Moving Through an OCD Blip: Reflections and Reminders
Authentically Emily Blog
by Emily
1M ago
One of the things about living with OCD is that you never know when it is going to strike. I know that it hits most when I am stressed, tired or feeling low. I expected it when I lost my dog Coco in October, and moved through it. I was NOT expecting a new OCD theme to hit three and a bit weeks ago. I almost forget the pain of OCD until it returns and am reminded again how torturous being stuck in an OCD spiral feels. The thing with OCD is that the meaning we place on our intrusive thoughts is what causes the distress and anxiety, leading to compulsions. I know the importance of accepting the t ..read more
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Challenges Autistic and ADHD People Face at Work and What Can Help
Authentically Emily Blog
by Emily
1M ago
Autistic and ADHD people have long struggled in the workplace. According to the Office for National Statistics, in 2021 only 29% of autistic people in the UK between 16-64 years old were employed (though of course, this is out of those recognised as autistic). Employees with ADHD are twice as likely to lose their job compared to employees without ADHD. A survey found that 65% of neurodivergent employees believed that disclosing their neurodivergence would result in discrimination from management, and 55% worried about stigma from colleagues. So this is a topic we need to talk about. Like with ..read more
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The Truth Behind the ‘Attendance Crisis’ and Stories From Those Who Have Been There. #NotASchoolSkiver
Emily Katy Blog
by Emily
2M ago
On the 8th of January, the UK government launched its attendance campaign ‘Moments Matter, Attendance Counts’. The same day, Good Morning Britain hosted a news segment titled ‘School Skivers: whose fault - teachers or parents?’. In response, I wrote‘I Was Not a “School Skiver’ (which I would recommend reading first!) which I shared on Twitter and Instagram with the hashtag #NotASchoolSkiver. Since then, hundreds of people have shared their stories using #NotASchoolSkiver, showcasing the truth behind the so-called ‘attendance crisis’. Of unsupported neurodivergence, of being a young carer, of m ..read more
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I Was Not a “School Skiver”
Emily Katy Blog
by Emily
2M ago
Dear Good Morning Britain (and the government), Following your news segment yesterday, I would like you to know that I was not a “school skiver”. I was a child traumatised by school and exhausted from the relentless panic attacks and anxiety it triggered. A child forced back into the same environment day after day, regardless of its effects. Not a school skiver. I was a child hurting from the bright lights, loud noises and crowds, who had no choice about having to experience this pain every day. A child who was broken from my school experiences - the bullying, the fear and the anxiety. Not a s ..read more
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Reflections on 2023
Emily Katy Blog
by Emily
3M ago
2023, a year of the highest highs and lowest lows. The first year of having the comfort of the routine of a 9-5 job and my body no longer being in a constant state of anxiety. The year I learned I have ADHD and started life-changing medication. The first year of no academic pressure and learning who I am outside of academia, something which has always defined much of my identity. The year of falling in love with books and reading properly again. The year of the happiest months of my life, and the saddest. The year of discovering so much about myself, of learning to manage situations I never c ..read more
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‘Anxiety Recovery’ whilst Autistic
Authentically Emily Blog
by Emily
3M ago
I spent my teenage years chasing the idea of ‘anxiety recovery’ that I later discovered didn’t exist. I wanted a life without anxiety, because all I understood was that it was limiting, destructive, painful, and stole too much from me. I also thought that was what I was meant to want. At church, year after year, people prayed for my anxiety to go away. Anxiety was a popular new topic on YouTube, so I watched as many videos as I could of people sharing how they overcame their anxiety. The goal of the brief Cognitive Behavioural Therapy intervention I had was to stop feeling anxious and to stop ..read more
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Autistic Joy: My Favourite Part of Autism
Emily Katy Blog
by Emily
4M ago
‘Autistic joy’ describes the all-encompassing, very intense feeling of joy and excitement that many autistic people experience. This may be over things which seem small to other people (but definitely aren’t small!). The joy completely absorbs us in that moment. It can feel very intense and radiate throughout our whole body. We often release this feeling through stimming. Autistic joy can feel like: being flooded with warmth, like sparks travelling through your body your surroundings melting away and the joy being all you can focus on being completely consumed by the feeling of joy lik ..read more
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Challenges Autistic and ADHD Children Face at School and What Can Help
Authentically Emily Blog
by Emily
4M ago
There is a reason why 92.1% of children with school attendance difficulties are neurodivergent, with 83.5% being autistic (according to one sample by Connolly & Mullally, 2022). And why children with Special Educational Needs are 50% more likely to struggle with school attendance (Office for National Statistics, 2021). And why 31% of autistic children and young people are persistently absent from school (Ambitious about Autism, 2022). Because the school environment and the nature of school itself can be incredibly overwhelming, anxiety-inducing and traumatic for neurodivergent children. Sa ..read more
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My Journey of Discovering My ADHD
Authentically Emily Blog
by Emily
4M ago
My journey of discovering my ADHD has been very different to my autism one (which you can read about here). Although there have been moments of imposter syndrome, from the moment I was told that I was autistic aged sixteen, I knew that the diagnosis was correct. And I knew it was something that was a part of me, and I wanted to learn to accept it. ADHD has been a different story altogether. Considering I have written a blog post on both my autism and OCD journeys, I thought it was time to write one about ADHD! I was diagnosed with ADHD in January 2023 - eleven months ago. I had been on the wai ..read more
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Book Announcement - ‘Girl Unmasked: How Uncovering My Autism Saved My Life’
Authentically Emily Blog
by Emily
4M ago
I can’t believe I am FINALLY able to share this (believe me, it’s been a secret for a long time!!!). My book ‘Girl Unmasked: How Uncovering My Autism Saved My Life’ is out 28th March 2024 and is available NOW to pre-order!! Link here. I feel like I’m dreaming. I spent most of my childhood with my head buried in books and writing my own, day-dreaming of becoming an author when I grew up. That dream faded for a while, as life got harder and harder. Six years ago, after years of anxiety that had become intolerable, I was sectioned on a children’s mental health unit. I believed that I was broken ..read more
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