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[unicornduke]

 I spent a long time telling myself that I wasn't 1000% sure I was autistic and I obviously was handling life fine and didn't need any more coping mechanisms because I was fine. 

Let me tell you, wearing noise cancelling headphones in a grocery store is the best damn thing I've ever done.

And also things keep popping up where I go: well, I guess I might actually be autistic for realsies 

Comments

[dragonlady7]

it was that thread!!
I was thinking about it today as my high-energy niece climbed repeatedly up and down a wall while chewing her shirt, as she listened quietly to a book I was reading her, and I thought, child, I hope society lets you keep doing this. When I was in kindergarten I fidgeted so much that I would regularly move the table at which I sat several feet over the course of a day. Now I have trained myself so well not to move that I'll get stuck in one place and not be able to get up even to do something I want to do, like go pee. (Which isn't just training out the fidgeting, but it's overlapped into the executive function problems that are getting worse as I age.)

But like. How I couldn't stop picking at my split ends from ages 13-22? I finally figured out hairstyles that prevented it, because otherwise I would get absorbed in doing it to the point that I couldn't, say, do normal workday tasks because I was so absorbed in picking at my hair. I think I damaged my eyesight doing it. Sigh.

[unicornduke]

I mean, hopefully kids are able to move around more, and maybe the Montessouri school helped with that?

I used to fiddle and braid my hair when it was long, and like you pick at the split ends (picking so long and so focused that it felt like eyes were permanently crossed, yeah?), and I got yelled at a lot for doing it in school. I then started picking at my skin and I can sometimes fiddle with a pen to not pick or buttons on my shirts if they have them. I also chew on my cheeks and lips and chewing gum helps with that. But sometimes it doesn't. shrugs. Sometimes I also just lock my hands onto something like a belt loop or something and don't let go because that will keep me from picking.

I'm so so glad I don't work mostly in an office environment because farm work super helps with everything. I find I do these more when I'm not moving around much during the day.