Apparently it's the most wonderful time of the year, but for many autistic individuals the Christmas season can be the opposite. Lots of social interaction, change of routine, sensory overload; it's a lot to process. I know from personal experience that there can be a long-lasting hangover. It's similar to waking up in the New Year and asking oneself what happened the night before, except in this case it's like coming out of a non-alcohol-induced coma which lasted 12 days.

Last month I travelled to Portsmouth Harbour by train, on my own, for the second time this year. I stood up on the train because there were limited seats, and I need space (owing to my OCD fears around germs and contamination, as well as a heightened sensory reaction when I am in close proximity to other people). I felt slightly dazed and tense upon arrival in Portsmouth, and experienced some degree of health anxiety. This is connected to finding it hard to work out how I fe

Anxiety is the one constant in life; when I’m not anxious I feel strange. I often feel like there’s something ineffable which I should be doing, even when, for all intents and purposes, there’s nothing to worry about. Consequently, since Monday 10th October was World Mental Health Day (and I’ve been known to struggle with executive function), I thought that I’d share the strategies which I use to help me cope. Fair warning, this won’t be suited to everyone. If you have an