Holy shit, comrades. I had no idea. This explains so fucking much. Thank you, thank you, thank you to the comrades like @ReadFanon@hexbear.net and @FourteenEyes@hexbear.net and others who have mentioned the book on this site.

There are some traits I don't share (are there any dealbreakers that would disqualify me as autistic?), but for the ones I do have, they fit exactly. Price, in the conclusion, talking about sleeping on an air mattress and refusing to buy furniture - that's been me. Same with all of the food issues they talk about. Same with . . . etc. Goddammit. How did I not know? Do I know now? What do I do now? I'm already on disability so I don't know that I need to go through the diagnosis process.

  • Magician [he/him, they/them]
    ·
    6 months ago

    I finished the audiobook this week and I felt similarly as I heard my thought processes described back to me

    • Wertheimer [any]
      hexagon
      ·
      6 months ago

      If many of my migraines are related to autistic burnout - and from what it sounds like, they very well could be - this could really change my life.

  • FourteenEyes [he/him]
    ·
    6 months ago

    Still planning on doing a book club for this next... week or so? Work is insanely busy while we have a skeleton crew at the same time and my spring semester just started so I'm trying not to go completely insane

    I think tomorrow I'll try to work out how I'll structure the discussion on paper or something

    • Wertheimer [any]
      hexagon
      ·
      6 months ago

      Thank you again for the recommendation. I don't know if I can help with organizing the book club but I'll certainly be participating in it.

    • roux [he/him, comrade/them]
      ·
      6 months ago

      Can't wait for you get get this going. I want like everyone to read this book.

      I was gonna read a long with the group but kind of realized last month that if I didn't read it then I probably never would get to it.

      So I'll be ahead of the class but am super eager to read what others get out of this.

      Thanks for even recommending it a while back because it wasnt even on my radar.

  • LarsAdultsen [none/use name]
    ·
    edit-2
    6 months ago

    I've read Laziness Does Not Exist, but I never could put any of the suggestions into practice. I would like to read this one because the poor nature of mental health resources in the region I live in, prevents me from gaining any real insight into my dysfunctions. On the other hand, I'm on the fence because all the reading I've done so far (and I've done a lot), has never really helped me to act on any of the stuff I've read.

    • Wertheimer [any]
      hexagon
      ·
      6 months ago

      This one is more about insight than it is about action. I've also had trouble putting my reading into practice (with regard to procrastination, especially).

      Price says that cognitive behavioral therapy doesn't work on autistic folk, so maybe that's part of it? I'd like to read more on that.

  • roux [he/him, comrade/them]
    ·
    edit-2
    6 months ago

    There are points in this book where it feels like he's talking directly at me but others where I just didn't identify with, like what you said. And I took those points to be basically him saying "this part is about your autistic and other ND friends" and it helped me better understand them. I'm really greatful for that since I think I went in hoping to understand me more. Which of course I do. But it's basically an added bonus.

    I have an online friend who has CPTSD and his wife is autistic but her sensory issues and how she has meltdowns are way different than mine for example. But in the past it was like it was behind some wall that I just wasnt able to look over(since I think I really only understand the world from my perspective) and now I have a better understanding of really both their disabilities. But this also extends to me having a way better understanding of my wife's ADHD and OCD for example.

    Ive said it before but this book is really life changing. It's easily a recommendation from me.

    I know because of the book the Devon hangs out on /r/AutismTranslated and such but a small part of me wants to try and get him on here for an AMA for some reason lol.

    Y'all read this book.

    • Wertheimer [any]
      hexagon
      ·
      6 months ago

      And I took those points to be basically him saying "this part is about your autistic and other ND friends" and it helped me better understand them.

      Yes. There's one friend in particular with whom I share several eccentricities, but we clash sometimes because our systems for dealing with the world are occasionally incompatible. I thought of them a great deal while reading this and they've promised to read it soon - I expect it will really strengthen our friendship.

      • roux [he/him, comrade/them]
        ·
        6 months ago

        It was this for me with my wife. Like I mentioned, she has ADHD and I got the Autism. But like I am all about systems, routine, lists, organization, order, etc(which is why I am trying to get into IT/Data Analysis since I think I would excel there) but she has yet to find a method that will keep her from losing her keys. I didn't realize it until I was reading through this book but like sometimes our functioning(or lack there of) just end up clashing. It's even caused arguments between us. She is now on chapter 6 but I really wanted her to read it for a few reasons and one was the amount of comparing and contrasting between several of the disorders he covers. I saw a lot of her when he covered ADHD, which is kind of crazy because it wasn't that long ago that I assumed ADHD was just hyperactive and inability to focus. I had no idea that Inattentive ADHD existed, which I think is what she has.

        • Wertheimer [any]
          hexagon
          ·
          6 months ago

          Last night I was rereading a bunch of threads in this comm, including your post where you talked about this book and specifically about Divergent Design. It sounds like a promising way to resolve antinomies.

          • roux [he/him, comrade/them]
            ·
            6 months ago

            Coolio. We got some heavy cleaning to do but then after that or during that we are gonna start focusing on Divergent Design, especially for her. She has more clutter spaces than I have organized spaces so I really wanna figure out a system that will work for her.

  • BreadMaster5000 [he/him]
    ·
    6 months ago

    YES! I have never seen myself so represented in a book. It was a real mind opener in the process of accepting myself. I stumbled by chance on a thread where the book was suggested and I'm so glad I did. Thank you all!

    • Wertheimer [any]
      hexagon
      ·
      6 months ago

      It was a real mind opener in the process of accepting myself.

      Last night I got to shut down all of my usual insomnia thoughts and anxieties by telling myself "It's okay, you're autistic." It didn't cure the insomnia or anything but it made it so much less uncomfortable.

      • BreadMaster5000 [he/him]
        ·
        6 months ago

        I feel you. To understand yourself better when you had no tools in order to do so doesn't fix everything, but it sure changes the framework with which you work with. I hope you find self compassion and that you find your true self in your path of healing. I'm at the start of my journey also, so I don't have any answers to your questions, but I hope that you find them!