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I Didn’t See You There: Poetry book review

Usually, I start a book review with an introduction to the writer, however, this poetry collection is written under a pen name. Charlotte Gale decided to use a pseudonym so that she could write without restriction and protect her family. I Didn’t See You There is a poetry collection narrating Gale’s experience as an unrealised…
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OCD: Shame and affirmation

The need for OCD-affirming spaces is highlighted, emphasizing the validity of identities and experiences. The author shares their challenges with OCD treatment options, including problematic experiences with CBT and the complexities of medication. Online OCD spaces often fail to provide meaningful support, and misconceptions about OCD perpetuate shame and ableism. The urgent call for creating…
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OCD in one word

I’ve been trying to write some poetry around the words you all gave myself and Autistic Realms about your experiences of OCD. My rewording couldn’t do justice to the powerful words you shared with us, so I created this instead. The other work in the Autistic Dream Realms project can be found here and here.…
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Where my OCD and Autism overlaps

It can be difficult to tell Autistic and OCD experiences apart! Some may wonder why this matters, but to manage OCD intrusive thoughts and compulsions it’s of utmost importance to understand how these two neurodivergences clash but also how they overlap. I have summarised my main experiences of being an Autistic OCDer: Autistic experiences:HyperfocusSensory differencesSocial…
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Autistic and OCD: left adrift

I started working with Autistic and otherwise neurodivergent and disabled young people when I was about 23. When I started doing home visits with families I kept thinking “I do that. I completely and utterly understand what you mean when you say something utterly outrageous, or what other people might see as peculiar.” And the…
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OCD Subtypes

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a mental health difference which can affect any child or adult. It usually starts in early adulthood but can happen during puberty (as it did for me). People with OCD usually experience frequent obsessive thoughts, which are unpleasant and cause feelings of anxiety, disgust or shame. These thoughts can include…
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The chaotic mind

I am Autistic, Attention Hyperactive (see Ditching the Disorder and Deficit) and OCD, that means there is a lot of chaos within me. As an Autistic person I love routine, I thrive when I go to the same places, eat the same food and wear the same clothes. It erases so much anxiety around the unknown.…
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When living authentically isn’t safe: Autistic, trans and OCD

This is the transcript from my OCD Family Podcast: When living authentically isn’t safe. Listen to S1E30 Part IV here. Nicole: Whoa, welcome back to the OCD family podcast and I am just so excited to introduce our guest today Katie Munday, they are late diagnosed autistic person with OCD and ADHD. You can catch…
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My Autistic diagnosis story

I started working with Disabled young people when I was 23. Working with these young people, seeing how they went about in the world, how they focused on their interests, and their wonderful sense of humour. I just thought: “I do that. I completely and utterly understand what you mean when you say something which…

