Reviews tagging 'Dysphoria'
Unmasking Autism: The Power of Embracing Our Hidden Neurodiversity by Devon Price
9 reviews
jcinf's review against another edition
5.0
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.
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.
_______________________
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.”
Minor: Ableism, Addiction, Panic attacks/disorders, Police brutality, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Sexism, Suicide, Transphobia, Homophobia, Suicidal thoughts, Dysphoria, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment
linblythe_pub22's review against another edition
5.0
Moderate: Ableism and Medical content
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Police brutality, Bullying, Chronic illness, Dysphoria, Emotional abuse, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Eating disorder, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Stalking, and Transphobia
mycology's review against another edition
5.0
Moderate: Addiction, Child abuse, Eating disorder, Alcoholism, Hate crime, Sexism, Classism, Mental illness, and Ableism
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Self harm, Toxic friendship, Transphobia, Bullying, Body shaming, Child abuse, Classism, Colonisation, Cursing, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Dysphoria, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Hate crime, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Racism
cerilouisereads's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Ableism, Homophobia, Transphobia, Classism, Dysphoria, Mental illness, Sexism, Eating disorder, and Misogyny
kjoli's review against another edition
5.0
Minor: Fatphobia, Addiction, Ableism, Dysphoria, Mental illness, Drug use, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Racism, Alcoholism, Eating disorder, Police brutality, Bullying, Drug abuse, and Gaslighting
zombiezami's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Dysphoria, Bullying, Ableism, and Eating disorder
Moderate: Chronic illness, Confinement, Medical content, Sexism, Torture, Transphobia, Colonisation, Mental illness, Biphobia, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Medical trauma, Racism, Toxic relationship, Addiction, Classism, Drug abuse, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Minor: Colonisation, Sexual harassment, Pandemic/Epidemic, Religious bigotry, Slavery, Vomit, Cursing, Domestic abuse, and Police brutality
jenny_librarian's review against another edition
4.5
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.
Graphic: Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Child abuse, Ableism, Forced institutionalization, Addiction, Eating disorder, Medical content, Gaslighting, and Medical trauma
Moderate: Genocide, Homophobia, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexism, Chronic illness, Dysphoria, Transphobia, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Classism, Sexual harassment, Bullying, Racism, Emotional abuse, Police brutality, and Domestic abuse
Minor: Infertility, Suicide, and Slavery
sarahna's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Dysphoria, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Medical trauma, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Eating disorder, Hate crime, Police brutality, Addiction, Mental illness, Classism, Forced institutionalization, Racism, Sexual content, Alcoholism, Bullying, Drug use, and Ableism
missrosymaplemoth's review against another edition
4.75
Graphic: Bullying, Ableism, and Addiction
Moderate: Homophobia, Racism, Chronic illness, Classism, Child abuse, Eating disorder, Sexism, Dysphoria, Grief, and Transphobia
Minor: Forced institutionalization, Emotional abuse, Self harm, and Fatphobia