That’s a pretty good metaphor

The fun part is being accosted about how forgetting to do something is not a valid excuse, and that I really don’t care about person {x} or priority {y}, because if I did then I should’ve done it already! 🙃

Aw, there’s so much ancient history now than ever before, how could it be the worst on record?

I was lucky to get both physical and verbal abuse from my family, so I’m just a grown up mess now.

I am glad to see the studies come out that validate these experiences on a more empirical level.

Depending on what high school I was from, a lot of former classmates in my first high school wouldn’t even recognize me since both my name and gender presentation are much different now.

I had to transfer partway into my high school years because the school admins had serious safety concerns for when I leave the property (it was mostly filled with aspiring gangstas, extreme homophobes and few decent people in the mix). Least to say, I was harassed and bullied over my behaviour pre-transition.

This sparks joy

You can’t lose your self-esteem if you never had any to begin with taps head

Damn, I got my ADHD diagnosis, but I’ve been constantly looping between if it’s ADHD and possibly C-PTSD or ADHD, Autism and C-PTSD that’s making things so difficult for me 😅

When I initially came across this picture the first few times, I have read in a similar manner as the other commenter replied as well. While I never got the original intention behind whoever updated the text in the picture that I’ve posted, it’s resonated with me in a positive way.

That is also accurate lol

That is true! Though with computers being one of my “productive” traits, I do get asked to look at computers instead 😅

Yuuup, I really don’t think my traumas made me “stronger” or “thick-skinned”, but instead I feel like I’m even more fragile than before, sensitive and still just as easy to cry.

Now I struggle to talk or hold conversations because I get exhausted from thinking up of response options and picking the most appropriate ones for the context and gauge the level of sharing to give in personal responses, usually by then there’s already a shift to a different topic or interest, and then my process resets.

It’s hard since letting my mouth run has gotten me into a lot of trouble/getting bullied and sometimes, hurt people.

Then there’s the fun part where since I’m accustomed to unsafe situations/interactions, my nervous system sends signals that I’m unsafe when I’m in safe situations/interactions and I… kinda just lock up since my experiences with feelings of safety is that it’s usually short-lived and something bad is going to drop and I gotta prepare somehow

I might have disturbed his smoke break, oops 😬

Yum, chikin nuggets 😋

Also that’s the best car to pull up to a drive-thru in!

That’s good to hear, it definitely feels like my presentation does differ exactly like that- depends on the mood/day/circumstance.

That’s fair- I am slowly building a healthier way to be more aware of when I’m in either side of talking, but it is reassuring to see other peoples experiences as well

Not officially, but I’m diagnosed ADHD and for now, self-diagnosed autistic

I managed to finally save up enough money to put myself on a waitlist to get called to setup an appointment to start my autism assessment in several months from now, so…yay?

So much yes

Is it weird that I kinda have both?

I got diagnosed with ADHD at 25 , and I’ve been like 90% quiet most of my adult life. However I recall every now and then when a memory hits, I used to be suuuper energetic, talkative and all over the place overall as a kid.

Since my family thought that getting me mental help = being put into an asylum for life, I never got assessed and was instead chastised/shamed into not talking (and in parallel the regular kids would mock and tease in the school system) so I’ve sorta just got quiet which just got me more inwardly chaotic

Ahhh, this hits right in the soul!

I usually try to reply within the same week, otherwise I feel that shame spiral HARD