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AUTISM AWARENESS DAY <3. My story: **Slight trigger**

louisa982louisa982 Posts: 294 The Mix Regular
Hey guys! Today is world autism awareness day so it's time to share my story again. Please feel free to comment any questions about autism or if anyone has autism, feel free to share your story too <3
When i was younger i never understood why no one really wanted to play with me. I never understood why every single person got invited to a party in my class and not me. I just wanted to be friends with everyone in infant and juniors and i didn't understand what i was doing wrong. It really upset me and i remember in year 5 on one of our "rainy lunchtimes" being inside writing a list in my notebook that read "reasons why people hate me" I was 9. A 9 year old child writing a list of about 30 reasons as to why other children hated them. Its hard to think about even now.

And of course there was the bullying as well. pretty much constant from year 3 till my last day of year 11. When i went to secondary school i thought id be able to make friends and "be normal" but it didn't happen. On my first day i went and sat next to the "populars" and they told me to fuck off. i was so excited to join bohunt and on my first day i wanted to leave. In year 8 i started self harming. it was lest obvious at first but then i went on to use sharper objects. My mum took me to see doctors and counselors but i didn't like it, i couldn't look at them . id would have felt a lot more comfortable if we were both sat back to back and i knew they weren't looking at me.

After a long couple of yeas i was diagnosed with aspergers or "autism spectrum disorder" (ASD). This felt weird. I was relived on one hand as i knew there was a reason but upset and stressed about why it had to be me. Like why! I like to think i'm a nice person putting everyone else first, always putting 200% into everything and this is given to me. It is hard to come to grips with. And reading up on my condition and looking at "autistic girls descriptions" I am quite "textbook" and if teachers had basic autism training this could have been diagnosed in the early years and maybe more support would have been available. Unfortunately as i hate the doctors and seeing therapists ect i didn't really get much help and the school didn't care (that's another story) so the self harming didn't stop til the end of year 10 / start of year 11.

I'll always have the scars but it reminds me how much shit I've gone through and how i can carry on no matter what. When i went to college it all changes and i loved it there! I then got a part time job with some lovely , amazing, supportive, funny work colleagues for which i am so glad I've managed to feel "at home" with as i didn't even know if id be able to stick a job like that in a supermarket. I'm now at Essex uni studying accounting and working towards my degree! I have some amazing friends and am part of two amazing society's . TAS and choir, and I love everyone there and have some brilliant squad friends!

I guess what i'm trying to say is that if you are autistic, or in fact have any condition that effects your life, you can get through this. it will take time and you may go along the country lanes instead on the motor way but it will happen and you'll have so much more "life experience" than everyone else. Thanks for reading and please donate if you can to the national autistic society , even £1 will help and spread awareness about autism!!!! 2764.png<3 2764.png<3 xx

http://www.autism.org.uk/get-involved/donate.aspx

Louisa xxx

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    louisa982louisa982 Posts: 294 The Mix Regular
    Aidan wrote: »
    I've just filled in a GARS booklet to take back to my counsellor to see if it's worth being referred over to get an ASD diagnosis. I too always wondered why everyone else never wanted to get along with me. Why does everyone else seem to be on a different wavelength to me?

    And one of the few friends I had had a brother with Asperger's syndrome, and I hated whenever he tried to draw comparisons between the two of us. But at the same time, I knew he had a point. So I'm glad that I can get (or not get) a diagnosis and finally move forwards.

    Glad to hear you're doing so well right now!!! I'm hoping I can get back into college this year and take the a-levels I need to try for a degree in medicine. It'll be hard, but isn't that the point?

    Thanks for posting this, didn't even realise it was autism awareness day today : )


    A diagnosis is helpful , although can be a long process to get one so be prepared for that! It is hard, but it's worth it and if you revise as yo go it's not too bad!
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    SienaSiena Posts: 15,533 Skive's The Limit
    Sorry to interrupt your lovely discussion.


    You have been through a lot and clearly a very strong person. and it is very powerful to read. - But its really nice to read that your in a better place and have good friends !. :)
    “And when they look at you, they won't see everything you've been through. They won't see the **** that turned to scars that began to fade with time. They won't see the heartbreaking things that shook up and changed your entire world. They won't know how many tears you cried or even what it was you were crying about. They won't see how strong you had to be because you had no other choice. What they will see though is how compassionate you are because you experienced pain. What they will see is how kind you are because you experienced how cruel the world is. What they will see is how good you are because you've seen how bad things or people can be. The difference between you and your experiences are who you choose to be, despite everything that could have turned you cold and unkind.You are the good the world needs and the best of us.” ~ Kirsten Corley
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    AifeAife Community Manager Posts: 3,043 Boards Guru
    Hey everyone, I noticed things were getting a little bit off topic here, so I've deleted a few posts.

    Louisa thanks so much for sharing your story and raising awareness of autism. You've been through so much, but it's so great to see how far you've come and how strong you are :).

    @Aidan - really great to hear about your aspirations to get a degree in medicine :)

    Being on a waiting list can be a long process, does anyone have any advice or tips on how to get through this long wait?

    - Aife
    Maybe somethings don't get better, but we do. We get stronger. We learn to live with our situations as messy and ugly as they are. We fix what we can and we adapt to what we can't. Maybe some of us will never fully be okay, but at least we're here. We're still trying. We're doing the best we can. That's worth celebrating too ❤
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