Category: Psychology

Autism, life hacks, meltdowns, Neurodiversity, Neurology, Relationships, VideosLeave a comment

Autism & Learning to Recognize Autistic Meltdowns Before It’s Too Late

Lyric Holmans

Sometimes when I am unable to get away from other people, or the situation that I am in, or event that has triggered my meltdown, then I will go from flee to fight, and have a meltdown, where I may become air quotes, “combative”, “aggressive”, “defensive” -because I feel as if I am in danger, and cannot flee and get away from the danger, so then it switches to “defend myself and fight”. Continue reading Autism & Learning to Recognize Autistic Meltdowns Before It’s Too Late

Autistic Interests, Coworkers, Family, Masking / Passing, Videos, Vlogs1 Comment

Late NeuroDivergent Diagnosis – Diagnosed Autistic at 29 – Reading my Autism Diagnostic Report

Lyric Holmans

It was August 23rd, 2016, when I went in for the first part of my autism assessment, an in-person interview with myself and the person who would be reviewing my childhood history and medical records.

By the end of August, all of the interviews would be concluded, and by early September 2016, at the age of 29, I would be diagnosed Autistic.

At that point in my life, being almost 30 and having such a bombshell of a piece of information dropped upon me, I skimmed a 13 page (actually 14 page) diagnostic report, but was very overwhelmed, and couldn’t process the report in front of me. In fact, I threw the report into a paper shredder, and destroyed the report.

However, recently, more than five years later, I’m feeling more ready to face the information that was in front of me all of those years ago. Continue reading Late NeuroDivergent Diagnosis – Diagnosed Autistic at 29 – Reading my Autism Diagnostic Report

ADHD, Autism, Children & Families, Family, Friendship, Masking / Passing, Neurodiversity, Relationships, stimming, VideosLeave a comment

Things I Got in Trouble for Growing up as an Undiagnosed Autistic ADHDer

Lyric Holmans

I didn’t find out I was Autistic until I was 29, and my ADHD wasn’t diagnosed until several years later, however, autism and ADHD are both lifelong neurodevelopmental differences.
This means I was Autistic and ADHD my entire life, growing up, as a child, and I will be Autistic ADHD, my brain will be the same, the day I die.
There were obvious manifestations of my brain difference as a child growing up, many of which were labeled as “behavioral problems” and dismissed, or I was constantly scolded for acting in a very Autistic ADHD way.
Continue reading Things I Got in Trouble for Growing up as an Undiagnosed Autistic ADHDer

Autistic Interests, Masking / Passing, Relationships / Bullies / Friendships, VideosLeave a comment

The Challenges of being Autistic in a NonAutistic World

Lyric Holmans

Learning I’m Autistic has helped with some things, and made them easier. I am studying facial expressions and body language, to learn what some of that stuff means. I’m learning it in a very unnatural way, and I hear some people picked up on that naturally in life, which is hard for me to fathom… but I’m learning it.
I’m capable of understanding these things, it’s just like learning a foreign language to me. Some things, however, haven’t gotten any easier, because some things might be more difficult for some of us.
Continue reading The Challenges of being Autistic in a NonAutistic World

Videos3 Comments

We Don’t Have a Definition for Autistic Success Because We Only Talk About Autistic Struggles & Pain

Lyric Holmans

Autistic people are so defined, especially by the medical industry, by our struggles, pains, deficits, and the hard parts in life. Often the joys, positive experiences, in our skills are completely ignored.

We don’t even, really, have a good understanding of what Autistic success looks like, because, by definition, Autistic People are often described by our failures. Continue reading We Don’t Have a Definition for Autistic Success Because We Only Talk About Autistic Struggles & Pain

Masking / Passing, Videos7 Comments

Where are the Missing Generation of Autistic & NeuroDivergent Adults?

Lyric Holmans

The missing generation is Autistic/NeuroDivergent adults, typically growing up in the 1980s or earlier, who were not discovered to be NeuroDivergent as children (because of diagnostic limitations of the time).

Autism was not even in the DSM until 1980. So prior to 1980, Autistic People weren’t even listed in the diagnostic manual. That generation, and generations prior grew up when understanding was very limited, leaving generations of Autistic People undiscovered, or missed. Continue reading Where are the Missing Generation of Autistic & NeuroDivergent Adults?

Masking / Passing, VideosLeave a comment

Autism & Change – Why Change is Hard for Me as an Autistic Person

Lyric Holmans

I have been dealing with a lot of change in my life recently, and as an Autistic Person, some of us can find change to be difficult; and I am one of those Autistic People who struggles a lot with change. So if you would like to know more about my experience with this, please stay tuned. Continue reading Autism & Change – Why Change is Hard for Me as an Autistic Person

Diet & Nutrition, Illnesses, Masking / Passing, Videos5 Comments

Autistic Sensory Issues – The Relationship Between Sensory Processing Differences & My Digestive Problems

Lyric Holmans

Today I’m going to be talking about sensory processing, and the impact that that has on my stomach; because I don’t think a lot of people have spoken about this, and I want to know if anyone else is noticing what I am noticing.

Unfortunately, stomach problems are something that a lot of Autistic People will deal with. I know because I am an Autistic Person who has dealt with stomach issues off and on throughout my entire life.

Continue reading Autistic Sensory Issues – The Relationship Between Sensory Processing Differences & My Digestive Problems

Coworkers, Family, Masking / Passing, Videos5 Comments

Autism and Alcohol – My Autistic Experience with Drinking

Lyric Holmans

From personal experience, I can say that I used to use alcohol because I had social anxiety, and had all of these mandatory work networking happy hours and events, where there was always free alcohol; and alcohol made the anxiety numb, and let me tolerate being in these situations that, if I was listening to my gut, and my self, and how I really felt, I would have chosen not to go to anyway. I was putting a bandaid on things.

One or two drinks, and I noticed that the sensory experience, if it is a bit overwhelming, can sometimes become a bit less intense for me, and it is easier for me to go with the flow a little bit, as my inhibitions go down, but it doesn’t take as much alcohol, as it takes other people, to get me tipsy. Continue reading Autism and Alcohol – My Autistic Experience with Drinking