neurodiversity

One personal goal I’ve set is to stop speaking so negatively about myself. For much of my life, I’ve been incredibly hard on myself. I used to believe I was a worthless person — someone with no ambitions, no clear goals, and no sense of direction. I’d essentially yell at myself to try harder, to be better, to exceed expectations. But all that ever did was stir up more negative self-talk.

I never realized just how harsh my inner critic had become. Every mistake, every awkward moment, and every visible flaw turned into fuel for self-criticism. My inner dialogue tells me that I’m too different to ever truly fit in, that I’ll never amount to anything, that I’m incapable of most things. And the worst part? I’ve believed every word.

Trying to manage my emotions and quiet the negative thoughts has been incredibly difficult. It’s hard to unlearn years of self-hatred, and even harder to see anything positive when you’ve spent so long tearing yourself down. But after reaching a point of emotional exhaustion, I finally realized something important: that voice in my head wasn’t the truth. My inner critic was born out of years of comparison, rejection, and judgment — not reality.

So, I set a new goal: to reduce negative self-talk and replace it with compassion.

It hasn’t been easy, but one thing that’s helped is writing daily affirmations in my journal. I try to jot down at least five things I admire about myself, or my greatest strengths. Doing this helps shift my focus, especially when I feel the urge to put myself down.

I’ve learned that changing the way you speak to yourself means confronting the parts of you that never felt worthy in the first place. When I pause and really think about it, I realize I would never speak this way to someone I love — so why am I doing it to myself?

This shift in mindset has opened the door to more compassion, patience, and gentleness. Because we all deserve kindness — especially in the moments we fall short.

“You’ve been criticizing yourself for years and it hasn’t worked. Try approving of yourself and see what happens.” - Louise Hay

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#MentalHealth #Depression #ADHD #AutismSpectrumDisorder #Anxiety #Neurodiversity

What’s one thing you can do for self-care in tough moments that’s within your own sphere of control? For me, it’s using my Clarity app and reminding myself that other people’s beliefs, actions, and attitudes belong to them—not me. If they can’t see my effort, that’s on them, not on me.

And it’s not about pretending frustration doesn’t exist or acting like challenges don’t get to me. It’s about acknowledging those moments, seeing them for what they are, and accepting them as part of being human. Once I do that, I can choose how to respond instead of letting the moment control me. #ADHD #MentalHealth #ADHDInGirls #BipolarDepression #Depression #Addiction #Anxiety #GeneralizedAnxietyDisorder #Neurodiversity

Lately, I’ve been feeling really alone. And it’s not just the kind of loneliness that comes from being by yourself—it’s the kind that happens inside my own head. I’ve been disconnected from the people I love, second-guessing every conversation, and replaying interactions on repeat. When this happens, and my thoughts get stuck, they start spiraling fast.

A short text from a friend all of a sudden becomes proof that something is wrong. A missed call feels like a sign that I’m unwanted. Silence expands into rejection. My brain takes a tiny seed of doubt and grows into a whole forest of “what ifs” and “they must not like me.” And once that story gets loud enough in my mind, it doesn’t matter how unrealistic it sounds—I believe it.

This happened recently with a close friend who lives out of state. We don’t talk as often anymore, except when one of us is back in town. I reached out the other day, and replies seemed short—just a “yeah” or “ok” here and there—though text can always be rather tricky to read. Still, I convinced myself it meant we were drifting apart. I created an entire story in my head: she was upset with me, she didn’t care about me anymore, maybe she didn’t even like me at all. I started going through the past, picking apart every little detail to find proof that she didn’t. And then, on top of all that, I felt ashamed for even thinking that way.

Other times, it’s little things—like sending a photo or a funny meme and getting no response for hours, if at all. My mind immediately jumps to worst-case-scenarios: Did I say something wrong? “Maybe they’re annoyed with me?” “Maybe they don’t like as much anymore.” Even when I know that’s highly unlikely, the feeling is so real it’s incredibly difficult to shake.

It’s this cycle that I get caught in: overthinking → self-doubt → shame → isolation. And it’s exhausting.

Sometimes it feels like my brain is working against me. I know logically that a short reply or a missed call doesn’t mean the end of a friendship. I know that people get busy, distracted, or tired. But knowing it doesn’t always make the feeling go away.

I’ve realized that this spiral ties into FOMO and RSD. Every pause in communication can feel like proof that I don’t belong, that people are moving on without me, or that I’ve done something wrong. Even when I know deep down it’s not true, my mind always convinces me otherwise.

Some days, it feels like I’m trapped inside my own thoughts, but then I remember that even if my mind is convincing, it’s still just my mind. Nothing harmful has actually been done. It’s rather preposterous to take an idea and run with it, but it’s just a part of who I am, and I’m learning to navigate it as best I can. And somewhere in the mess of overthinking, shame, and doubt, I’m still me. The me who laughs at silly memes, who texts friends even when it feels scary, who keeps trying even when the spiral wins.

“Overthinking leads to paralysis. Over-feeling leads to isolation. Sometimes the bravest thing you can do is simply let things be.”-Unknown

#MentalHealth #Neurodiversity #SelfDoubt #emotional #ADHD #RSD #AutismSpectrum