When I was growing up I sooo had this! It was a universe that had every character I liked from books, shows, movies, comics, etc. It lasted for well over a decade, but it became super draining on my mind as I got older since I couldn’t turn it off… And, most likely autism driven, I would often verbalize the sounds and actions playing in my mind. It took a lot of mental effort to finally end the story!

Sooo cute! I have a pair of stuffed bunnies that I cuddle to sleep with 🩷 I can microwave them/heat them up when I really need something warm and calming. I hope you enjoy your new friend 🐇

Maybe 4… and by understand, I mean they have experienced my highs when I have something in my life to temporarily hyperfixate over that brings me so much joy - but also my incredible lows during burnout periods. They’ve been caught in my emotional storms and have continued to be there when I eventually even out (sometimes many months later). They understand I can be highly emotional and prone to crumbling under sadness and stress.

The other people in my life know I’m on the spectrum, but I don’t think they necessarily get it.

I would say the biggest difference I notice is communication. I tend to need full honesty and full commitment. I’m super incompatible with people who think small lies are better than uncomfortable and honest conversations or who make plans and don’t follow through with them.

I wish I had a good answer… most of my life, I was raised by a single parent. I love my mom, but she’s no doubt also on the spectrum, and she was incredibly overprotective and wasn’t the best at managing her emotions. After I turned 18 and started community college, I really pushed for my independence. She didn’t do too well with this and was constantly telling me I wasn’t allowed to leave without her permission and set an arbitrary curfew for me. I pushed back, she got super upset, changed the locks on me one day, and I was forced to live in my car (until I totalled it), friends’ floors, and eventually a small shelter specifically for people struggling with mental health issues. I really hated that shelter since it was rigid and I had no privacy… I learned independence to survive. I’m in my 30s, living in my own, and I feel I’ll always be playing catch up. I wasn’t taught how to handle different life obstacles well or how to navigate my intense emotions, especially when it came to friendships, relationships, and work-life.

We’re semi-fortunate to have the internet and access to large amounts of information. I leverage it constantly to help me figure out and understand how to solve problems in my life. Obviously, research is important and not acting impulsively (not the easiest). For your question, I think figuring out what specific things you’d like to plan or research would be helpful!

I moved to Affinity early this year, and it has been amazing!! I was expecting a long adjustment period after decades with Photoshop, but it’s so similar that I picked it up super quick!