As someone who has been diagnosed with autism relatively recently, I thought I’d do something serious in this thread.

April is Autism Awareness Month. I myself was diagnosed in April. One thing I have tried to do is not let it define my life or even be a label. It is a part of who I am. Sometimes I’m perfectly okay with it, sometimes I struggle. It’s certainly not always easy. But I do feel that there’s a lot better understanding of neurodivergence (and of mental illness as well) than there was when I was a kid, even if I wish I had been diagnosed earlier so that I – and my family – would have understood more when I was younger. And this is something to be grateful for.

Introspection and self-discovery can be hard, especially with something that can make interacting with others and understanding yourself more complicated. And paradoxically, you can need other people to help you do so, even though a lot of it is important to do on your own. But it’s worth it, and knowing what you’re dealing with and how to accept and embrace it will lead you to more comfort in your own life, which is why it’s definitely for the best that I took the time to learn and find out about this. I’m working my way through a book about it which has definitely helped me.

Anyway, have a good Night Thread!