#adhd is exempt from allistic fuckery

[brightlotusmoon]

[brightlotusmoon]

https://mobile.twitter.com/wormspoodle/status/1610013214065975296?s=46&t=tvpuOyZjESkdbcLIZ_RGfw

Being autistic with ADHD means both at the same time.

[brightlotusmoon]

Yale Researchers Discover Possible 'Brain Fog' Treatment for Long COVID > News > Yale Medicine

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As he saw more patients experiencing these issues after a COVID-19 infection, Dr. Fesharaki-Zadeh wondered if N-acetylcysteine (NAC), an antioxidant that is being tested for TBI, could also help the cognitive deficits associated with long COVID. He saw some improvement in his patients’ energy and memory but decided to add a second medication, guanfacine, which is known to strengthen prefrontal cortical circuits.

Guanfacine is approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of ADHD (a neurodevelopmental disorder associated with prefrontal cortex function), and is also being tested off-label for TBI and other brain disorders. It was developed by Amy Arnsten, PhD, a Yale School of Medicine neuroscientist who researches the molecular needs of prefrontal cortical circuits.

Dr. Fesharaki-Zadeh worked with Arnsten and treated 12 patients with a combination of guanfacine and NAC. Eight patients reported significant benefits, including improved memory, multitasking abilities, and organizational skills.

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So I can say something about this personally. Been on guanfacine at 4 mg for a year, and while NAC is in my supplement arsenal I haven't taken it in a while. I do know that I've had fewer instances of brain fog since being on the guanfacine along with tyrosine 500 mg. I'll buy NAC next week and then I'll start marking the calendar on the hallway closet door, the new 2023 calendar. I'll try to keep a daily note of brain fog improvement.

[brightlotusmoon]

ADHD and Sleep Problems: This is Why You’re Always So Tired (Part 1)

[brightlotusmoon]

Watch "Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder vs Autism – How To Tell The Difference" on YouTube

Things I wouldn't have seen a decade ago.

[brightlotusmoon]

Autism is a spectrum. This does not mean that everyone is a bit autistic. It means that every autistic person experiences different combinations of autistic traits and each to different intensities. It is non-linear and our ability to cope with different things varies day to day.

[brightlotusmoon]

[brightlotusmoon]

[brightlotusmoon]

[brightlotusmoon]

To quote a fellow advocate:

"The average age of mortality for autistic people is 18-30 years sooner than non-autistic people.

There are lots of reasons for this. Autism is like the "buy one, get six FREE" deals of neurodivergencies. Navigating social politics is like driving an old 90s beater with a standard transmission and giant square wheels. Our bodies are often like "we were made wrong and now we're going to slowly unexist this hulking garbage body".

In summation, it's because it's all just exhausting."

[brightlotusmoon]

Remember that not every Autistic presents in the same way, we aren't a monolith, and ADHD shares 80 percent comorbidities to the point where advocates are seeking deeper connections. So many of us have ADHD that everything is sliding around a Mobius Strip Spectrum.

[brightlotusmoon]

Image description: two hands shaking. The left person is labeled "autistic people." The right is labeled "cats" and the handshake is labeled "People thinking we're mean, cold, rude, evil and unloving because we don't express affection the way people want us to express it."

[brightlotusmoon]

One of the most damaging things was being punished for “autistic behavior” & anxiety - nobody knew that’s what it was at the time - and people assuming my intentions based on what would’ve motivated them.

People didn’t know that my motivations were very different from theirs.

[brightlotusmoon]

And yes, this can apply to autistics. We are cousin neurologies, and lately advocates have been wondering if ADHD might actually be on the larger Infinity Knot Spectrum of the autistic system. If, like me, you are both ADHD and Autistic, your existence is in for some wild times. 😺