littlefangss

[littlefangss]

★ note ;

this is written from personal experience as an autistic person. every autistic person is different, and will experience burnout differently, too!if you want to read more about burnout, i've listed the sources in the caption! ^^

★ what is autistic burnout ?

autistic burnout is the intense physical, mental, or emotional exhaustion that some autistic people may experience - it can cause a loss of skills, poor mental health, and physical issues. it can last up to 3+ months - and can even last for years.

★ other effects of autistic burnout ;

long-term exhaustion, loss of function, reduced tolerance to stimuli, loss of confidence, finding it harder to control emotions, more meltdowns/shutdowns/overloads, and even the loss of special interests.

★ what causes autistic burnout ? burnout can be caused by masking your autistic traits, high expectations from other people, not getting accommodations or help, frequent stress, big changes in life/routine/etc, a lack of support, and ableism - especially dismissiveness from NTs.

★ how to avoid/reduce autistic burnout ; listen to your body - if it needs a break then give it one, unmasking your autism (if you're safe to do so), learning about how your own autism affects you, talking to friends/family (if it's safe), engaging in special interests, etc!

★ my advice ;

as someone who had their first burnout for 2yrs and had to quit high school for it: please listen to your body! i've lost skills and special interests, and i triggered some of my chronic illnesses from ignoring my needs bc of academic pressure - it's not worth it!

★ more of my advice ;

sometimes it isn't easy to remove yourself from a draining situation, especially if it's education-related or if you're not safe enough around family/friends to open up. but you should still try your best to accomodate to your needs as much as possible!

★ summary ;

autistic burnout is a horrible thing - and it's different from normal burnout that everyone experiences. autistic people suffer from living in a world that doesn't accomodate to them, and that's why burnout is sadly so common. be patient with us! <3

[littlefangss]

meet the admin

. ᨳ introduction . . . hihii~ i’ve been meaning to make a meet the admin post for a while, but i’ve been so caught up on college stuff - but now i have some time to make one! i’m trying a different editing style with some images for this post rather than having only text, so i hope it looks nice! nice to meet you all! <3

. ᨳ basics . . . my alias is vampy, but you can call me anything you know me as!

i am neurodivergent (autism, adhd, dyscalculia, ocd) and chronically ill.

i’m very open about my conditions, because my account is a safe space for other neurodivergent/disabled/chronically ill people, and i like normalising talking about these things ^^

i use he/they/she pronouns - i am nonbinary and queer.

i’m 18 and my birthday is february 1st ^^

. ᨳ about the account . . . i’ll be posting userboxes, storygames, multifandom stuff, edits, infoposts, and creator guides (how to make userboxes, how to start a public account, etc).

i try to post daily, but sometimes posts may be every other day.

because of college and other personal things, i may take frequent breaks!

my dms are open, but i take a while to respond to dms (i have a low social battery - especially if i don’t know you very well).

i also have an account dedicated to genshin content: @kokonomiiya !

. ᨳ more about me . . . some of my hobbies are: writing, editing, playing videogames, listening to music, dungeons & dragons, collecting stuff, and fishkeeping!

i also enjoy engaging in my hobbies, hugs, plushies, hatsune miku, soul eater, and raising/nursing sick or baby fish!

. ᨳ hyperfixations and special interests . . . my current hyperfixations are: genshin impact, arknights, hatsune miku, the sims, persona, pokemon, and some other things.

my special interests are: my s/o, videogames, animals, fishkeeping, music, metallica, and some others.

. ᨳ some characters i kin . . . (images only)

. ᨳ some of my fave characters . . . (images only)

. ᨳ other things . . . my fave colour is purple.

some of my fave games are arknights, genshin impact, the sims, and pokemon - i’m also excited for two unreleased games called honkai star rail and arknights endfield!

some of my fave bands/artists are tame impala, gorillaz, metallica, rick james, 2pac, and tons of others.

i use tone tags and i’d appreciate if people could use them for me, too!

mostly everything else in included in my carrd (link in bio)!

[littlefangss]

☆ people should care more about something feeling happy and comfortable with their gender/sexuality label rather than internet discourse about it.

☆ even educational institutions that claim to be "disability-inclusive" are full of ableism and dismissiveness — not to mention people with saviour complexes often work in these places.

☆ if an autistic person is comfortable with calling themselves a 'person with autism' or 'on the spectrum' then they should be allowed to. all autistic people should have autonomy over how they describe themselves!

☆ accomodating to your disability or chronic illness or accepting that you can't do certain things (like keeping a job) is not "giving up", it's being realistic. you're allowed to have needs and boundaries - your health matters.

☆ expecting people to reply to messages instantly is unfair; a lot of people don't have the time, or they get overwhelmed/drained easily. be patient with people, especially if you don't know them well!

☆ engaging in discourse is really bad for your mental health, and it doesn't do much other than create stress and arguments (from experience). friendly debates can be beneficial, but the discourse community isn't the best place for that.

☆ grades don't define your intelligence! you're allowed to celebrate getting a high grade, but you should also keep in mind that a low grade doesn't mean you're not intelligent. stress, poor memory, a bad day, poorly-worded questions are all factors in receiving a low grade, not just how smart/talented someone is.

☆ you're allowed to set boundaries in a relationship, even if other people or your partner doesn't have those same boundaries. everyone is different; mutual respect and understanding is key.

[littlefangss]

✎ᝰ ... happy international pronouns day !

international pronouns day was yesterday, but i still want to make my own little post for it! ^^

no matter how you identify, we all use pronouns (unless you choose to just go by your name), and today is meant to celebrate that and to spread awareness about why pronouns are so important!

. ᨳ some reminders for international pronouns day ...

✦ pronouns don’t always equal gender!

some people use pronouns that are seen as “contradictory” to their gender/presentation, but that doesn’t matter!

✦ respecting people's pronouns can save their life!

according to a survey (by the trevor project in 2021), trans and nonbinary youth who had their pronouns respected by most/all people attempted suicide at half the rate of trans and nonbinary youth who didn't have their pronouns respected.

✦ if someone uses multiple sets of pronouns, try to use them all!

it means the world when people use all of our sets, or our most-preferred ones, so try to do that for other people (unless they've said that they 100% do not mind)!

. ᨳ some more reminders for international pronouns day ...

✦ it's okay if you constantly change your pronouns!

it takes time and experimentation to figure out who we are and what we're comfortable with, so go easy on yourself!

✦ even cis people should share their pronouns!

when people who aren't trans or nonbinary share their pronouns, it helps to normalise them, and it normalises respecting them no matter who it is!

✦ normalise asking for pronouns, instead of assuming!

it's much more uncomfortable for someone to have their pronouns assumed than to just be asked what they use. you can also look if the person has any pronouns badges on them! asking for pronouns also normalises them even more!

[littlefangss]

all about special interests ...

✧ introduction ...

this post is exclusively about autistic special interests, as it is generally accepted that it is a term that belongs to our brain structure and community - this is not about interests in allistic (non-autistic) people. please be respectful of that!

✧ what are special interests ?

special interests - shortened to “spins” - are a unique type of interest experiences by autistic people. they are characterised by having a deep, intense, passionate, and incredibly focused (or narrow) interest in a certain thing. special interests are normally seen as more important than non-special interests.

most spins are long-term, and can last for weeks, months, years, or even your whole life. someone can also have multiple special interests - there is no limit!

✧ more about special interests ...

special interests can shape an autistic person’s life; influencing our decisions (career, friends, hobbies, social life, etc), bringing us comfort and happiness, helping us unmask and express our true selves, and many other things.

some autistic people may have one special interest, whilst other people can have tons - and a lot of us experience spins more strongly over other ones. every autistic person is different, and will experience/describe their special interest(s) in their own unique way.

✧ special interests vs hyperfixations ...

special interests: typically long-term, generally viewed as a term exclusively for autistic people, normally more deep/intense/life-changing than hyperfixations, passion doesn’t die down or fluctuate in extreme levels (but for some they may).

hyperfixations: typically short-term or the level of passion fluctuates, viewed as a term for any neurodivergent person, normally aren’t as life-changing as special interests, can bring some negative effects/emotions due to hyperfocus (although special interests can do that, too).

these differences are from my experience, and the opinions of many other autistic people. once again, everyone experiences things differently, and some people may not even fully relate to either term (see the next slide about “special hyperfixations”).

✧ “special hyperfixation” ...

this is a term i made up - but i’m sure that other people may have used/coined it before - for autistic people who experience passions that are too strong to be hyperfixations, but don’t last as long as special interests. this is aimed towards autistic people with ADHD, but it can be used by anyone (in my opinion)!

some people may have their interests share an equal amount of traits from both special interests and hyperfixations, which is why combining them to make “special hyperfixation” may help them!

it simply means that your interest is in between a special interest and a hyperfixation.

[littlefangss]

I think a lot of allistic (non-autistic) people fail to understand that even positive things can still overwhelm and burn out autistic people.

Even when we enjoy things, there's still a big possibility that we will need time to rest and recover afterwards. Like holidays, theme parks, group hangouts, etc… even if these things bring us joy, they can still take a toll on us.

Autistic burnout is intense physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion commonly caused by the brain growing tired of navigating a neurotypical world or overwhelming environments.

Fun things can still require the autistic brain to over-exert itself, or experience sensory overstimulation.

Even though autistic people deserve to have fun and enjoy exciting things, we shouldn't be expected to be 100% okay after them. A lot of us will need time to recover, even if we enjoyed it.

[littlefangss]

I think a lot of allistic (non-autistic) people fail to understand that even positive things can still overwhelm and burn out autistic people. Even when we enjoy things, there's still a big possibility that we will need time to rest and recover afterwards. Like holidays, theme parks, group hangouts, etc… even if these things bring us joy, they can still take a toll on us.

Autistic burnout is intense physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion commonly caused by the brain growing tired of navigating a neurotypical world or overwhelming environments. Fun things can still require the autistic brain to over-exert itself, or experience sensory overstimulation.

Even though autistic people deserve to have fun and enjoy exciting things, we shouldn't be expected to be 100% okay after them. A lot of us will need time to recover, even if we enjoyed it.

[littlefangss]

Poor and working class people are allowed to have nice things, having expensive things and an expendable income doesn't suddenly make someone middle class or higher.

A lot of poor people who have nice things have a family who helps out with big purchases, has parents who spend little money throughout the year to treat their kids on Christmas and birthdays, are an only child, get government benefits, etc.

Poor people are allowed to spend money, they're allowed to have nice things, and they shouldn't have to explain themselves everytime they treat themselves to something expensive.

Calling people slightly above the poverty line "rich" or "middle class" erases their struggles, and assumes that every poor person has to be miserable and without an expendable income 24/7.

Let poor people treat themselves, they understand their money and class status more than you do!

[littlefangss]

all about rejection sensitive dysphoria

★ important note ... i will mostly be talking about rejection sensitive dysphoria in relation to ADHD because of my personal experiences as someone with ADHD, although i do make sure to mention similar traits in other conditions and how rejection sensitivity affects them.

any discourse about who can and cannot experience rejection sensitivity will be deleted, because my account is a safe space! /nm

★ what is rejection sensitive dysphoria ? rejection sensitive dysphoria (shortened to RSD) is a form of emotional dysregulation characterised by an extreme emotional sensitivity to real and perceived criticism or rejection.

RSD is extremely common in people with ADHD, and used to be considered exclusive to it, but now it is generally accepted that rejection sensitivity can be seen in other conditions.

RSD is not classified as its own mental health condition in the DSM-5, so there is no strict criteria for its symptoms or causes.

★ some common signs of RSD ...

low self-esteem

avoidance of social situations

fear of failure

high expectations of self

emotional outbursts after feeling hurt/rejected/criticised

feelings of hopelessness

approval-seeking behaviour

anger or aggression in uncomfortable situations

a low tolerance to frustration/having a short temper

traits of RSD can mimic other mental health conditions - especially mood disorders - but one distinguishing characteristic is that episodes of RSD are usually brief and fleeting, no matter how intense they are.

★ what causes RSD ? there are no 100% official causes for RSD, but it is generally agreed upon that RSD is normally a symptom of a larger condition (like ADHD, for example).

other possible causes are: a history of rejection/neglect (especially in childhood), bullying, abusive situations, genetics, trauma, having ADHD, or a family history of mental health disorders.

★ who experiences RSD ? it used to be thought that RSD was an exclusive symptom of ADHD - and some people still believe that - but that isn't the case. it has now become general consensus that rejection sensitivity and the dysphoria that can occur in extreme cases can be experienced in conditions other than ADHD.

rejection sensitivity can be seen in autism, depression, borderline personality disorder (and other cluster b disorders), anxiety, and certain phobias - along with many more conditions.

★ ADHD and RSD ... although rejection sensitivity is common in many neurodivergent people, the percentage of people with ADHD who experience RSD is between 98-99%. almost every single person with ADHD will experience it at least once in their life.

RSD in ADHD can become so severe that it mimics mood disorders, and can even cause suicidal ideation. it is also harder to treat RSD in ADHD, because it is so inherent to our nervous system.

one of the biggest reasons why rejection sensitivity was seen as an ADHD-exclusive trait for so long is because we experience it so uniquely, and because of how intertwined it is with our neurology. that's also why RSD is mostly talked about through an ADHD-lens.

★ RSD in ADHD vs a mood disorder ... because the traits are so similar, sometimes it's difficult to determine whether you're dealing with rejection sensitive dysphoria or a mood disorder.

RSD (in ADHD) normally causes mood changes with a clear trigger, the moods match the perception of the trigger, mood shifts are instant, and episodes are brief and fleeting.

mood disorders (depending on what the specific disorder is) commonly cause mood changes without a clear trigger, the moods are independent from external influences, and mood shifts can last weeks to months.

★ ways to deal with RSD ... it's hard to treat rejection sensitive dysphoria - especially if you have ADHD - but there are some things that work for certain people depending on the severity of their RSD and what causes it.

certain medications, therapies, support networks, and coping mechanisms may be suggested by professionals, along with treatment for any condition that could be causing the RSD.

learning about RSD and educating others about it, creating a safe environment, opening up to trusted people, practising self-care and avoiding being hard on myself for having (mostly untreatable) RSD are ways I deal with my own RSD caused by ADHD and autism.

[littlefangss]

Dear You,

I know it's hard to believe that you're allowed to struggle to do things that are "easy to do" for "normal people". You've had it ingrained into you that being unable to do something makes you a failure and a burden, but that's wholly untrue.

You are not a burden for being disabled; it's called a disability for a reason.

It hurts to see people do things that you're unable to do, I know, I feel that all of the time. But we need to be nice to ourselves, because our bodies/minds are different to the people who can do certain things.

Maybe you have an interesting hobby that you're able to partake in, and someone else may struggle to partake in that same hobby. That doesn't mean the person in particular is a failure or a burden, it just means that the hobby isn't for them — that should be the mindset we have for ourselves, when we're unable to do something that has become the norm.

If you need help with:

Dress yourself

Washing or keeping up hygiene

Cooking or being reminded to eat

Cleaning dishes/beds/etc

Being independent

Leaving the house

Etc, etc, etc

...Then you still aren't a burden, you're just a human who doesn't get along with those particular things - much like how some people cannot participate in other people's hobbies.

I know it's hard to hear, and hard to accept, but I promise you that you're not a burden for needing support with "basic" needs. The strongest thing you can do is admit that you do need help, but recognise that it doesn't make you any less worthy of love, recognition, or respect compared to someone who can do those things.

Love from,

A disabled person who still feels like a burden sometimes ❤️

[littlefangss]

★ what is abrosexuality ?

abrosexual is a term on the multisexual spectrum (mspec) for individuals who feel as if their sexuality is fluid, or changes over time with intensity/frequency/attraction.

every abrosexual person is different: some may feel as if their sexuality floats between specific labels, whilst others can feel like their sexuality is ever-changing. both experiences are valid!

★ the abrosexual flag ...

the abrosexual flag colours (green, light-green, white, light-pink, and pink) don't have any assigned meanings by the creator, but some members of the community have made custom interpretations.

one popular interpretation is that green represents a queer attraction, the fade-to-white represents the transition into an attraction shifting, and the shades of pink represent the actual change of attraction.

★ why do people identify as abrosexual ?

a lot of abrosexual people are told to identify as other - more well-known - sexualities, because our fluidity is seen as "impossible" or "too confusing".

in reality, abrosexual is just the label that fits best for us, and that's okay. micro-labels for multisexuality are used by people because they need more specification, not because they want to harm other identities.

abrosexuality can feel very confusing and complicated at times, and "sticking to a label" is extremely difficult if you feel as if your sexual attraction fluctuates/changes often.

[littlefangss]

★ note ...

i experience psychosis and delusional episodes, so this post is from personal experience (as well as multiple sources). not all psychotic people experience things in the same way, please keep that in mind!

★ what is psychosis ?

psychosis is when someone experiences a disconnect from reality, and is mainly characterised by hallucinations and delusions.

hallucinations: hearing, seeing, smelling, feeling, tasting things that do not exist in reality.

delusions: strong beliefs that are not grounded in reality; genuinely believing in things that are clearly not real, to a "delusional" or even dangerous extent.

these false experiences can feel extremely real to someone who has psychotic episodes, even if they seem outlandish to other people.

★ traits of psychosis ...

experiencing sensations that are not real

believing in things that are not real

losing touch with reality

delusions and hallucinations

sudden changes in behaviour

withdrawing socially

extreme paranoia

being susceptible to conspiracies, fantasy, etc

delusional attachments/misidentification

extreme defensiveness when your "reality" is disproven or shattered

★ types of delusions ...

erotomanic: believing that another person is in love with you (can include celebrities or familiar people in your life).

grandiose: delusions comprised of having an over-inflated sense of self; believing you're a god/higher power, believing you hold superhuman talents, etc.

jealous: believing that your partner is being unfaithful (to a delusional and overly-paranoid degree).

persecutory: holding the irrational belief that you are being mistreated, spied on, or targeted by someone.

somatic: believing that you have a physical or mental health problem to a psychotic (and sometimes dangerous) degree.

mixed: someone who has two more types of delusions.

★ what causes psychosis ?

psychosis and general psychotic episodes can be caused by many things.

schizophrenia (and other conditions on the schizo-spec), bipolar, severe depression, borderline personality disorder or other cluster b disorders, autism, ADHD, and other conditions can include psychotic traits or a higher risk of developing it.

traumatic events, drug/alcohol misuse, certain side effects from prescribed medications, and physical conditions/trauma (such as damage to the brain) can also cause psychosis.

★ treating psychosis ...

certain therapies (most notably cognitive behavioural therapy), medications, and other treatments can be possible ways to treat psychosis.

however, there isn't a perfectly accurate way to completely cure it, and for many people it can be a chronic symptom that comes in waves but never fully leaves.

you can support yourself or someone else with psychosis by being patient, understanding, and neutral with the delusions/hallucinations. you can also join support groups or access other forms of social aid to help you!

[littlefangss]

★ what is dyscalculia ?

dyscalculia is a learning disability characterised by specific and persistent difficulties in understanding numbers and other foundational components of mathematics.

dyscalculia functions similarly to dyslexia (and is often called 'maths dyslexia'), but the two are not exactly the same. things that help dyslexic people may not necessarily help people with dyscalculia, because they are still separate conditions.

★ signs/traits of dyscalculia ...

difficulty counting backwards

poor sense of numbers and estimation

struggles to remember 'basic' mathematical facts

difficulty understanding place value

little to no sense of whether or not an answer is right/close

performs calculations slower

may mix up numbers

forgets mathematical procedures/routines (especially if they are long)

avoids 'difficult' mathematical tasks/questions

weak arithmetic skills

high levels of mathematic anxiety/phobia

may use fingers to count

low confidence in maths

★ diagnosing dyscalculia ...

dyscalculia is difficult to diagnose, because it shares traits with many other learning difficulties and neurodivergent conditions, and it is still a fairly new diagnosis.

some areas still consider dyscalculia to be a different form of dyslexia, and don't do a separate diagnosis. other areas don't even have dyscalculia in their radar.

however, as dyscalculia is receiving more awareness, diagnosis is becoming much easier and accessible!

★ what causes dyscalculia ?

there is no universal cause for dyscalculia, and research is still being conducted to figure out exactly what can cause it, but there are a few speculations and developing answers.

genetics — if your family member has dyscalculia, there is a high chance that you will also have it.

neurodivergence — if you have a neurodivergent condition (autism, ADHD, other learning disabilities), you are more likely to have dyscalculia.

maths anxiety/phobia — there is a link between phobias and anxiety surrounding mathematics to potential dyscalculia, although more research needs to be done.

lack of early help — dyscalculia may also be caused by a lack of support when struggling with maths at a young age, from schools or family members. this lack of early help may contribute to an increase in dyscalculia traits and mathematic anxiety.

★ tips for dealing with dyscalculia !

💕 be kind to yourself/others: dyscalculia isn't a choice, so people struggling with it shouldn't be treated as 'difficult' or less intelligent than others.

💕 accomodations: many academic institutions will offer additional support (even without an official diagnosis). this can be extra time in exams, frequent breaks, or a maths tutor.

💕 dyscalculia ≠ unintelligent: dyscalculia affects people of all life experience and mathematical ability, and it doesn't mean that you're less intelligent than other people.

💕 find support: there are a lot of groups for dyscalculia or learning disabilities in general, and you will find lots of advice and support there!

[littlefangss]

★ what are OCs ?

OCs are original characters that somebody makes. they can be inspired by media, or made completely separate from any source.

they can be written, drawn, or made in any other way - there are no limits when it comes to creating your own original characters!

★ how to create an OC ...

you can create an OC in many different ways: picrew, drawing it yourself, editing bases, writing, etc. the easiest way is to download a template online, and then fill in the details based on your character ideas!

if you struggle with drawing, picrew is a great way to show off your character if you don't want to have their appearance exclusively written.

you can keep your OC information in your notes app, gallery, google docs, or certain websites. most people tend to have accounts on tumblr or instagram dedicated to their original characters — but you can store them however you want.

★ examples of OCs ...

original characters can be confusing to fully understand if you've never made/seen them before, so i'll use two of mine as an example!

my first OC is one i made for my D&D oneshot (and grew too attached to throw away), and the second one is based on my elden ring character. the next two slides will show off their information sheets.

[littlefangss]

fatigue vs tiredness ...

many people tend to conflate the two, or think that they're comparable to each other, but they're actually very different. many chronically ill and disabled people experience fatigue, and it can be very frustrating to have our fatigue compared to general tiredness.

what is fatigue ?

fatigue is a daily lack of energy that cannot be relieved by sleep exclusively. it can be caused by numerous things that are separate to your sleeping habits, and may turn into chronic fatigue.

in chronically ill people specifically, fatigue (or chronic fatigue) feels like a near-permanent zombielike state. it can rarely be alleviated, and even the simplest of tasks can drain the little energy we have each day.

why it's important to know the difference ...

it's important to understand the difference between being fatigued and being tired for a few reasons.

understanding your body - when you know what fatigue feels like, you'll be able to identify it within your own body. this will allow you to prevent burnout and prolonged fatigue.

respecting disabled experiences - as i mentioned earlier, many disabled and chronically ill people have their fatigue compared to general tiredness. knowing what fatigue is can allow people to further understand and respect disabled and chronically ill people's experiences with it.

what is chronic fatigue ?

chronic fatigue is both a state experienced by many disabled people, and an alternative term for a diagnosable condition (myalgic encephalomyelitis).

chronic fatigue is identical to regular fatigue, but it lasts for at least six months and cannot be fully improved through sleep or rest.

chronic fatigue as a syndrome (CFS/ME) is also characterised by extreme tiredness and fatigue that lasts for at least six months. it also cannot be fully explained by a condition or underlying causes. fatigue in this condition can be made worse by mental or physical activities.

the key differences between fatigue & tiredness ...

tiredness can be alleviated with rest/sleep, whilst fatigue can not

fatigue can be chronic/it's own condition

fatigue has stronger and more detrimental effects on the body compared to tiredness

ignoring fatigue can lead to serious health problems and risks

fatigue is often comorbid with other conditions

tiredness is caused by a lack of sleep; fatigue can be caused by a myriad of things

[littlefangss]

i haven’t used tumblr in so long holy fucking shit

[littlefangss]

ଘ(੭ˊ꒳​ˋ)੭✧ food fantasy → misc icons + halloween;