It's #FollowFriday, and I already shared a list of recommendations, but I want to give a special shoutout to @hmm_cook!

💚 Mastodon: @hmm_cook
🏡 Homepage: https://www.autismchrysalis.com
🗞 RSS: https://www.autismchrysalis.com/feed/
📺 YouTube: https://youtube.com/@autismchrysalis
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/autism_chrysalis/
🐦 Twitter: https://nitter.net/hmm_cook

I’m sure some of my autistic followers can relate to her content, just like I do.

#Autism #ActuallyAutistic #Autistic #AutisticBurnout #AutisticMasking #AutisticBreakdown #Fedi #Fediverse

If you’re trying to force yourself to do something someone else’s way, and it conflicts with how you function, of course you’re going to get pretty crappy results.

#AutisticMasking #AutisticBurnout #ActuallyAutistic #Autistic #AuDHD #Neurodiversity

I see unmasking as becoming whole, as in the the person I present to the world is more or less, with a social filter, the same as the person who is inside.

#unmasking #AutisticMasking #ActuallyAutistic #Autistic #AuDHD #Neurodiversity

Oh, we were supposed to conform to something?

What's that? And why?

#actuallyautistic #latediagnosed #veracious #whyiswrongokay #autisticMasking

A functional autistic life doesn’t come from imitating a neurotypical life.

#unmasking #AutisticMasking #ActuallyAutistic #Autistic #AuDHD

The more that we unmask, the more that we face our own dark sides, the more that we live in integrity, the more we naturally can handle authenticity from other people.

#AutisticMasking #unmasking #ActuallyAutistic #Autistic #AuDHD

Unmasking My Office Part 1 - This Isn't Overthinking

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2LXH2bVyLKE

#AutisticMasking #ActuallyAutistic #Autistic #Neurodiversity #AuDHD #unmasking

Unmasking doesn’t mean I have to spew my unfiltered thoughts at every person, but when I do share, I share the truth. I share authentically.

#unmasking #AutisticMasking #ActuallyAutistic #Autistic #AuDHD

Why Autistic Masking Works For Your Benefit

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHeb0Ik0TyM

#AutisticMasking #ActuallyAutistic #Autistic #Neurodiversity #AuDHD #unmasking

It takes inner authenticity to be able to handle other peoples’ truths.

#ActuallyAutistic #AuDHD #Autistic #unmasking #AutisticMasking #healthyrelationships

In some ways, unmasking created a lot more internal distress than when I was masking, because it was offering up more of my authentic self, and when that was rejected, it hurt more.

When I was offering up a mask, the rejection wasn’t as personal.

#AutisticMasking #unmasking #ActuallyAutistic #Autistic #AuDHD

Step One In Figuring Out What You Want

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iDcOjebz4BE&t=18s

#ActuallyAutistic #Autistic #AuDHD #AutisticMasking #Interoception

Ok, I'm going to try an experiment. I usually don't post a lot, mainly because I wonder if people really care what I think, think about or do, but perhaps that's just #AutisticMasking. So for the next few days (I'm just starting my long weekend), I'm going to try to break out of that, and try posting about most things I'm doing and thinking.

Fair warning: if you usually find me boring, annoying or irrelevant, you might want to mute me now...

We'll see how it goes - how I feel about it and how exhausting or otherwise. I'll try to post about that too.

#ActuallyAutistic #Maker #Arduino #LaserCutting #Linux #FreeBSD #SelfHosting

[Edit: forgot #3dPrinting ]

“Fitting in” behaviors become a problem when we routinely don’t, or no longer can, align our internal reality with what we present externally.

#AutisticMasking #ActuallyAutistic #Autistic #Neurodiversity #AuDHD

For many of us, it’s really hard to know what we want, or even acknowledge that we have wants but I guarantee you that you have wants.

All humans want. We come into this world wanting. We want milk, connection, to be cared for, and to be comforted.

#ActuallyAutistic #Autistic #AuDHD #AutisticMasking #unmasking #Interoception

We mask to feel safe, not to hide who we are.

We hide who we are, because who we are is not safe in our current world.

If we want Autistic people to not mask so much, we need them to feel safe.

#ActuallyAutistic #AutisticMasking #autism #MentalHealth #neurodiversity

Some of us learn as small babies that there’s no point in crying because we won’t be answered, so we go quiet.

#ActuallyAutistic #Autistic #AuDHD #AutisticMasking #ActuallyAutistic #AutisticBurnout

Unmasking My Wardrobe Color Choices

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=muRJEElbGnE&t=43s

#ActuallyAutistic #AuDHD #Sensory #AutisticMasking #unmasking #Interoception

Hot take:

Masking mostly only exists for the sake of neurotypicals' comfort, and letting them go about life without putting in any work interacting with neurodivergent people, allowing them to in the back of their minds basically pretend we don't exist.

It's a special accommodation for the majority.

Neurotypicals get all this accommodation, expect all this accommodation, for our mere existence, and we get none for our actual difficulties and disabilities. This is bad; it ought to be the other way around.

🕷️

#ActuallyAutistic #Autistic #Autism #Masking #AutisticMasking #ADHD #ActuallyADHD #Neurodiversity #Neurodivergent