Chicken, Cravings, and Comfort: My Zaxby’s Ritual I’ve been eating at Zaxby’s every day for about four months now, both lunch and dinner. I always get the same thing a six-finger plate with double fries. I go big with a large sweet tea, one Zax sauce, and one Tongue Torch sauce. Seven days a week, no changes. My mom, Miranda, and John all get on to me for it, mostly because of how much it costs. I spend over two hundred dollars a week eating there. But honestly, I’m willing to spend that much because it’s become my comfort food. Right now, it’s the only thing I can eat without feeling physically sick. I’ve tried other foods, but nothing else sits right. I’ve also gotten used to the staff that work there. They’re always patient and kind, taking their time when I order and making things easier for me. They know that I’m autistic, and that small bit of understanding means more than most people realize. Visit the Quiet Fighter Shop If...

My First Day on Sertraline: Buzzing, Hyper, and Sensory Chaos My First Day on Sertraline: Buzzing, Hyper, and Sensory Chaos So, I started sertraline this morning—and wow, it’s been interesting to say the least. It kicked off with this weird whole-body buzzing sensation. The only way I can describe it is kinda like the sensory overload buzz I sometimes get, which of course made me panic a bit until I googled it (thanks, Internet) and found out it can be pretty common when you first start taking it. Ain’t that nice. By the time I got to work, I figured it’d go one of two ways: either I’d be super drowsy or bouncing off the walls. Turns out, it was the latter. I had a ridiculous amount of energy—like, borderline hyper—which lasted almost until 5pm before the crash finally showed up. Honestly, I’m really hoping that doesn’t keep happening, because it’s exhausting in its own way. To add to the chaos, I accidentally took my morning dose of ...

Have you ever been stuck in a place where the noise feels like it’s crawling under your skin? That was me today. I had to do inventory at the Hwy 58 store in Chattanooga, TN. The scanners beeped nonstop. It felt like every beep punched through my head until I had a migraine. I don’t even remember the 30-mile drive back to my home store in Cleveland, TN. My brain was running on empty autopilot. Right now, I’m sitting at my home store trying to ground myself. My body is so tense it hurts. And the worst part? I didn’t have my Loop earplugs. No stim toys. Nothing. I’m holding back tears because I’m not home yet. I’m writing this because sometimes being autistic means our bodies remember every sound, every flicker of fluorescent light, every vibration—long after it’s over. And sometimes we forget that we do deserve to protect ourselves, even if it means carrying a pocketful of stim toys or wearing earplugs people might ask about. If today taught me anything, it’s this: bring your supports. ...

Have you ever gotten so caught up in something you love that you didn’t even realize how far it had pulled you in? Today, that happened to me. I’ve been building my blog—Chronicles of a Quiet Fighter—with so much care: the colors, badges, pages, making it feel just right. But I realized today (with help from friends at work) that I wasn’t just working on it in my free time; my mind kept drifting there even when I was supposed to be doing my job. As an autistic person, hyperfocus can feel like magic. It’s comforting, energizing, and makes me feel safe when everything else feels chaotic. But sometimes it sneaks too far, and I don’t notice until someone else points it out. Instead of beating myself up, I’m choosing to see this as a reminder: ✨ I built this blog to share my story, not just to design it. ✨ Writing and reflecting help me regulate; endless tweaking doesn’t. ✨ It’s okay to ask others to help ground me when I can’t see it myself. If you’ve been in this place too—stuck in the de...