Finding Myself Through Autism Advocacy

I'm finding a surprising path to unmasking I didn't realize I even needed. I generally have supportive friends, even if they don't navigate the world with autism. I've put a lot of effort lately into learning myself better and advocating for my needs. I speak up socially and let people who care know what I need and how I think. While I've been unpacking my idenity, I've had this pressing need to be seen and heard. To externally process my thoughts in real time. If I don't express them immediately, I'll never express them at all. But that can be taxing on any friendship regardless your neurology. So I started a social media page I treat as a diary and invite other autistic people to join the emotional vulnerable journey. Surrounded entirely by neurodiversity, I realized how easy it was to be myself in a way I didn't realize I wasn't being myself until all.