Hidden Disabilities Sunflower 💜’s Post

𝗗𝗶𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗶𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗲𝘀, 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘀𝘂𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗱𝗱𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 𝗰𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗲𝘀? That condition is Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). - 75% of homeless youth have ADHD, and over a third of children with ADHD struggle with anxiety or depression. - Untreated ADHD significantly increases the risk of drug and alcohol misuse, depression, and anxiety. It's time to raise awareness, provide support, and address the root cause of these societal challenges. Let's start a conversation about how we can better support individuals with ADHD in our workplaces, schools and communities and start addressing the root cause of so many issues. Share your thoughts, experiences, and ideas in the comments below. Together, we can make a difference. #ADHDAwareness #SocialImpact #Homelessness #ADHD #mentalhealth Mentioning some key opinion leaders in these spaces, help me spread the word. Richard Branson Oprah Winfrey Sheryl Sandberg

Autism and Suicide . Autistic people have more than three-fold higher rates of suicide and suicide attempt than the general population. And, this makes my heart break in many different ways . “The Statistics” shows that : ✨ Autistic people are 9x more likely to die from suicide ✨30-50% of Autistic people have had suicidal thoughts ✨Autistic children are thought to be 28x more likely to have suicidal thoughts than NT children It’s Shocking right !! But this is the truth!! This is due to factors, such as: 👉 Lack of professional understanding and awareness of autism and the lived experience of being autistic 👉Bullying/marginalisation/trauma 👉Unemployment 👉Social isolation/loneliness 👉Struggles with physical health 👉Living in a deficit world where they are told they are broken 👉Constant masking 👉Extreme burnout 👉Alexithymia 👉Repetitive thoughts 👉Lack of support 👉A range of unmet needs 👉Curiosity to know what happens - For Autistic kids/adults their mind runs with thoughts “what will happen if I jump from the rooftop/mountain cliff/balcony/slit hand /drugs ” when they are in that environment. Tip: Never let them go alone to places, areas or keep things visible to their sight this can prevent an impulsive act. “The Impacts” There is one clear impact...DEATH. Autistic people should not have to die because people treat them poorly, or because they live in a world that is designed against them. One thing I know working with kids over the years is that Autistic kids are teased /bullied/abused. Autistic kids right from age 10 experience suicidal thoughts and for this very reason we need to provide safe environments, build connections and provide necessary tools and support for kids before it’s very late. We can do our bit to protect both kids/adults because they are vulnerable to take drastic actions. September is suicide prevention month and I felt it was the right time to bring awareness on this sensitive topic ... Just ending with a quote that I love : Suicide isn't cowardly. I'll tell you what is cowardly; treating people so badly that they want to end their lives. #autism #suicide #awareness #sucideprevention #nuggetsfortoday #childpsychologist #neurodivergent #audhd #india

Oh my God… the feeling is amazing 😊 You know when you find another human who sees things the way you do? The Crappy Childhood Fairy 🌟 otherwise known as Anna Runkle 🌟 expresses perfectly that, far from being grasping and ego-driven, becoming profitable is essential. ✅ Non-negotiable. When we are chronic under-earners and under-valuers of ourselves, we must shift our focus to becoming profitable. Unfortunately, trauma is inextricably linked with ADHD and under-earning. Let’s recognise that - and not silence those in need by refusing to talk about money and profitability. Time to be brave and risk unpopularity by bearding the dragon. 💪 🐲 Here, I’m sharing the main points of her illuminating article: Under-Earning is a Trauma Symptom You can read the whole article here: https://lnkd.in/dcm4qthG You can also join my free Business Boost Masterclass that has clear actionable ways to grow in confidence and profitability without sacrificing your heart. Link in comments. #BusinessGrowth #NeurodivergentEntrepreneur #ADHD #GrowthMindset #CrappyChildhoodFairy

🧠 HAIR-PULLING: A RELATABLE IMPULSE Hair-pulling, also known as trichotillomania, is a common impulse often experienced by individuals on the autism spectrum or with Asperger's syndrome. In this episode, we delve into the complexities of this behavior and offer insights into managing and understanding it better. 💇♂💭 For many individuals, hair-pulling serves as a coping mechanism—a way to alleviate stress, anxiety, or sensory overload. It's a behavior deeply rooted in the need for sensory stimulation and regulation, often providing temporary relief from overwhelming emotions. 🧠💫 However, despite its temporary benefits, hair-pulling can have significant emotional and physical consequences. From feelings of shame and embarrassment to potential hair loss and skin damage, its impact can be far-reaching and profound. It's essential to address this impulse with compassion and understanding. 🌱🤝 In this episode, we'll explore strategies for managing hair-pulling, from seeking professional support to developing alternative coping mechanisms. Together, we'll navigate the journey toward self-awareness and acceptance, fostering a community of understanding and support. 💪🌟 Remember, you're not alone in this journey. By sharing our experiences and learning from one another, we can empower ourselves and others to navigate the challenges of living with autism and related conditions with resilience and compassion. Let's embrace our uniqueness and support one another every step of the way. 💖🌈 #AutismAwareness #AutismAcceptance #AutismCommunity #AutismLove #AutismSupport #AspergersSyndrome #AspergersAndProud #AspergersLife #AspergersWorld #ADHDLife #ADHDAwareness #ADHDSupport #ADHDCommunity #DyslexiaAwareness #DyslexiaSupport #DyslexiaIsSuperpower #UnderstandingAutism #Trichotillomania #HairPullingAwareness

Life can be especially challenging for a woman diagnosed with ADHD later in life due to several factors: 1. Internalized Pressure and Masking: Many late-diagnosed woman spend years trying to mask their symptoms, conforming to societal expectations and struggling to meet traditional standards of organization, focus, and productivity. This often leads to chronic stress, anxiety, and a sense of inadequacy. 2. Emotional Toll of Missed Diagnosis: Many women are misdiagnosed or overlooked, leading to feelings of confusion, frustration, and low self-esteem as they struggle to understand why they’ve had lifelong difficulties with attention, impulsivity, or organization, often being labeled as lazy or disorganized. These challenges can lead to mental health issues, strained relationships, and missed opportunities. #ADHD #AUDHD #SocialJustice #Inclusion #Equity #autism #diversity #neurodivergent #MentalHealth #Accommodation #disability #ADHDAwarenessMonth

As this week is a time to remind ourselves about the overwhelmingly importance of our mental health, I want to talk about the UK's leading autism research and campaigning charity, Autistica. Founded in 2004, Autistica aims to provide support towards autistic adults and children by funding research, developing new therapies and campaigning services to change national policy. Regarding the subject of mental health, recent studies have revealed statistics that the charity aims to support those who are affected the most. - 40% of autistic adults will experience depression in their lifetime. - 35% of autistic adults will experience suicidal thoughts in their lifetime. - One study interviewed the families of 400 people who died by suicide. 10% of those who died had autistic traits. Why do I bring these statistics up? As an autistic adult, these results resonate so much and people diagnosed with any neurodivergent condition should NEVER have to experience this horrible path without the support of mental health services and programmes. By the end of this decade, Autistica has big plans! By 2030, Autistica are aiming to improve the lives of autistic adults and children by ensuring all autistic people have proven support from day one, they have access to a yearly tailored checks and proven treatment is more available for anxiety within neurodivergent adults and children. Along with its commitment to mental health, Autistica also aims to ensure that by 2030 the employment rate doubles for autistic people and public spaces are more neurodivergent accessible. If you want to support or learn more about Autistica, visit their website and have wonder of the incredible things they in store for the future! 💚💚 #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek #MentalHealth #Autism

Okay, call it neurodivergent, or ADHD, or on the spectrum, or whatever the condition is. Many of us grew up with that, but it never really stopped us from living life in the only authentic way we could. We didn't have a name for it back then. We just thought it was a difficulty on our part to process information, or that we over-processed because our minds raced at a rate that felt normal to us. The inability to stand still or concentrate long enough to complete a task often led to our fair share of strifes, beatings, and punishments. The environment around us didn't understand our way of processing information or living life. So, the world tried to forcibly change our behavior, shoving our square mentality into a round peg of normality. We had to become less than ourselves to fit the mold. My struggles have been lifelong. Without accessible help, I've spent a lifetime trying to fit into a system that hasn't been kind to me. This chameleonesque existence has been about aligning with people and services that don't understand or support us, often leaving us more broken. Now, in my fifth decade, heading towards my sixth, I finally have a label for my condition. But this label won't change anything. Some issues are so embedded in my psyche that it will probably take another five decades to undo the damage inflicted by a harsh system that never understood me. So, yeah, that's me. Yeah, I'm okay. #Neurodiversity #ADHD #Autism #MentalHealth #Awareness #Authenticity #LifelongStruggle #SupportAndUnderstanding #BreakingTheMold #ChallengingNorms #PersonalJourney

It's #WorldAutismAwarenessDay, and today we bring to you the final episode of #NoFilter featuring our colleague Anushree Shivpuri, and her husband Prateek Sinha, where they share how their parenting journey evolved when their son, Kabir, was diagnosed with autism. They talk openly about their initial emotions, the challenges they initially faced, their understanding of the autism spectrum, and the community they found along the way. Two of the many invaluable pieces of advice they wanted to share with new parents, who also find themselves in the same place, are - reach out to other parents in the community, and be kind to your partner. This journey, they both said, “requires a very different kind of village.” Raising a Neurodiverse Child - https://lnkd.in/dY9Vnsp6. #NoFilter was created to help people find their village, and Anushree and Prateek are more than happy to help you find yours if you need to talk to someone about #autism. If you’re looking to connect with other parents of #neurodivergent children, or understand more about the #autismspectrum, we also recommend these resources: 1. https://lnkd.in/dHYrqBF6  2. https://lnkd.in/dvRv4XkX  3. https://lnkd.in/dbWUvJ3H  4. https://lnkd.in/d-N-qVg5 (Ajita Shashidhar) 5. Milestones - Dr. Amrapali Lahiri, Occupational Therapist (recommended by Anushree & Prateek) 6. Instagram pages - @fragilexindia @actionforautism.india @indian_autism_momma @visionbeyondautism @indiaautismcenter @easindia @autismmummydiaries @adhd.therapist @autismcentreforexcellence @autismparentsforum We hope we could help people find their tribe with the parenting episodes as part of No Filter. If there is anything you’d like us to talk about next, feel free to let us know.

Recently, twice in one week, in fact, I heard via some parents that when approaching people trying to access support, they said they’d heard of me and then both whispered, independently of each other, “You do know she’s out to make the world autistic, don’t you?!” I normally ignore these comments but my goal is to support the child’s needs. I also feel that sweeping statements are dangerous for the following reasons: Children and adults alike are really struggling with their mental health across the country. And: Ignorance can’t be the excuse forever. So much poor mental health is attributed to unmet need in our society. I believe a logical starting place is in our schools with identification and early intervention. No one would say to a Dr please don’t diagnose and support my relative with cancer. Why not? Because it’s discriminatory. Likewise, being neurodivergent, means some people feel holed into spaces they don’t fit and are being traumatised by it. If you know how to help, you help. I have an almost 100% success rate and have helped hundreds of families who go on to get their diagnoses. More and more people are realising we need to change old systems and processes and we need to work together on it rather than try and destroy another person’s self esteem in the process of protecting the ‘good old days’. When we make sweeping statements about diagnosis we are failing to ask questions about what is really going on. If we continue to ignore this, we will make it worse. That kind of looks like the plan from where I’m standing. 😞 Anyway, Raw Learning will continue to screen for differences. We screen from age 6-64 and we can screen for Dyslexia, ADHD other co-occurring differences that may also lead to a diagnosis of autism. We provide referrals to those who seek the help and we act as a bridge and a safe place for people to come and seek out our support. I’m very glad about that. Picture shows where I like to be found. You’ll find me in the forest. #forestlife #neurodiversity #neurodiversitycelebrationweek #autisticcommunity #adhd #togetherwecan

Your pain is valid, no matter what. [Image Description: A white concept map on a green background with two circles. The outer circle has smaller circles for each point. “Your pain is valid, even if…” is in the middle. Outer points are arranged in a circle: ‘it’s not as bad as someone else’, ‘you don’t know you are in pain’, ‘you hide it well’, ‘you don’t have a diagnosis’, ‘you can do daily tasks’, ‘you can afford treatment’, ‘you are used to it’, ‘no one knows about it’. The Positive Shift logo is at the bottom.] #positivebehavioursupport #mentalhealth #psychology #brisbane #ndis #ndisprovider #disability #childmentalhealth #positiveparenting #parenting #disabilityinclusion #disabilityinclusivity #brisbanepsychologist #behavioursupport #autism #adhd #neurodivergent #disabilitysupport #anxiety #depression #motivation