neurodiversity

So tonight, I finally made the decision to walk away from someone I once considered a close friend. They basically started an argument over my so-called “anxious communication style”—which honestly isn’t even an issue for me anymore—while acting like I had no right to call out the toxic things they’ve done. This is someone who has literally stolen my medication, crossed countless boundaries, and made everything about what I could give them—whether it was money, time, or emotional support—without giving anything real back.

For years, I kept trying to have adult conversations, to make things work, but it was always one-sided. Meanwhile, they’re out here doing drugs while working in a mental health facility, and I just kept letting it slide. But I’ve realized that if I want to grow, to heal, and to build a better life, I need to surround myself with people who respect me and bring out the best in me. So I let the friendship go they started to use my mental health challenges against me, and I was like I’m not gonna tolerate that this time and it felt good. #MentalHealth #Addiction #ADHD #AddictionRecovery #Neurodiversity #Addiction #Autism #Depression #ADHDInGirls #MightyTogether

A long time ago, I reached a turning point in my mental health journey. It wasn’t easy, but it was one of the most empowering things I’ve ever done: I stopped letting other people’s opinions, judgments, or unsolicited advice define who I am or how I heal. Living with mental health challenges, ADHD, or being neurodivergent already comes with enough struggles—I realized I didn’t need to carry the added weight of voices that didn’t understand my path.

I made a choice to take back my story and refuse to let the stigma around mental health shape my identity or dictate what healing “should” look like. I’ve learned to set boundaries with people who make me feel small, misunderstood, or pressured to “move on” before I’m ready. I’ve come to recognize the difference between advice that uplifts me—things like “I’m here for you,” “Take your time,” or “I’m listening”—and advice that leaves me feeling dismissed, rushed, or unheard.

Every day, I remind myself: this is my journey, my pace, my life. No one else gets to rewrite that for me

#MentalHealth #Addiction #ADHD #AddictionRecovery #Neurodiversity #MightyTogether #Addiction #Autism #Depression #ADHDInGirls #Anxiety
Why Getting Support is Half The Battle

Yesterday, my therapist suggested that I might benefit from practicing self -compassion. She's not the only one to reach this conclusion - several previous therapists have told me the same thing, and I've experimented on my own with self-compassion practices. While I respect the research and soul-searching that clearly went into the development of the self-compassion framework, I also struggle with the sense that self-compassion practices are somehow hollow - that I can repeat the statements, but they don't take on any deep meaning for me.

As I start my self-compassion journey again, I'm also troubled by the ableist and elitist underpinnings of the movement. I've been unable to finish Kristin Neff's book on self-compassion because of her depictions of her autistic son as a burden and a source of suffering, as well as her tone, which sometimes comes across as patronizing. Please know that I don't mean to minimize the voices of those who have found her work influential and helpful - only to share my own experience as I've engaged with it. I also feel that statements like "everyone suffers" may be somewhat true, but also ignore the systemic nature of suffering.

All of this to say - I'm left wondering what a more liberatory, anti-ableist self-compassion might look like - one focused on interdependence and committed to dismantling harmful frameworks. Any ideas?

#CerebralPalsy #Anxiety #ObsessiveCompulsiveDisorder #Trauma #Neurodiversity