At the start of the new year, I finished an exhausting journaling experiment with “My Journal’s Notes,” when I was left to ponder my life. Here I was, 42 years old, unemployed for seven years; scarcely any social integration, no economic integration, and the accommodations I requested from my healthcare provider were in doubt. Yet, I had learned more about my mental health in 2023 than in my entire life.
For the first time, I had definitive answers to my most serious issues. But this kept me on a fierce roller coaster of self-discovery and ever-deepening trauma that put my past severe depression to shame. While I had hit no dead end, I was stuck with tunnel vision because my care provider was not taking the accommodations seriously. That changed when I was contacted by two gentlemen whose specialty I had overlooked: podcasting.
Back in November, I came across a pioneering autistic researcher named Patrick Abec, from Swanton, Ohio, on Twitter. He offered me an opportunity to be on his podcast just before the holidays. After the new year, he and I reconnected and scheduled a time slot. Patrick, who turned out to be a most gracious host, and I discussed my life as an autistic that covered from high school age up to my 40s. You can find it at the link below:
Patrick Abec’s The Autistic Researcher Podcast e70, January 18th, 2024:
https://twitter.com/patrickabecarp/status/1748037056222081064?t=LfJsCZZKvw4-zrhJRRNmoA
In January, an autistic entrepreneur and Twitter follower of mine, Chris Weakly, was instrumental in directing an aspiring podcaster from Nashville, Tennessee, to my attention. For two years, Tony Mantor has been building a very promising podcast highlighting advocates and autistic people. He used an unscripted approach, which turned out to be a boon for me. One of the topics we covered was autism and suicide. Tony was a masterful host. It was a pleasure to engage so much with him on such important topics. His podcast can be found at the link below:
Tony Mantor’s Why Not Me the World Podcast, Jim Irion: The Unseen Struggle and Triumphs in Adult Autism, February 21st, 2024:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tony-mantor-why-not-me-the-world/id1688757384?i=1000646321565
