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[anxietypastcovid]

Factors which may contribute to autistic burnout…

Neurodivergent_lou

[anxietypastcovid]

Week 21 of Anxietypastcovid challenge

This week I went to the city. Not much has changed except for all the road closures and more traffic. Also the amount of people homeless has also gone up. I donated some food to those doing it tough

On Tuesday my OCD returned and my flatmate wasn't too happy about me not helping. But I have my anxiety issues which meant that sometimes I need a rest. Or I burnout.

But then Wednesday and other days I did a bit of weeding and other things. Slowly but surely getting there.

On Thursday and Friday I did not check the tap as much

On Thursday I met up with my friend who was impatient when the place was super busy. It was nearly school holidays and so everyone wanted a coffee. He was fidgeting. I was ok with the ten minute wait

[anxietypastcovid]

Let's talk about anxiety

Anxiety is often not talked about much in society. It is common but its not talked about much because it is considered taboo to do so.

Even if we do talk about it, it can be very expensive to find a counselor to talk about it and most of the time they are not covered by the Government

We want to do a campaign to tell people that it is ok to talk about anxiety. We have a profile on Instagram where it is safe to do so. You can be anonymous if you want. Do follow us if you can. Every day we post stories and posts about anxiety and autism as well as some current issues

But it is important to do this so that we can all get the help we need. Without this the government and the community cannot help us. By government we mean state and Federal government. They can only do so much

Anxiety will not go away on its own and its important that you feel able to seek the help and support that you need

[anxietypastcovid]

Week 23 of Anxietypastcovid

This week I had a little bit of OCD again. I checked the door multiple times. I think It might be my period as it is so heavy!!!. I am so annoyed that my OCD came back. I guess it really never goes away.

It's been on and off this week!!!

On Monday I had some IBS issues. One time I went to the bathroom in about half an hour. Over time they subsided. They subsided when I ovulated.

The past few days have been very windy. The winds don't ease my anxiety. Instead they ramp up my anxiety. And I did not sleep so well then...

[anxietypastcovid]

Going out as an autistic

This is not an easy thing to do especially now that we have gotten out of lockdown for good.

So far it's not too bad as we have been in and out of lockdown. Most people understand that it has been hard on us all.

Number 1. Do your research. This is where Instagram and Google reviews come into play. Do a search on Google to find out what others say. If you have Instagram then even better. You can see the photos and videos of the food that people order. This is super helpful if you are a fussy eater.

In a lot of restaurants staff are accommodating of disabilities and mental health. And so too is the public but there are people that are ignorant and will try to make your experience a nightmare. It's best to just ignore these people if you can. If you can't you could get staff to help you.

Number 2. It always helps to go when it is quiet. Usually during the weekdays it's quiet. But then again it is best to do a search on Google to see when it is quiet. Do go just after they opened as it would be quieter then

Number 3. If you have Instagram do message the restaurants page and ask if they can do some modifications. This would help to relieve some of the anxieties around meals. If not you can ask in person

Number 4. You may have to explain to people that you are autistic. You can buy these autism badges online so you don't have to explain so much. Hopefully people will leave you alone. You can google them online if it helps

[anxietypastcovid]

Week 22 of Anxietypastcovid challenge

This week has been ok. My OCD seems to be improving as I did not check the tap more than once when going out. Am happy about that

Went to Wallington again and I enjoyed doing the gardening. The days have been warmer and we are getting into spring. Started No Sugar September and it so that far is going good.

Went to the regatta on Saturday and all was good whilst there. Enjoyed being out in the sunshine

[anxietypastcovid]

Our 28 day of No Internet challenge

We spend waaaay too much time on the Internet and it's not good for us. With all that time on the NET we don't spend time and appreciate the people we love. We also forget the guests and looking after them.

Some of us are so glued to our screens that we forget to exercise outside. And exercising is important as it releases those feel good hormones.

As a woman before the NET was taken away I was glued to the screen at night. So much so that when my melatonin levels dropped my sleep levels were disturbed.

At first the challenge of the NET being taken away was challenging but after the first few days I did not mind one bit. I was so addicted to the game Evony that I had withdrawal symptoms at the start.

But in the end it was ok as I had plenty of things to do at home. I caught up on many tasks at home. I finally decluttered some of my room. I finally cleaned the drawer downstairs

I have learned to appreciate others a bit better

My sleep levels were so much better

In the aftermath of it...

I spent about eight to twelve hours per week watching YouTube. My mental health was much better and the way I treated people was better.

I listen to the radio at night instead of watching TV and that has helped me to sleep better.

In the near future I will do some no internet days and I encourage you to do the same

[anxietypastcovid]

Week 18 of Anxietypastcovid

This week was ok for me at the start because we went away again. But when we came back my OCD came back. I found that I was checking the door and the bed all the time.

Did some painting this week and I was in my happy place. My period came and the mood went downhill. And then brought on all the heavy bleeding! Not good!!!

Also worried about running low on Magnesium but it turns out that I don't need as much during this time

[anxietypastcovid]

Week 20 of Anxietypastcovid

This week my Instagram has had quite a few more followers which is good. It shows that people care about mental health and autism

A new Malaysian place has opened up in Melton. It's not near where I live but it's good for their locals that it has.

Did painting this week and it's good to just get rid of all those stressors. Also did a bit of weeding too.Went out for lunch too and I enjoyed myself. No weird stares from people. We went during a quiet time during the week.

Had English breakfast tea at the Boathouse instead of coffee. Good.

Tried another Dyson to do the vacuuming. Was anxious at first but it was ok in the end. Have to learn to be a bit more flexible. Am trying to encourage my autistic friend to do the same too although that might be harder.

On Sunday we had visitors which was nice

[anxietypastcovid]

Week 19 of Anxietypastcovid

This week has had its ups and downs

On Tuesday my OCD and my guilt has returned. I really wanted to go to Highpoint on my own but my flatmate said no as he didn't want to pick me up. We live just five minutes from there!!!! I can't really catch an uber and public transport as I'm worried I would get Covid and pass it on.

The dentist visit was fine. Worried about going to the bathroom and all

My flatmate didn't want me to spend so much money as I had last week. Another guilt trip.

On Wednesday we went out for lunch which was good. Enjoyed that. I worried about the magnesium and other things but we can order those online.

Thursday was a meh kind of day. It was really miserable and I wasn't feeling well

Then Friday I was ok.

The park was very quiet as it was too cold.

[anxietypastcovid]

Hi, I have a question that might have been answered before, but I’m a new follower :)

I am diagnosed autistic and will occasionally lose my speech when overwhelmed (or under some other circumstances). I’ve used the term ‘nonverbal’ or ‘semi verbal’ in the past, but have learned that those aren’t the correct terms to describe my condition.

Do you know what would be a more positive term for me to use to describe that condition? I don’t want to be using incorrect language against my other fellow actual non speaking autists. Thank you ♥️

Oh, thank you for asking this because it's important!

The one that I use and that has taken off the most is "verbal shutdown".

Non-verbal/non-speaking or semi-verbal/semi-speaking are their own terms for permanent states in the ability to make words. It's not the same as the temporary loss that some Autistics have due to stress, overwhelm or shutdowns/meltdowns. ❤️

[anxietypastcovid]

So true. Even I have too sometimes

Today I am in excruciating pain from (checks notes) lying on the sofa instead of my bed for a few hours.

[anxietypastcovid]

[anxietypastcovid]

Australia is not doing so well

Can we do even better in mental health? Australia is not doing so well and its ranked one of the highest countries with the population suffering from a lot of mental health problems, along with the UK. It is ranked at number 36 according to this report.

One of the reasons could be our harsh lockdowns that we experienced in 2020 and 2021. Our population is coming to terms with the deep depression and other mental health issues

There was a report on online gambling and anxiety done on the Today show with government reforms to be in place soon.

I think our diet is partly to blame as well as the time we spend online and not with each other. We don't eat well and the cost of living is getting worse. More and more people are turning to Foodbanks.

Also the rise in social media and our long hours at work are to blame

The government needs to allocate more money to mental health services. Only $4 billion has been allocated for four years.

By this time next year Australia needs to step up or otherwise we would end up in the top twenty places worse for mental health again

[anxietypastcovid]

The Australian government considers tightening the rules around Buy Now Pay later schemes. This means that it would be a lot more like a credit card scheme where if you don't have the money the Buy Pay later companies like Afterpay and Klarna can decline someone.

This is a really good move as it encourages us to think more about what we are spending and what we can afford. It also encourages us to make do with the things we have at home. We probably have too much stuff which is not good

Do we really need all that anxiety around paying it back? I once had Afterpay and I could not pay some of it back. So of course I got the late fee

Do you really need this item is what you should ask yourself before you buy! Can I make this item at home? Do I really need this brand or can I substitute and go for something cheaper?

As parents you might need to be tougher on kids and say no to the things they want unless they give a really good reason for it. Don't let your kids spend money on your card without you knowing unless you want to be liable for all costs

[anxietypastcovid]

Hmmm. Where do I start? The one thing I learned was that anxiety and autism go together and I'm much more autistic and anxious than I think. Also being a woman with very heavy periods makes my anxiety bad.

Its been a long 12 months for me. I have been home a lot and not been going out as much

[anxietypastcovid]

Watch "The Fake Reality of Social Media: Accepting Yourself | Sophia Shi | TEDxYouth@GranvilleIsland" on YouTube