Just Another Possibly Autistic Woman

You may have heard this story before

Photo by Mahdi Bafande on Unsplash

It took a major breakdown for me to face up to the fact that the roles I played were not sustainable. You can read all about it because I wrote about some of it here.

How to Have a Breakdown

Autistics call these carefully but unconsciously created behaviours ‘masking’. They are coping mechanisms that are learned early in life, so that they can be socially acceptable. They are more excessively seen in females, and are one reason why diagnoses of autism in girls, women, or female-presenting people is difficult.

“The Murderbot Diaries” Taught Me About Myself and About Humans, Too

I am not diagnosed. I now identify as neurodivergent, an umbrella term for minds that work differently than the “norm”. I doubt I will ever be formally diagnosed, though I strongly suspect I am autistic. I also am not sure of the value of diagnosis in my case (I…