I wanted to make a post to express my appreciation for the autism charity that has been almost my sole lifeline for the past year.
When I moved back to my hometown in September 2022, I had little to no support from mental health services, despite multiple diagnoses, and struggling to even look after myself properly (which is something I still struggle with daily). I was always told I am “too complex”, “don’t meet their requirements”, or simply forgotten by the system.
In early 2023 I was given details for an autism charity based locally, and got in touch. After an initial assessment, I was accepted into their organisation as a service user in March, and that changed a lot of things for me.
Since then I have done numerous online workshops which have been extremely beneficial, and gives myself and others to also share our experiences. The workshops are done online in a private group, which is another huge benefit as I am too scared to leave my home on my own generally, and thus have to get taxis or a lift from my Dad (I am not allowed to drive because of my mental health). Getting taxis is obviously something I cannot do regularly. Having them online makes them much more accessible for people who are unable to travel.
I have done a lot of workshops, and some of them I have done 2-3 times, because for me it sometimes takes a few times of going over things to be able to understand it.
About a month later I started doing occasional walking groups with the charity. I don’t always manage to go to them all, but all the staff I have so far met who have worked for the charity have been tremendously supportive and accepting, and I have started to feel more comfortable in talking to some of the other members as well, and so as well as getting me out of the house (which as I said, is something I rarely do, and I struggle with), it is also helping me to develop my social skills.
We also have done a lot of other things, such as monthly social groups. I won’t say what we do for privacy reasons, but I have done a range of different social activities with them, and it is another opportunity for me to feel less isolated, and get out of my flat for a while. I have to get my Dad to take me to them, as they are in the evening, and I won’t leave my flat at all after 15:00 or anytime weekends unless my Dad takes me anywhere.
I still feel all the time that I do not belong here, and that I do not truly fit in, but I appreciate all of the efforts that the staff at Autism Herts go to to alleviate that feeling somewhat, and the efforts they go to to support myself and others.
It is fantastic that a charity like this exists, because I have spent more than three decades struggling alone, and feeling isolated, and finally I am starting to make some sort of progress, and feeling like perhaps I do have a future. I still struggle, all the time, with a lot of things, and I am still working on many of them, but there is not a shred of doubt that if it wasn’t for the charity, I would not leave my flat at all, I would not have any opportunity to develop my social skills, and I would be in a far darker place than I currently am.
A Voice in the Void 