Remarkable and remouldable as it is, I'm not sure a human brain has the capacity to accommodate such a fundamental redefinition of itself after so long in another mode. Not quickly, anyway, maybe not fully, and certainly not both.

I was offered the #autism workshop as something to help me stay afloat until I could get psychotherapy to fix my sinking boat. So that's all worked out splendidly.

I am sorry to hear that. What type of depression do you have? (My depression is non-bipolar.)

I feel more able to look after myself by identifying unpleasant noises, smells, lights, etc, and moving away. Before, I would have wondered why I was feeling distressed, sat as quietly still as possible so nobody noticed, and hated myself for feeling bad when no-one else seemed to have a problem.

I'm sorry you're having a tough time of it. I recognise those symptoms, but only because I've had some help getting to grips with alexithymia! It is some solace to know that lifelong physical, mental and social problems are real, with a cause, rather than weakness or attention-seeking. But not much.

A bit of a shock, yes! I feel lucky and grateful to have found the ND communities over on Mastodon and then also here on Bluesky. I'm not very active on either, but I lurk a bit and learn a lot. All help and advice welcomed and appreciated!

Ach. That sounds a bit worrying. Hang on today, by your fingertips if needs be. Try again tomorrow. x

But boring answer: Depends.
Had I known a year or two earlier? Not much difference, but I'd be further along now.
10, 20, 30 years earlier? Spared me and others a lot of hurt.
As a kid? I'd be a different person now, and had a wholly different life, so I can't even fathom how to answer the question.

I wouldn't have spent decades (unwittingly) trying to cure my autism with anti-depressants/booze.

I hope I would have developed better awareness of how different I am when I mask vs when I don't, and thus could have actively managed the +/- effects of my masked/unmasked behaviour on me and others.

I don't know if I invented a new thing. But I fooked up some perfectly good gravy, is what I did. I mean, look at it. It's got ribbons of semi-solid batter in it. (I put it in a tupperware thingy, in hope that when I take it out of the fridge tomorrow it will have magically become Something Good.)

Sometimes a service is a pleasure.

Oh, that rogue s is going to haunt me. Oh.

Thank you! Peace, love and happy times to you and yours. x

Thank you!

Honestly, why doesn't everyone do this every year? Seems like lots of neurotypicals would enjoy #ChristmasDay better this way.