For context, I was diagnosed with PDD-NOS when I was 3, but I had an absolutely ridiculous amount of therapy as a child to the extent it was basically toddler boot camp haha. I had a lot of speech therapy, but I had occupational therapy and ABA therapy, as well as some behavioral therapy. I believe this changed the structure of my brain to have made me some kind of 1/4 autistic-3/4 neurotypical person. I don't have any issues socializing, nor do I have sensory issues or executive functioning issues, but I have certain traits that make people think I'm 'quirky' in a sense. I cannot imagine things in my mind, which is aphantasia, and I have issues perceiving my own emotions, which is alexythimia. I'm good at recognizing patterns, and I can paint for like 10 hours straight and not be too tired afterwards. I have no interest in tv shows, anime, movies, non-educational youtube videos (with the exception of classical and post punk music), video games, etc... so this puts me in an odd position where I don't fit in with either neurotypicals or neurodivergents. I have a million hobbies and I've been described as if I'm always "on the go", which I know is an adhd thing, but that may also just be part of my personality as from a young age, I've had existential anxiety regarding the way I'd be remembered after my death (it got really bad when I was 12 and 13 but I think I've had it since I was 9 or 10) , so I took up making art and doing intellectual pursuits to quell the anxiety, and it's worked to some extent but I still have very high standards for myself regarding these pursuits. When I was 13 I was literally like "by the time I'm 14 I'm gonna become like Leonardo da Vinci" yeahh, I made a lot of progress with my art that year but alas, I am not a famous renaissance artist.

Anyways, this has been a short account of me describing my experiences and I left out a lot of stuff (like how I had a very short fuse when I was younger and this led me to get teased quite often, and how I've always done quite well in school) but I would just like to know if there's anyone else out there like me and if there's any healthy things I can do to cope with the feeling that I don't really belong anywhere.

i just need a place to talk about my mental illnesses. i feel so trapped and alone. the friends i do have are rarely online, which drives me crazy all day until they come on. i can't escape my voices. the voices have feelings too which i can't escape either. they all want me to do different things. i'm so scared. i already went to the mental hospital last week but that didn't help. made it worse in some ways. all they did was drug me up. my ptsd makes me scared of everything which makes the voices stronger. my depression is making me feel like killing myself, even though i don't want to.

Hey all, I hope this is OK but if not please remove it.

I'm a trainee clinical psychologist and currently recruiting people who self-report as having psychosis, schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder and who experience suspicious thoughts/beliefs and images in their mind that cause distress.

There is more information in the picture and if you, or someone you know is interested in taking part please email me at a.mcmullan@lancaster.ac.uk

We are hoping to recruit another 5 to 6 people so it would be great if the Reddit community could spread the word!

https://preview.redd.it/oc2iveulsn271.jpg?width=1280&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=124a97d27ae287e9ca059f464ea701eaee4adfd5

To the dog owners of this community! I know the huge source of comfort and support a pet dog can provide when struggling with our mental health. I'm looking into how our psychological functioning affects our dogs for my MSc, if you're also interested and want to be part of some new and interesting research I'd really appreciate it if you fill in my questionnaire: ​ the questionnaire It's entirely anonymous. There's an email address if you want more info or want to know your results. Thanks so much if you decide to do it 😊

This post has been approved by a moderator (thank you!)

Autism/Asperger’s-themed clothing

Hi folks,

I would really appreciate it if you could take 1-2 minutes to fill out this survey of mine. I’m looking to create some simple Autism/Asperger’s themed clothing designs (there’s a bit more detail about how I’m approaching this at the beginning of the survey itself) and I would very much like the community’s input.

Many thanks in advance!

https://forms.gle/BnqdDoZAkKTniNNC9

Are you 18 years or older? Researchers at the University of Alberta invite you to take part in an anonymous online research study. The study explores how self-efficacy and language/literacy abilities influence sexual communication and health. We are interested in your experiences talking about sex, and accessing sexual healthcare. The survey will take 10-15 minutes. Please visit https://www.tinyurl.com/sexcomm-survey if you would like to take part.

The short version(988 bytes, now I don't know if this is considered "short"):

So I was thinking about creating a post about finding new contacts but instead I'll just document/focus on and show you how I've discovered Neurodiverse("ND") individuals so far:

How I do it: I go on streaming sites(mostly interactive ones where users usually interact with their viewers). I have usually an account on the streaming site too and there I stream a lot already, although lately I'm not that reachable on-stream so I'm more reachable at this time on communities like this one. Continuing... I check if people are open about themselves, one way is to see if ie. streamers have diagnosis names in their online usernames ie. "bipolarsuperpower", "amazingaspie" etc.(these were made up names for my example) another way is if they mention anything relevant in their "Info/About" section, ie. "I'm autistic", "I'm Borderline and Bipolar" etc..

Having a diagnosis in their online username does not necessarily mean that they are open about it or that they put it in there because they strongly believe in ND. So I try to interact with them to discover new people who are friendly to me and are there for the self-awareness and for "The ND Universe".

The long version(1387 bytes) or the section where I move stuff from the short section so you can be saved from "reading more than you 'need to'":

Though I've found that in prolonged chatting sessions that the interaction isn't really "whole" for both parties of the conversation. Also most don't have any knowledge about "neurodiversity" so mostly I don't know if they really are neurodiverse. Though usually I define ND a bit loosely like when an individual "1. Seeks awareness of oneself and 2. Is interested in talking about the subject that potentially makes them involved in the concept of ND" so if they fulfill those "criteria" I'm kinda thinking 'they might be ND some day'.

Finding ND individuals is hard for me. I consider myself ND lately(after interacting a bit with ND communities and not getting outright banned after just saying "hello") but this is my method.

I prefer to stay away from mostly 1 vs 1 text only conversations since text can sometimes(after prolonged exposure) trigger mania/anxiety in me since I find "text-only" conversations to be very "un human". I'm struggling to type this very message and usually in situations such as these I write lots of text, I delete lots of texts and sometimes I might get something that makes me look at my text and just close all my open tabs cause it's just too much in there which I can't/don't have the time to make sense of due to having to deal with other priorities like taking care of myself: getting food etc, interacting with individuals that care for me etc.

Poll section:

Now that I've finished with the short and long versions, do you have any experience of interacting with new ND individuals and how do you go on about discovering new cool ND people?

• Option 1: Through text
• Option 2: Text and audio
• Option 3: Text, audio and video
• Option 4: Text and video
• Option 5: Only audio
• Option 6: In another way

Personally I do it currently mostly with text since streaming sites don't have options that I know of that enable any other interactions. ie. some industry leader streaming sites support unlocks that can be used to interact with streamers but I've not yet seen an unlock like ie. "talk to the streamer for 30 seconds" or something like that so I guess streaming in general is still in its infancy as a collection of mechanics available on the internet to interact with other human beings in a kind of 'casual way'. I know video conferencing is already available and hey I don't know about you but some people may be more bold in joining ND video conferencing rooms, I'm more into "gaming rooms".

View Poll

I see streaming as a way to stream myself, being myself and I wonder if streaming is an ok topic to discuss or ask about(ie. connecting with other streamers) on this subreddit or if your focus is mostly on other things?

I'm new here, I don't know. Thanks in advance! I'm diagnosed Asperger's but have come to, in recent years, to embrace neurodiversity as a concept. I have many more interests like Wikidata, Linked Data and Wikimedia projects etc. but I can answer any questions if they arise. Thank you again!

Hello guys,

Whenever I go through harder times I always find it helpful to have a chat with someone sharing my mindset. So I decided to create an app where you can match with people that are having same disorders, starting from depression up to eating disorders/sexual frustration/loneliness etc.

https:// getbetter-ui.vercel.app/

The app is still in development but I decided it is ready enough to share it. If you decide to try it out please leave some feedback so that i know what can be improved. It requires mail confirmation, but dont worry, the only email it sends is confirmation, no spam.

Link to the survey: https://pace.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0TAg7sgmYWNebCR

Hello everyone,

I am a graduate student at Pace University conducting a research study exploring the relationship between social distancing policies, loneliness, and social isolation. 

If you are aged 18 years and older and currently enrolled in college, you may eligible to participate in this study by completing an online survey. The survey should take approximately 20-30 minutes to complete. Responses will be anonymous and confidential!

Please feel free to pass this survey to anyone you think would be interested in participating. 

I greatly appreciate your time. 

Thank you!

Link to the survey: https://pace.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0TAg7sgmYWNebCR

Hello everyone,

I am a graduate student at Pace University conducting a research study exploring the relationship between social distancing policies, loneliness, and social isolation. 

If you are aged 18 years and older and currently enrolled in college, you may eligible to participate in this study by completing an online survey. The survey should take approximately 20-30 minutes to complete. Responses will be anonymous and confidential!

Please feel free to pass this survey to anyone you think would be interested in participating. 

I greatly appreciate your time. 

Thank you!

This survey is now closed. Results will be posted as soon as they are available. Those who were selected in the raffle will be contacted through email. Thanks to all those who participated.

Hi everyone! My name is Amanda and I am a doctoral student in the school psychology program at Illinois State University. I am currently conducting research to examine language preferences. I am looking for participants who are at least 18 years of age, and are residents of the U.S. to complete my dissertation survey.

Participants will be entered in a drawing for a chance to win one of three $20 Amazon gift cards.

If you are interested in participating, please click on the following link: https://illinoisstate.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0BSovK655I0H0RT

Please feel free to share!

Any and all help is appreciated :)

I'm worried this might violate the subreddit content, if so I apologize.

I was wondering if anyone would appreciate a blog that help job seekers with mental illness find work opportunities that accommodate their particular difficulties.

I have an opportunity to write creatively as part of my current role and wanted to do something close to my heart and meaningful to the community.

I understand that many members of those communities I'm seeking advice from do not regard their conditions as an illness which I respect. Apologies for any offense.

Intro: I'm unemployed 26M living in Metro Detroit, Michigan. I'm looking for mental help now because my mental health needs to be checked. I turned 26 years old in the state of Michigan which means I am no longer on my parent's insurance policies anymore.

Goals: I'd like to receive help and cover the costs in the best way possible.

Side Notes: My current diagnoses are ADHD, GAD, GDD. Those were given by a psychiatrist's office. I think it's in my best interest to be evaluated by a psychologist.

Hello everyone

I've recently transitioned to remote therapy sessions because of COVID-19.

As I'm sure we all know, telemental health— namely, live therapy sessions through technology/services like Zoom — has been on the rise in recent years, but is currently spiking because of COVID-19 and the need for everyone to stay indoors.

Many therapists are adapting quickly and transitioning to remote sessions via apps like Zoom, including my own therapist. This is fantastic and is working for a lot of people, but, as I'm sure other patients and therapists on this sub are experiencing, many important parts of our usual therapy is getting left behind at the office.

For example, my therapist and I usually make use of an Oculus VR headset or actual physical objects/things for my exposure therapy. Now, we have to do things verbally or by sending links of images/videos. Additionally, my therapist usually gets a close-quarters view of my reaction and state of anxiety during our sessions, but this is significantly more difficult over video call (webcam quality, lag, etc.)

If you're a therapist, I'd really appreciate it if you could fill out my survey: https://forms.gle/SkY9jkz7K8vBfkWs8. I'd love to understand this problem from your perspectives. This might turn into a research project at a later stage, but your answers from this survey won't be included there. My apologies if links aren't allowed here.

Otherwise, looking forward to discussing this with everyone and hearing your thoughts & experiences so far :).

PLEASE SIGN this petition to help ELIMINATE pro-self harm, pro-eating disorder, and pro-suicide websites from Google’s search results. Link below:

http://chng.it/QMwQwKqk

When struggling from a mental illness, many people turn to the internet for help. When I did this, it almost cost me my life. Instead of finding sources of support or advice, I found pages and pages of harmful websites. Pro-self harm, pro-eating disorder, and most disturbingly, pro-suicide websites are all easily accessible through the Google search engine. These websites list “tips and tricks” that could be very detrimental to a person’s health, and in some cases life threatening.

While there are helpful resources included in these search results, such as the suicide hotline and crisis text line, it is not enough. When going through a mental health crisis, many people do not have the strength to click on a website that promotes recovery when there is one doing the exact opposite beneath it.

Google values responsibility, helpfulness, and thoughtfulness, and these websites go completely against their values. I believe that if Google could eliminate all websites from their search results that contain pro-self harm, pro-eating disorder, and pro-suicide content, thousands of lives could be saved.

Please sign and share this petition- You could save lives.

Hello everyone! My name is Antonio, I am running a fundraiser through NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) and would appreciate any support. I set a goal for $1,000 to reach by October 6th, 2019. Help break the stigma surrounding mental illness with NAMI! Thank you in advance for anyone willing to contribute :)

https://www.namiwalks.org/participant/Antonio-Terradillos

This post has been approved by a moderator

Hello, my name is Alexandra Saba. I am an undergraduate student researcher working with Professor Rakesh Bhandari in the Interdisciplinary Studies Field Department at the University of California, Berkeley. I am currently conducting interview-based research to establish the impact of engaging with the neurodiversity movement online on personal identity in autistic young adults. This research is close to my heart, as I am on the spectrum myself and have found that the neurodiversity movement has greatly impacted how I perceive myself. I also feel that there is a lack of research by autistics for autistics (especially young adults), and I would like to help change that through this research! Participants will be compensated with a $15 Amazon.com gift card upon completion of the interview.

• I am looking to conduct 30 minute to 1 hour long online interviews of individuals that identify as autistic (diagnosed or self-identification), are between the ages of 18-35, and engage with the neurodiversity movement online through forums such as reddit autism or neurodiversity groups, WrongPlanet.net, facebook neurodiversity or autism groups, or other forums and groups closely related to the neurodiversity movement. Engagement with the neurodiversity movement online can include just reading posts and infrequently posting to forums / groups.

• Participants will be asked to complete a consent form and short screening survey (linked below), which should take around 5 minutes to complete. If you are eligible, you will be asked to provide your email address and Skype ID for contact purposes. I will then email you to set up a date and time of your preference for the online interview. Interviews will be conducted via Skype audio or text chat, depending on your preferences. The interview will involve questions about autism and how it relates to your identity, your engagement with the neurodiversity movement online, and its impact on your sense of self and identity. With your permission, I will make an audio recording and take notes during the interview. The total maximum time commitment for this study is 1 hour and 15 minutes.

• All study data collected will be confidential and protected through encryption. Personally identifiable information, such as usernames or contact information, will not be published or presented.

If you are interested, please click on the link below to access the consent form and screening survey: Consent Form and Screening Survey

Researching the relationship between use of warming practices such as sauna, hot bath etc and depression, sleep and stress issues.

I've created an online survey that takes 5-10 minutes. All participants receive a [very] general summary of their levels of depressive symptomatology, stress and sleep issues, based on standardised cut-off scores and comparisons to population norms.

Find the survey here: https://latrobe.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_7V3H5n3zjIowzNb

I'll post results to this subreddit once it is complete.

Note: Google Chrome is sometimes buggy with the survey platform, try Firefox if it doesn't load.