.Being.Us

TW: Body changes, sexual changes, suicide mention   I started low-dose testosterone on February 1, 2016 . My step-dad had just taken his own life, and I felt the need to take control of mine. I was on testosterone for a long time before I was sure that I really wanted to be on it- that it was the decision that would reduce dysphoria the most for my nonbinary self. Part of this indecisiveness came from my autism; I've always had trouble making decisions due to being overwhelmed by the options and fearing regret. I talked a lot with my therapist about my uncertainty around testosterone, and the ongoing theme was that I was happy about the current changes; I was just afraid that I would regret future changes. So, I stayed on testosterone, reasoning that I could always go off of it if the changes started causing dysphoria from being too masculine. Since then, I've started trying my hand at online dating. Through answering the many, many questions on the sites, building my profil

In this blog post, I will respond to each point in the Autistic Self Advocacy Network 's (ASAN's) "About Autism" resource ( https://autisticadvocacy.org/about-asan/about-autism/ ). I will be responding to describe how autism affects me, personally. Every autistic person is different. Thinking of autism as a sliding scale from high-functioning to low-functioning is not accurate. Each autistic person experiences the differences in processing that come with autism at varying intensities for each category of difference (sensory, communication, structure and routine, etc.). Life and daily circumstances can also change the intensity with which these differences are felt. First, ASAN gives some facts about autism: "Autism is a neurological variation that occurs in about one percent of the population and is classified as a developmental disability. Although it may be more common than previously thought, it is not a new condition and exists in all parts of the world,

All posts in this series reference working through  DBT® Skills Training Handouts and Worksheets, Second Edition , and all quotes come from that book unless otherwise specified. To learn more about distress tolerance skills as a whole, why they are important, and the goals the book sets forth for studying them, click  here .  The Distress Tolerance Skills section of the book is divided into two main types of handouts: Crisis Survival and Reality Acceptance. There will also be some material for "When the Crisis is Addiction". This blog will cover "When the Crisis is Addiction". Everyone Has Addictions: In this section, the book first makes the point that everyone has addictions. It lists everything from alcohol and drugs to spiritual practices as potential things to which someone could be addicted. For me, I will be working through this section with regards to self harm.  Dialectical Abstinence: The second subsection of addiction distress tolerance ski

All posts in this series reference working through DBT® Skills Training Handouts and Worksheets, Second Edition , and all quotes come from that book unless otherwise specified. To learn more about distress tolerance skills as a whole, why they are important, and the goals the book sets forth for studying them, click here . The Distress Tolerance Skills section of the book is divided into two main types of handouts: Crisis Survival and Reality Acceptance. There will also be some material for "When the Crisis is Addiction". This blog will cover reality acceptance skills.  Reality Acceptance Skills: Radical Acceptance:  The first reality acceptance skill is radical acceptance. Radical acceptance means completely accepting and ceasing to fight: the facts about the past and the present realistic limitations on the future that even painful events have causes that life can "be worth living even with painful events in it"  Some phrases for practicing radical