Listen…. Success isn’t easy to obtain for some of us.

I am aware that it is unhealthy to compare yourself with others but I’m feeling like I must say something in relation to prospects of those without things like autism, versus autistic people (and those with mental illnesses). There are important points that I need to make in relation to the above. I see all those that are fundraising online. They also have quiet active social lives and an actually decent position in life. These people have the ability to attract others’ interest and have some form of influence. Many of these are much younger than me. I try not to envy those that have achieved success at a young age. That is hard since I spent a few of my teenage years in a psychiatric unit and then residential care. Then I never really made friends much due to the stigma of being open about my experiences and being outspoken about pushing for changes.

I find that it isn’t that easy for autistics and those with mental health conditions to achieve success in life. The attitudes that are out there about mental illness being an excuse for laziness and so on have made success harder for us to reach. I get extremely tired due to my depression and insomnia. That makes it difficult to be able to work or even do normal, everyday things. I still work hard to try to achieve success when I have the energy. I feel like other people don’t take me seriously; they just see me as a joke. I know that I get made fun of behind my back.

I’ve been fighting to get the publicity in a positive way so that I can get changes to happen within the social services system. Though I get some positive feedback, I often get a load of negative crap thrown at me by those that have absolutely no idea what our lives have been like under services that do not support or help due to partly ignorance and lack of resources. Those few that do happen to get the right support and understanding with their mental illness or/and autistic are successful. That proves those changes are needed to enable more people to get that type of support which leads to a successful (and trouble-free) life. I’m talented, I have skills that I could use as a career but probably will never achieve that potential due to how I’ve been labelled.

There is a pattern of those diagnosed with various mental health conditions or autism being labelled negatively and ending up locked in institutions (care, hospital, prison). It still happens to youngsters now. We are in the year 2020, those unhelpful attitudes, stigma and discrimination should no longer be exist. We have no excuse to be ignorant nowadays. There is a vast amount of information about everything out there either online or elsewhere nowadays. This blog is even a type of educational resource for mental illness and autism. I’m sure that no one listens properly but just passively skim through my entries either making fun of me or something to do when they’re bored.