Connect with people who understand what you are going through, seek advice and surround yourself with support. We're free, anonymous, and professionally moderated 24/7.

47,612Members
1,358,869Posts
1,400,000Visitors

Talking to other people about my own individual challenges

PositivePossum6Senior Contributor30 June 2022, 12:55 pm AEST

Talking to other people about my own individual challenges

This year I was diagnosed with a language processing disorder by my psychiatrist. It can be very challenging communicating with most people sometimes, but I have met many people who show empathy and understanding of my neurodiverse requirements. I choose to identify as being a biological male who identifies as being gender fluid, my preferred pronouns are he and his and I also choose to identify as being a young man who has autism.

I find that in terms of who I choose disclose my diagnoses and my various medical details is selective. My private medical issues are strictly private and those details are only between me and my doctor and people who I trust very much. I choose not to tell people who I am meeting for the first time that I have diagnoses of language processing disorder or that I am a person who has autism as well.

It would be reasonable to suggest that my disabilities are invisible, you could not look at me and tell that I have a language processing disorder or autism. I believe I have remarkable insight into who I am as a person, one of the main ways that I fostered and nurtured my personal insight was through mindfulness and through journaling. I love writing very much and it helps me so much understand myself and I feel a great sense of control and order in my writing projects also. I like writing poetry, and I am also writing a novel because writing brings great joy to me. I write in my journal every week just about, reflecting on all manner of topics ranging from people I speak to, things that I see, I write about various melancholic topics to the most joyous and happy topics.

I have found that when I do tell people that I communicate with that I have autism I do find people are very accommodating and understanding of my communication requirements some people, unfortunately, are not at all accommodating of my communication requirements.

I am wishing you all great happiness for your day ahead! I am looking forward to having a relaxing night tonight and playing Star Wars on my Nintendo Switch.

5 replies

1 - 5 of 5

In response to: Talking to other people about my own individual challenges

TideisTurningSenior Contributor30 June 2022, 1:36 pm AEST

Re: Talking to other people about my own individual challenges

Hi @PositivePossum6 & welcome to the Forums 😊I'm TideisTurning, one of the Peer Support Workers here. Nice to e-meet you!

Thank you so much for sharing some of your story with us. It sounds like you have some great awareness around what your needs are and boundaries around who you may (or may not) be ok with disclosing to or sharing with. I'd like to affirm that your story is yours to share, as little or as much as you'd like.

I'm also sorry to hear of the more challenging experiences you've been through, though am pleased it sounds like some of these harder experiences are balanced out by some positive, validating and accommodating experiences! I hope you will find connection with like minded others here 😊

In response to: Re: Talking to other people about my own individual challenges

PositivePossum6Senior Contributor30 June 2022, 1:44 pm AEST

Re: Talking to other people about my own individual challenges

Hello @TideisTurning ,

Unfortunately it is the reality of things such that we have good and bad experiences; good and bad experiences in my case concerning individuals who perhaps fear difference and neurodiversity. Some people are ignorant and may need further resources to help them understand about neurodiverse individuals who have ASD, ADHD or dyslexia to name a select few.

I remind myself that I am not responsible for an individual that is both ignorant and hostile towards my psychological profile, because I know and God knows that I am not reducible to my psychological profile, it is a constituent element to who my entire personal identity is.

I will also need to communicate with future employers my neurodiverse requirements as it will be essential they understand me and my difference.

In response to: Talking to other people about my own individual challenges

ChristheartSenior Contributor30 June 2022, 7:39 pm AEST

Re: Talking to other people about my own individual challenges

Hi @PositivePossum6 it's so nice to meet you!

You sound like such an interesting and insightful person. I too have been diagnosed with autism. But I still struggle to accept the diagnoses, especially when mental illness flares up, and I start to long to be normal.

I have never heard of language processing disorder. I will have to look it up.

I hope you're lovely night of playing your switch is going well! 💕🌸

Christheart

In response to: Re: Talking to other people about my own individual challenges

PositivePossum6Senior Contributor01 July 2022, 8:35 am AEST

Re: Talking to other people about my own individual challenges

Hello to you @Christheart ,

It is most good to be speaking to you. Thank you for sharing that you have been diagnosed with autism. And yes, language processing disorder is something that not many people have heard of -- but that is the case with a great many different medical terms. Medical terminology is a bit esoteric and the only reason I know about LPD is because I learned about it during my psychology degree.

I am sorry to hear you are struggling to accept your diagnosis -- what does it mean for you that you are struggling to accept your diagnosis? I am unsure what you mean when you say that.

And thank you -- I did have a very relaxing night in on my switch.

In response to: Re: Talking to other people about my own individual challenges

TideisTurningSenior Contributor04 July 2022, 4:04 pm AEST

Re: Talking to other people about my own individual challenges

I love the way you've put this @PositivePossum6- it can be part of your identity rather than a defining characteristic. ❤️

I can understand that @Christheart, and I hear you. While difference can sometimes feel awesome, they can be hard to come to terms, even be ok with, especially if it feels like you've had difficult experiences as a result of that difference (i.e. intolerance or exclusion for example). There was a peer group chat discussion around feeling different versus normal a while ago. You're welcome to read that back here if you'd like 😊 would be interested to hear your thoughts if you're comfortable sharing.

1 - 5 of 5