The lack of recognition for my full range of problems , and thus substandard help and support.
Mental illness 1973
Asperger’s 2019
Probable dyspraxia- mentioned recently in ASD assessment,but not dxed as the aim was to say yay or nay re being on the autism spectrum.
Probable learning difficulty - Not considered in the 60s and 70s if you were a child of average or above intelligence . In short interactions with other people verbal skills are to the fore , which are an area of strength for me . Non- verbal/practical skills , that are a definite weakness for me , are not picked up on in short interactions with other people. My stepdaughter is more aware of my difficulties with such skills than any mental health professional I’ve ever seen .
I can relate to this too. For example, I have a long and unsuccessful career history, so what I did to move past it was by telling to myself: “Awww, that was a series of internship.”
Internship: The position of a student or trainee who works in an organization, sometimes without pay, in order to gain work experience or satisfy requirements for a qualification.
Isolation.
I get out enough and people want to be my friend but I can’t get past how my friendships usually go. I have to socialize to stay sane but my friends before I got sick used to gang up on me and treat me so badly that it felt as bad as being mentally ill.
Maybe there’s a friend out there who will treat me like the 58 year old who has lived a life of trying to be kind and nice to people while still functioning in society and having fun shooting pool, or going hiking or whatever.
Instead of people who want to see me as the painfully shy, 13 or 14 year old who let people treat him bad.
I used to think you kept the way you interacted with other people because you thought that was cool. Now I understand you just did it out of guard or shyness. You may need a counsellor.
So, lots of social problems, some people saying they are not getting the help they need, and a few people saying that they are still having lingering symptoms. I think I can relate to most of this. I have found it really hard myself trying to get back on my feet.
Getting thrown in jail for being mentally ill, and being confined to solitary for 5 months because of my symptoms, and being denied my full medication for those 5 months.
I’m still getting over it. The system failed me massively, I could have been helped in the mental hospitals if they had just cared enough to try and get through to me rather than just treating me as another crazy person passing through.
I’d really like to go back to that jail as a visitor some time and give them a piece of my mind. I’m still a little too afraid of police to do that but it would help me get some closure.
Weight gain, hostile, damaging, unsafe, enabling and insensitive community environment.
No form of control over ones life, more stability, security, freedom and safety required. Constant tapping in roof and walls.
Feelings of no support and constant damage, not understanding why things are so difficult.
Distrust of caregivers, neighbours, strangers. Feeling constantly harassed.