Mental Health Info!!

DPDR, depersonalisation/derealisation disorder, is a dissociative disorder. This means that I frequently feel dissociated without any reasonable stimulus (like how a panic attack could make someone feel dissociated). I experience depersonalisation, which is a disconnection from my body, and derealisation, which is a disconnection from the world. Dissociation is very normal, actually, so don't be worried if you've experienced it before!! It only becomes a problem when the dissociation episodes start lasting way longer than they need to.

GAD, general anxiety disorder, is actually pretty common and very easily diagnosable. I was diagnosed within 3 days!! General anxiety disorder does exactly what you would think: it causes me to be paranoid and reclusive. Having GAD doesn't inherently make you an introvert, but it definitely can deter you from acting impusivley or being outgoing. A lot of the typical anxiety strategies don't work for me, but I'm coming up with ways to cope!!

Despite the title, autism is NOT a mental health disorder. It's actually a neurodivergency, so it primarily affects how I process stuff!! Autism is on a spectrum, hence the name "Autism Spectrum Disorder" and can affect people in unique ways. High-functioning autism for me means that I have difficulty with picking up social signals, too much sensory input, and taking things a little too literally. Sometimes this can be seen as rudeness, but I promise it's not intentional!!