There is no more important moment in your life than the here and now. You can feel as if everything is falling apart faster than you know what to do. On February 13th, my healthcare provider abruptly discharged me from all mental health services. Now, I feel like a walking 42-year-old poster child for the most unfiltered autistic advocate anyone has ever heard of. And yet, in spite of everything, I am still here. I know how.
The key to survival is to be stubborn. Last year, I discovered I was in denial of my 2019 late autism diagnosis. The trauma from this broke me in a way that not even suicide has been able to do — for 27 years. For the first time in my life, I had reason enough to let go. But I am stubborn. Instead of optimism, I find myself living what some call ‘a life of spite’. You would be amazed at how resilient being stubborn can make you.
Thanks to one of my pioneering Twitter followers, Chris Weakly, I was introduced to a world-renowned advocate and mother of two autistic children. Last month, Kristy Mickelsen offered me the chance to be on her prestigious podcast. I had just finished writing my call-to-action, Autism PTSD Awareness Day, for April 26th. Even though I felt like shattered glass, I did not hesitate to accept. Now, my podcast journey continues in a most stunning demonstration of how being stubborn can save your life.
Kristy Mickelsen’s W.W.A.A. Podcast Be The Voice, Autism Isn’t a Label, It’s a Way of Life, April 22nd, 2024:
