Yesterday was all about positivity around #autism, but we need to remember that it can be extremely difficult to live with, depending on your situation. We have to get the balance between extolling the positives and recognising the difficulties. /1

After all, as we know, depression and severe anxiety, as well as cPTSD are unhappily very common in the #autistic population. There are clear reasons for this that need to be remembered. /2

Executive dysfunction alone, which is even more pronounced in #autistic people with #adhd too, can absolutely ruin a life if that person is receiving no support from friends or family. Not all #autistic people have this issue, but many do. /3

Many #autistic people are in a financial nightmare due to this, finding themselves missing payments or not collecting money due to the executive dysfunction that can really affect us. Health suffers too, as you miss vital appointments and can't re-book them. /4

I don't want to be all doom and gloom, but nor do I want to be too positively biased. There's also the terrible anxiety caused by failed social interactions which can often transmute into PTSD if left unchecked. And traditional CBT and talk therapy doesn't seem to work. /5

Much of this is a result of trying to exist in a hostile world and a lot could be done to alleviate it by the neurotypical population, but it feels we're a long way away from that. So please be aware not only of #autism, but of how #Autistic people may be really suffering. /6

Which is where the #AutismAcceptance comes in. Being accepted for who we are on a daily basis *will* help autistic people with their mental health difficulties. Showing understanding of executive dysfunction *will* help. /7

The negatives blend with the positives. We have so much to give, but are often so broken by being a square peg in a round hole that we have no chance to do it. So #AutismAcceptance now.