Book Review: ‘Strength not Deficit’ Reviewed by Dawn Mills
Like Jane McNeice, I too discovered myself as Autistic in 2021. I did what Autistic people do; became obsessed with the stories of my late identified neurokin, especially the women, and the academic research behind our differences. Jane’s was a story I identified with closely, helped me feel less alone and strengthened my resolve to do my little bit to help find other ‘lost girls’ too. Jane’s new book extends beyond the journey toward identification as autistic; giving us a guided tour of her autistic mind and demonstrates its potential; it’s...
read moreWhat is Social Anxiety Disorder
About 8 million people in the UK and 15 million Americans have social anxiety disorder, otherwise known as social phobia. If you’re one of them, your treatment options include therapy, medications, mindfulness training, exercise, and more. Getting treatment is critical, as social anxiety disorder won’t go away by itself. The help you get now could allow you to interact with others without crippling anxiety. And some of these therapies could improve your physical health too. What Is Social Anxiety Disorder? Few people enjoy climbing up on a...
read moreCar Accidents & Trauma
The Hidden Repercussions Mental trauma after an accident can severely limit your ability to resume regular activities. It is normal to experience distress after a car accident, but treatment may be necessary if it is prolonged and interferes with daily functioning. The right support makes recovery from emotional trauma after a car accident attainable. During a car accident, a series of events can unfold that can cause lasting emotional trauma, including life-altering injuries, the threat of death, and the death of someone else. Emotional...
read more“I would like you to assess me for OCPD please. I think I have OCPD” by Jane McNeice
One year before my Autism diagnosis (and prior self-identification), I thought I had OCPD (Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder), so I went to see a private psychiatrist. Because of the high levels of stigma surrounding Personality Disorders, most people do not seek them out. They are given. The fact that I was doing so illustrated just how much I needed my truth, whatever that truth turned out to be. I was clinically assessed over a number of weeks. The conclusion… a reaffirmation of a previous Generalised Anxiety Disorder diagnosis...
read moreMisdiagnosed mentally ill, late diagnosed #ActuallyAutistic. by Jane McNeice
I was diagnosed Autistic with suspected Dyscalculia at age 45 in 2021, then my 26 year old daughter two months later, then my 8 year old son three months after that. All of us were missed by well over 100 health, social care, and educational professionals who had the chance first. My daughter was pregnant at age 15 (imagine how many ‘professionals’ move in on a family at that point!). I self-identified in the end, then parent-identified my children before assessment. I wrote our story down. Why? Because the system is incapable of finding us...
read moreMy Difference was my Strength all Along, By Jane McNeice
Mum-of-three, and grandmother of four, social entrepreneur, Jane McNeice shares her life changing diagnosis that took her from feeling broken, to the knowledge that she was different to the recognition that her difference was her strength all along! At age 45 Jane McNeice learned she is Autistic. Her memoir and debut book The Umbrella Picker documents her journey to finding her neurological truth (which was self-identified), through to accessing a formal diagnosis a year later and the journey that followed. Jane’s second book (launched on...
read moreNeurodivergence, suicide, & bereavement by suicide, by Jane McNeice
Firstly, I would like to put a question to readers… If you have lost someone close to you to suicide – a close friend or family member – have you explored the possibility that you and they could be (or were) neurodivergent? In particular, ADHD, Autistic, or both – AuDHD? Maybe you have, and maybe you or they, or both, identify(ied) as being neurodivergent or have a diagnosis of a neurodivergent condition. Or maybe you haven’t. I am referring to an extensive list of neurodivergent neurotypes, including Autism, ADHD, developmental...
read more“You’ll need to grow a thicker skin!” by Jane McNeice
“You’ll need to grow a thicker skin!” I half wondered what the senior colleague was saying at the time, my highly visual brain dragging me to a literal vision of thickening skin tissue. Eventually, I understood it to be that I needed to toughen up, not cry to the point of inconsolability, and to have some control. It was 1995, I was 19. I had a 20-week-old baby at home, an extremely low mood, and I had started a new job 12 weeks earlier due to a lack of understanding of my maternity rights and needing to find a more local job and secure...
read moreRail industry worker saves 29 lives from suicide and is awarded an MBE!
Today I read a wonderful post about a rail industry worker, Rizwan Javed, honoured in the NY honours list for his saving of 29 lives from suicide. It is fabulous to see Rizwan has been recognised for what he has done! This serves as a valuable reminder that suicide intervention training saves lives! We hear so much about the lives lost to suicide, but if we are to generate more HOPE, and take up of life saving intervention training – people don’t take it up if they don’t have hope and a belief that lives can be saved – such as...
read moreNew Year’s Resolutions spending: Brits prioritising wellness and personal finance for 2024
1 January 2024 – American Express today released its latest Amex Trendex report, focusing on New Year’s resolutions for 2024. According to UK data, 65% of Brits are likely to set New Year’s resolutions for 2024. 17% of Brits say they typically stick to their resolution for the whole year, lower than the global figure of 26%. 7% of UK respondents tend to only keep up their resolutions for the first week of January, while a further 18% will abandon them before the end of January. Physical wellness is the top focus for resolutions, with 56% of...
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