our manifestation of symptoms did not conform to the stereotype.

#ActuallyAutistic #autism #autistic #AutisticWriters #sexism #stereotypes #YourAutisticLife

https://www.yourautisticlife.com/2024/03/18/when-your-sex-bites-you-in-your-autistic-ass/

ImmedicableME, 2 months ago to gardening

Gardeners: do you have recommendations for reputable resources/experts on planting seeds directly in the soil? I’m in USDA zone 7B with a last frost of April 15 (probably a little earlier this year) and I don’t have energy to start seeds inside and transplant them. They will go into raised metal beds prepared with quality soil and an in-bed vermicompost system. Thank you. Also open to suggestions for hashtags and groups. #Gardening #GardeningMastodon
#VegetableGardening #Permaculture @gardening

ImmedicableME, 2 months ago to actuallyautistic

Just shared two major lists of autism traits in females with someone who is wondering if they’re autistic and crying as I reread all of the things that led to me pursuing an autism diagnosis at age 48, you know, as one does. These lists literally changed my life.

#ActuallyAutistic
@actuallyautistic

https://the-art-of-autism.com/females-and-aspergers-a-checklist/?subscribe=success#subscribe-blog-blog_subscription-2

Edit: deleted second list due to the author’s transphobia. I apologize for sharing it in my original post.

ImmedicableME, 2 months ago to mecfs

Took a shower this morning, got dressed, and then my leg muscles stopped working. Made it almost to the living room when they just wouldn’t go anymore. Dropped what I was carrying and grabbed whatever furniture I could to pull myself to the sofa before I collapsed and then went into a seizure-like episode. Had one yesterday, too. I’m so sick of this. I’m so sick of doctors being dismissive. This is not an acceptable way to “live.” #POTS #MECFS @mecfs

ImmedicableME, 2 months ago to actuallyautistic

My daughter and I, both #ActuallyAutistic, struggle with executive dysfunction and would benefit from someone who could take over bill paying and basic money management. Does anyone have experience with finding a bookkeeper or accountant that is appropriate for this? Not even sure what type of service to look for at this point. Thank you for any guidance.

@actuallyautistic

inquiline, 2 months ago to random

"I want to eat in restaurants but my immune-compromised husband is being a buzzkill"

Hoo boy, this article is pretty disgusting:
https://www.npr.org/2024/03/11/1236975472/wrestling-with-my-husbands-fear-of-getting-covid-again

ImmedicableME, 3 months ago to actuallyautistic

A month or so ago, my optimistic self said, great, there’s a rare opening in the autistic women’s online support group and paid to sign up for it. Didn’t even put it in my calendar. Yesterday I got an email telling me it starts today and it’s from 8-9:30 am my time. Gahhhhhhhhh.

So I’m having my pre-social interaction anxiety attack and trying to strategize getting through it. Good times.

#ActuallyAutistic
@actuallyautistic

tomkindlon, 3 months ago to mecfs

Identifying the mental health burden in #MyalgicEncephalomyelitis / #ChronicFatigueSyndrome (ME/CFS) patients in Switzerland: A pilot study

Free fulltext:
https://www.cell.com/heliyon/pdf/S2405-8440(24)03062-7.pdf

#MEcfs #CFS #PwME @mecfs

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ImmedicableME, 3 months ago to mecfs

@mecfs
Online conference on neurological aspects of #MECFS March 1. Information at https://mecfs.at/2024/02/11/international-webinar-on-neurological-aspects-of-me-cfs/ (site in German). Speakers include Svetlana Blitshteyn; Florian Buchmayer; Markus Gole; Kathryn Hoffmann; Lindsay McAlpine; David Putrino; Michael Stingl; Michael VanElzakker.

Thanks to
@ColleenSteckel

ImmedicableME, 3 months ago to mecfs

For those with #MECFS, do you find yourself struggling with #Depression and/or #Anxiety since becoming ill, especially if it seems different from depression and/or anxiety that you experienced prior to becoming ill? If so, how are you managing your depression/anxiety? Have medications helped? Are you using non-medication approaches that work? @mecfs