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How an ASD adult with PTSD survives quarantine

How I got by without my usual resources

By Miranda DaughertyPublished 3 years ago 2 min read
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How an ASD adult with PTSD survives quarantine
Photo by JOSHUA COLEMAN on Unsplash

Hello,

My name is Miranda. I am 28 years old as of 2020. Current events have not been kind to me. Yes, that is true for everyone. However, being a high functioning adult with special needs during a complete lock-down takes its toll. My physical and mental health have suffered due to "social distancing". This may sound strange, as most people assume that Autism is an anti-social disorder. It's not!

Just how every "normal" person is different, so are ASD adults. My unique needs revolve around requiring a human connection, but my boundaries have to be respected. If someone is not going to do that, thus begins my isolation in my day to day life. When the choice is taken away from me, is when I struggle to function.

During the COVID-19 outbreak, I went through the typical set backs and then some ( job shut down, having to collect unemployment, having to scramble at the store to get supplies) . On top of my mental disorders, I also have an auto immune disease that causes multiple sources of inflammation. The most dangerous is when it attacks my brain tissue and my spinal cord. Because of that, I am at a higher risk of catching the virus due to my system over-compensating in the wrong areas, which preoccupies it. Compare it to being so focused on a task at hand, you don't see what's falling apart around you.

I was able to find a lot of therapy groups online, the most productive being Mentally Fit Community. I was able to talk to people without being judged, in a community where people understood even if my experience was not similar to theirs. It was a very refreshing experience.

Then came the election. I am a Libertarian, so finally getting that orange monster out of office was a relief to me. I could not have imagined what came next. He is straight up refusing to leave office despite that the people have spoken through their votes. I cannot recall a time in history since the American Revolution or the Civil War that a leader has been contested this much. The head of the GOP wants to starve out the middle class, and earlier this week a bunch of Trump supporters mobbed and rioted the US Capitol. The death toll is currently at 4 as I write this.

I am absolutely terrified. I have been unable to leave my home since March. Now with this obvious declaration of civil war, I worry about how safe I am at said home. I keep telling myself "Hope cannot be killed".

We will endure, We are strong, We will not falter to those who would destroy us.

ptsd
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