I recently had a friend of mine from a queer autistic support group ask me for advice on starting graduate school. I felt the takeaways from our conversation might be relevant to folks here. This is me elaborating on a few things I’d said: 1. As neurodivergent* human...

I just got engaged and graduated from school. I’m about to move and start a new job. These are good things. Why are they so hard? First of all, transitions are difficult because they are laborious. You have to find a new way of doing things that works for you. I have...

I have never felt more at risk than during the first few hours, days, and weeks, after a stay in inpatient lockdown. As an autistic person with BPD, all transitions are hard. I’m talking,...

The following contains mention of sensitive subjects such as difficult nightmares and thoughts of suicide that may be triggering to some audiences. In the 45 years I’ve been seeking help for my mental health conditions of depression, anxiety, borderline personality...

“Saadia’s poor response to stress and difficulty managing her emotions frequently will impact her ability to remain focused on her academics and cause her to fall behind..." This excerpt from my individualized education plan (IEP) described my level of performance as...

I was diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) at the age of 36, while participating in a partial hospitalization program at a psych hospital. I had never heard of BPD before I was diagnosed. But once I knew what it was, suddenly my life and what I'd been...

It is LGBTQ+ Pride Month! We all know that pride month celebrates all of the amazing people who are LGBTQ+, and recognizes the positive impact that lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and other individuals have had on history. Heritage of Pride is the nonprofit...

  I had my first crush on a boy that I met in preschool. I was fixated on that kid until middle school, when the pool of candidates widened dramatically and I found another boy to fill my daydreams. Middle school was also where I was first introduced to the idea...

Happy Pride Month! In June, we take extra care to celebrate those of us who identify as members of the LGBTQIA+ community. I am here to share a piece of my story that I hope will leave some readers feeling a little more seen than ever before. I’ll be inviting you into...