Dealing with Past Mistakes and Negative Treatment

What I found helps is just trying to focus on the present and trying to help other people out, as well as trying to find positive people to be around. Another thing I’ve done is apologized for my behavior in the past, which is not an easy thing to do, but it’s definitely the right thing to do and you’ll make yourself feel better about it. Whether or not they accept your apologies, you’ll know you’ve done the right thing.

Yeah, unfortunately part of the first step of progress is usually to leave the things which would otherwise keep you attached to your negative past behind, in the past where they need to stay. If there are people or organizations or spaces that will not accept you for your present, in the path you hope to lead to your future, then they are definitively toxic to your progress. You can try showing people you care about resources which you have found, and found resonated with you, and hope that they see within them what you saw and are able to see you in a new light. But this is about all you can do to change their minds; people will always equate you with your past if they don't live in the mindset that the past and future are constructs of our minds and the only thing we really have is the Present. It's referred to as "growth mindset" vs "fixed mindset," and is also the key reason why folks misinterpret autistics as bullish and pig-headed and proud.