I Overcame My Autism and All I Got Was This Lousy Anxiety Disorder, by Sarah Kurchak

[sophia_sol]

This book is a big mood, as they say. Have I ever mentioned on my blog that I'm probably autistic? Well I am. And this memoir - by an autistic person about her experiences with autism - is hella relatable. Oh, not all our symptoms are the same, and we have different life stories, but my overwhelming experience of reading the book was to feel like, "oh hi, I know you."

I actually have no idea how this book would read to a person not me, but it was a great read for a person who is me. I didn't take any big insights away from it, I didn't learn anything new, but sometimes it's just really nice to just spend the length of a book hanging out with someone whose way of being and expressing herself feels so comfortably familiar. And there were also definite moments of being like, "oh no that's TOO real, how dare" but in like, a good way.

Anyway. Recommended! A good book. Also apparently one of the Evergreen books for this year, so go me, I'm Literary or something.

Comments

[pauraque]

You might have mentioned it; I had the impression that you were, but now that I think about it, I can't remember when or how I came to think so.

Based on the title of the book, I'm guessing it has to do with learning to fit in enough that one isn't visibly autistic and/or no longer meets the diagnostic criteria, and how messed up it is that such is hailed as being "cured"?

[sophia_sol]

Yeah, that's one of the things it's about! Kurchak talks a bunch about how, because she doesn't "seem" autistic to people looking in on the outside because her autism isn't "bad" enough, that they think it doesn't really count, but a) it counts, and b) the masking behaviours one engages in to succeed at not seeming autistic are in fact an enormous drain.

I really liked her discussion of that last point, actually, and how much more functional and happy she is when she isn't spending all of her energy making neurotypical people more comfortable and trying to fit in, but also how even after you learn that lesson it's hard to stop.

[pauraque]

Ahh yeah. I'll have to mention this to my wife, since it seems like it'd be right up her alley!

[sophia_sol]

Great, I hope she enjoys it!

[walgesang]

Hi there, it's-a me the wife! :D I've been wondering if there's been any newer books out lately and this does seem right up my alley. I'm glad you mentioned it and I'll check it out!

[sophia_sol]

Hey, thanks for stopping by! I hope you enjoy the book as much as I did :)