PIP Ongoing Award Critera

anisty

Oversharing isn't a bad thing, IMO!! I am terrible for it and i think, had i been born in recent times, i'd have an adhd diagnosis!

But i was a 70s child, where life for all ND people was much easier.

I'm so sorry you have had to go through these experiences. As you know, i have my son with autism plus learning difficulty but i also have 4 other adult children autistic with no learning disability.

And life is far more challenging for them in some ways than it is for my disabled son.

That you have friends and have had a girlfriend is very positive; that shows you can form and maintain relationships.

Often it is easier for ND people to be around other ND people and I do hope that when you feel a bit stronger, you might consider joining some activities where you can meet like-minded people - board game groups are a good place as a start.

I hope you still go out and meet your friends face to face. Staying in with your parents might be your safe place but, honestly, unless you keep going out every single day, anxiety can creep up on you and take you over.

Make sure you walk the dog, drop by a shop, pop to your local library. It doesn't have to be a big social thing.

And you might consider using some of your benefit money to pay for some private therapy to just help you come to terms with what's happened.

You are so young. You know if you got life organised in a way that was manageable for you, your self esteem could increase. Once you are comfortable with who you are, comments from others are water off a duck's back. The very hard part is accepting that your life is going to be limited to some extent by your autism. You will see people not as bright as you go further in their lives and that is hard to accept until you truly value yourself.

Not all value comes from having the well-paid career, the house, partner, kids etc.

When you can be comfortable in your own skin, you won't need to be validated by others. You will be emotionally strong. You won't compare yourself to others. You will be on your own journey in life.

And it is far too early to decide you're going to be disabled all your life! You can do incredible things!

noonebelieves

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/1011244#Comment_1011244

@anisty …Truly inspiring!! A big kudos from another 70’s Kid 💪🏽

Rumbler303

Hello @anisty they are lovely comments to make and I do appreciate the kind words. I do see my friends from time to time but they are settling down now as well so I don't see them as much. I already find it hard to cope with a lot of things (even before now), so they're having families and I've never been set on that, mainly because I just can't take much. There was a time where I had a higher threshold but these days that's all gone out the window.

I have tried to embrace who I am a lot more, and good friends are hard to come by, but I would say I do have good friends. I was in therapy for a while, I am considering going back though. I do try to pop out and about every now and again, but it is difficult. Some people can be so cruel, but I must emphasise that not everyone is bad.

I'll need to see where I am in the next few months, but with this impending tribunal case with my employer, it's gonna get nasty I think. I'm still on the sick there as well, but they can't dismiss me, but if I go back, I know they're gonna give me a dog's life. It's such a messed up situation.

I've found I'm able to have relationships for a bit, but people mostly **** off and find me annoying, I'm not sure how my friends have stuck around for so long to be honest. Thank you though.

Rumbler303

That was b*gger off by the way, but I'm surprised that's a curse word! Sorry!