Reviews tagging 'Emotional abuse'

Unmasking Autism by Devon Price

12 reviews

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.

---

Content Warnings

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

spacekee's review against another edition

challenging informative reflective medium-paced

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Eating disorder, and Bullying

Moderate: Addiction, Self harm, Medical trauma, Transphobia, Suicidal thoughts, Racism, Police brutality, and Sexism

mycology'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.

---

Content Warnings

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

stacy837's review against another edition

informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Ableism

Minor: Eating disorder, Alcohol, Outing, Mental illness, Forced institutionalization, Racism, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Bullying, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Slavery, Panic attacks/disorders, and Police brutality

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.

---

Content Warnings

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

moonyreadsbystarlight's review against another edition

informative reflective

5.0

This was such an incredible book! Written by an autistic trans social psychologist, this focused on high masking autistic experiences. He begins by talking about who is more likely to mask/less likely to be diagnosed as a child, what traits get overlooked, issues with how autism is "treated". Then, he goes into what masking can look like, how we might decide to unmask, and ending with what we need to do as a society to make it a safe place for people to live unmasked. I really loved that he talks so much about the social - not just ableism and stigma, but also aspects of racism, impact of poverty, and transphobia, among other things. 

This can be useful for anyone looking to understand the autistic experience, but it's written more specifically for neurodivergent people (especially for autistics, but but he talks about the fact that other ND folks can experience masking as well). I've looked a lot into autism over the years - especially the experiences of those diagnosed as an adult. Even still, there were so many things that he described and connected that made so much more sense. It's another book that I wish I'd had years ago, but am very grateful to have have it now.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Racism, Bullying, Emotional abuse, and Ableism

Moderate: Eating disorder, Child abuse, Classism, and Police brutality

Minor: Fatphobia and Transphobia

lettuce_read's review against another edition

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Ableism, Eating disorder, Drug abuse, and Emotional abuse

concertconfetti's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

I have never felt more seen by a book in my life. Devon Price is extremely thorough in their exploration of autism, as well as ADHD where there is overlap, and does so with kindness and their own personal perspective. But not just their perspective - the perspective of other Autistics from varied backgrounds and communities. It's hard to hear at some points, but well worth the read. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, and Ableism

uglypopcorn's review against another edition

challenging hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

Incredible! A comprehensive resource for *all* minds.

This book is absolutely brilliant - I've never felt more informed and empowered by this subject. Price weaves the diverse experience of all kinds of Autistics, including those who are routinely marginalized (BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, Women, etc.), with research and personal experience to illustrate Autism authentically. It features many self-reflection tools to explore yourself as you go. I ate this up in two days!

Like Price said, this is a tool for neurotypicals and neurodivergent readers alike. Highly recommend to friends and peers interested or questioning their (beautiful) sensitive nature.

With I could give it a higher rating!

---

Content Warnings

Minor: Racism, Ableism, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, and Sexism

crybabybea's review against another edition

challenging informative inspiring medium-paced

4.0

Unmasking Autism is an intersectional look at autism, and is an empowering read for those in the autistic community and their allies. Dr. Devon Price explores the outdated stereotypes of autism, brought on by a bias in research of rich, cishet white men. They challenge the reader to challenge these stereotypes, and dig deeper into the ways neurotypical expectations and misconceptions have affected their self-worth, identity, and behavior. Masking is a well-known term in the autistic community, referring to the camouflaging and compensatory strategies autistic people develop to fit in to neurotypical society. More and more research has come out pointing to masking as a cause of many comorbidities that autistic people experience, such as anxiety, depression, people-pleasing, and self-worth issues. Dr. Devon Price takes us through a psychological approach called “Values Based Integration”, developed by autistic life coach Heather R. Morgan. Through this exercise, we are taught how to identify what matters most to us, and given the confidence to center those things in our lives.

Unmasking Autism takes a compassionate, acceptance-based approach to exploring autism and undoing the years of masking many autistics develop for survival. Dr. Devon Price is also incredibly welcoming to self-diagnosed, or self-determined autistic people, acknowledging the difficulties that women, gender nonconforming folks, and Black, Brown, Indigenous, and non-Black people of color face when seeking a diagnosis. Instead of following typical ABA masking advice, the author argues that autistic people practice centering their autistic traits and accepting them. Special interests, routines, stimming, and sensory sensitivities are all important parts of the autistic experience, and have long been demonized and shamed by neurotypical society. The author encourages the autistic reader to embrace these traits with confidence and love.

The book does have an increased focus on the parallels between autistic masking and the internal struggles that LGBTQIA+ folks experience, thanks to societal conditioning that certain traits are bad and shameful. It makes sense that the author, a trans queer person, would focus more on this part of their experience as it has shaped them.

While this book could be off-putting to those who are not progressive enough, it’s an important read for autistic people, allies, and neurotypicals alike. The author makes a plea that our world move towards acceptance rather than shame, so folks of all walks of life and neurodivergencies can feel comfortable to be their authentic selves. They also make a case for reworking society, suggesting universal basic income and overhauls of the current welfare system to be beneficial for everyone, not just disabled or neurodivergent people. Similarly, Unmasking Autism takes autistic people through an internal evaluation in an attempt to separate conditioned shame and fear and accept themselves. Overall, Unmasking Autism is an important perspective on the autism movement, and an important book for acceptance and love. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism

Moderate: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Addiction, Chronic illness, Eating disorder, Bullying, Emotional abuse, and Fatphobia