“We live in a world where both neurodivergent behaviours and addiction are seen as a moral failing. This makes opening up next-to-impossible without significant risk of negative repercussions.”
When you’re autistic, it’s easy to begin to lean on alcohol or drugs to help buffer the sensory and social anxiety of group outings. David Gray-Hammond on being autistic and a recovered addict.
For David, nothing is more hurtful and offensive than being told that his autism does not define him. Here’s why.
The autistic community is at risk with the rest of society. This critique of the behavior seen in the community looks at how we can save ourselves.
It’s very common for autistic people to be misdiagnosed with personality disorders, anxiety, depression, social anxiety, mood disorders, or even ADHD when autism is also true to the person.
When as many as three out of every four autistic and learning-disabled adult in the UK has experienced a hate crime, it’s a luxury that humanity cannot afford to overlook the devastating impact of institutional ignorance and abuse regarding one of society’s most targeted and misunderstood populations.
No one is talking about autism and addiction, so recovering addict and autistic self-advocate David Gray-Hammond is leading the charge and starting the conversation.
For the Bracken family, the agencies and institutions in place to protect and help them instead terrorized them.
Autistic people are often overlooked when it comes to addiction, as if they are too rule-oriented or childlike to become addicted. It’s time for that to change.
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