Reviews tagging 'Dysphoria'

Unmasking Autism: The Power of Embracing Our Hidden Neurodiversity by Devon Price

19 reviews

jcinf's review against another edition

hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective medium-paced

5.0

As much as I wanted to breeze through this, I had to take my time to fully digest everything the author said. 

So many good, actionable “worksheets”/charts in here. I left them blank so I can go back to them and take my time filling them out. 

The author’s recognition of multiply marginalized people and not applying blanket advice to unmask was good to see. And just acknowledging that it’s not always safe to unmask is great. Nuance makes me so happy. 

Also with nuance: the awareness of getting a professional diagnosis and how it can be helpful or harmful, I love. 

And the recognition of the value of self-diagnosing — or as the author says “self-realizing” made me feel seen. 

One pet peeve: he called an individual Autistic person “neurodiverse” — instead of “neurodivergent.” One person cannot be neurodiverse. 

Neurodiverse is a term that describes the diversity of neurotypes. Aka: a group of people. 

Neurodivergent is a term that describes an individual who diverges from dominant societal norms. 

All trigger warnings are mentioned but do not go into descriptive detail. They’re merely mentioned to create a well-rounded discussion on the intersecting “issues” surrounding Autism. 

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Extended review:
Favorite quotes below. They’re long, but I like to write them down. 

“I absorbed the idea, common to many “gifted” children, that a person’s intellectual potential belongs to society, not to themselves, and that they owe the world greatness to justify their oddness.”

“Neurotypical brains engage in sensory adaptation and habituation; the longer they are in the presence of a sound, smell, texture, or visual cue, the more their brain learns to ignore it, and allow it to fade into the background. Their neurons become less likely to be activated by a cue the longer they are around it. The exact opposite is true for Autistic people: the longer we are around a stimulus, the more it bothers us.”

“You cannot craft a comfortable or worthwhile life if you don’t know who you really are, or if your self-image is shaped entirely by rules imposed upon you by other people. Thankfully, it is possible to step away from defining yourself by the approval of other people, and by your adherence to society’s rules.” 

“‘It’s neurotypical who categorized autism as a social disorder.’ Autistic people don’t lack communication skills, or a drive to connect. We aren’t doomed to forever feel lonely and broken. We can step out of the soul-crushing cycle of reaching for neurotypical acceptance and being reject despite our best efforts. Instead, we can support and uplift one another, and create our own neurodiverse world where everyone — including neurotypicals — is welcome.”

“We all deserve to take a step back and ask whether our lives line up with our values, whether the work we do and the face we show to others reflects our genuine self, and if not, what we might want to change.
When we accept individuals as they are, instead of warring with their unique needs and challenges, life can move at a more relaxed, accepting pace. A world that allows all Autistics to safely unmask is a world where anyone with strange interests, passionate emotions, environmental sensitivities, social quirks, or other differences is still seen as worthy and whole.”

“The opposite of alienation is integration. The psychological sense of connection and wholeness people whose identities are integrated can see a through line, connecting the many selves they have been across various times and places.”

“Stepping back and taking a look at my key memories and core values, I can see that I’m a dynamic powerful clearheaded person… I’m so different from the inept, powerless, clueless, needy, figure that I have always worried people might see me as I’m also nothing like the frigid passive intellectual, I’ve often masked myself as.”

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Content Warnings

Minor: Ableism, Addiction, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Transphobia, Police brutality, Sexual harassment, and Dysphoria

linblythe_pub22's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective relaxing medium-paced

5.0

This book has helped me immeasurably. It taught me new and deeper ways of unmasking with the help of what felt like a parasocial relationship with autistic community via the extensive interviews and sources used in the book. It doesn't give you any copout answers; Dr Price lays out the small thing autistic folk like me can do for ourselves but more significantly, the systemic changes we must fight for if the world is to be safe, free and joyful for everyone.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Ableism and Medical content

Minor: Bullying, Chronic illness, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Transphobia, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, Medical trauma, Stalking, Gaslighting, and Dysphoria

ryyyaaan's review against another edition

challenging hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

This book is wonderful. To any autistic person or anyone with friends, family members, or loved ones who are autistic, you should read this. I feel so seen. I feel like I understand myself and my disability better. I feel more okay with myself.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Ableism, Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Eating disorder, Hate crime, Mental illness, Sexism, and Classism

Minor: Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Hate crime, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racism, Self harm, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, Grief, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Toxic friendship, Colonisation, Dysphoria, and Classism

cerilouisereads's review against another edition

hopeful informative inspiring slow-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Eating disorder, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexism, Transphobia, Dysphoria, and Classism

kjoli's review against another edition

challenging informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Ableism, Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Sexual assault, Police brutality, Gaslighting, and Dysphoria

zombiezami's review against another edition

hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Bullying, Eating disorder, and Dysphoria

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Biphobia, Chronic illness, Confinement, Drug abuse, Mental illness, Racism, Sexism, Torture, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Medical trauma, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, Alcohol, Colonisation, and Classism

Minor: Cursing, Domestic abuse, Slavery, Vomit, Police brutality, Religious bigotry, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, and Pandemic/Epidemic

jenny_librarian's review against another edition

challenging informative inspiring medium-paced

4.5

A very interesting book about being autistic and learning to unmask and accept yourself.

Seeking an autism diagnosis as an adult is extremely difficult. Most people who don’t realize they are autistic before adulthood have low support needs, and have been masking all their life. It makes it incredibly hard then to figure out which parts of you are the mask and which are your true self. Despite the numerous green sticky notes I used when relating to autistic traits mentioned, I gaslighted myself throughout the whole thing, figuring that since I didn’t have it “that bad”, I must be appropriating an identity that wasn’t mine.

This book was illuminating on some points, but should definitely be used as part of a larger research if you think you are on the spectrum. It did include BIPOC and queer perspectives as well as those from people with other disabilities, something that not enough books and research do.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Bullying, Chronic illness, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Homophobia, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Police brutality, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual harassment, Dysphoria, and Classism

Minor: Infertility, Slavery, and Suicide

sarahna's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring medium-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Drug use, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, Medical trauma, Dysphoria, and Classism

missrosymaplemoth's review against another edition

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, and Bullying

Moderate: Child abuse, Chronic illness, Eating disorder, Homophobia, Racism, Sexism, Transphobia, Grief, Dysphoria, and Classism

Minor: Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Self harm, and Forced institutionalization