I am writing this to carve out space for myself in the socially-constructed version of the world. I don’t exist if I’m autistic and all autistic people who act the way I’m acting are masking.
The reality of what it is like to be masked autistic seeking help: gaslighting, dead ends, and dismissive, vague suggestions are the pinnacle of “support” available.
An autistic hiker learns that he is not a social outcast on the trail, & returning to the world put a lot into perspective about human interaction & self-love.
I have had a recurring dream since I was a young child. I dreamt it quite often between the ages of about 8 to 14,