Learning to Live With Support Some days are still hard Some days are still incredibly hard. Meltdowns hit hard, and shutdowns still feel unbearable at times. But over the past months, I’ve noticed they’re happening less often—and that’s progress I’m grateful for. Therapy and medication are helping me navigate life more steadily. Frustration about the past I still feel frustration when I think about not knowing I was autistic as a child. The support I could have had then might have made things easier. But there’s nothing I can do about the past. What matters now is how I move forward. Building my own support network I’ve started building my own support network: my therapist and psychiatrist, my chosen family, and friends like Miranda and John. These people are my anchors—they help me regulate, feel safe, and remind me that life, while challenging, can be manageable. Finding balance and acceptance Life isn’t going to be a cakewalk, and ...

Mourning Rituals I get up every morning to my mom bringing me my breakfast—an Egg McMuffin from McDonald's—at 7:30 a.m. I have to eat the same thing every morning or my entire day feels ruined. My morning meds start at 8:30 a.m., spaced out 30 minutes apart. I take four medications each morning, and after that, I go to the bathroom at exactly 10:45. Then I get dressed and ready for work. If I have enough time, I might even start writing a blog post like this one. Routines are important for autistic people—they ground us. But not all autistic people need routines in the same way. We’re all different. Most late-diagnosed autistic people also have ADHD. I’ve never been tested for it, but I’m pretty certain that I don’t have it. I have several friends who do, and I don’t share any of the ADHD traits they describe, but I have nearly all of the traits of autism. But back to routines—I thrive on them. They help me stay focused and organized. If my routines get interrupted, I...