Feeling a little anxious or worried is a natural response to certain situations. The “fight or flight” hormones which can help us to escape when we feel we are in danger can be helpful in the short term; making us … Read more

Maybe a friend shared a graphic online listing the signs of complex PTSD, and you recognised yourself in more of them than you expected. Maybe you’ve typed ‘what are the 17 symptoms of complex PTSD’ late at night, trying to … Read more

You’re out, or partly out. You know, logically, that there’s nothing wrong with who you are or who you love. And yet a small voice still flinches when you hold a partner’s hand in public, cringes at certain parts of … Read more

Maybe you’ve heard a colleague describe themselves as neurodivergent. Maybe you’ve seen the word on social media, in a news article or on a form at work, and wondered whether it applies to you. It’s a term that’s everywhere now, … Read more

You swore you’d never sound like your parent, and then one day the same sharp words come out of your mouth. Or you notice that nobody in your family ever talks about feelings, and you’re not sure why. Perhaps there’s … Read more

You walk into a room and immediately clock the exits. A door slams down the corridor and your heart leaps into your throat. A friend’s slightly flat tone keeps you awake, replaying the conversation for clues. Even on a quiet … Read more

You care about your partner, you really do. But when they want to talk about feelings, plan the future or simply be close for a while, something in you wants to step back. You might need more space than they … Read more

You meant to answer one email and somehow lost an hour to videos. You promised yourself you would let your partner finish their sentence, and the words came out anyway. You added something to the basket at midnight that you … Read more

You walk into the kitchen and stand there, completely blank. You were halfway through a sentence and the point vanished. The form you promised yourself you would post today is still on the table. If moments like these happen several … Read more

You’re in the middle of a difficult conversation, and suddenly your partner goes silent. They stare at their phone, give one-word answers or walk out of the room. The harder you try to reach them, the further away they seem. Read more

Maybe your manager has asked whether you need any adjustments, and you weren’t sure what to say. Maybe you’ve just received a diagnosis and someone mentioned the word ‘disability’, and it didn’t sit comfortably. Or maybe you’ve spent years struggling … Read more

At first, it feels like a dream. They message constantly, tell you they’ve never met anyone like you and talk about holidays, moving in and forever within weeks. The attention is dazzling, and part of you wonders whether this is … Read more

From the outside, your life looks like it’s working. You hold down a demanding job, meet most deadlines and seem capable, even impressive. What people don’t see is the cost. The late nights catching up, the constant low hum of … Read more

For most of the month, you’ve found ways to cope. Then, a week or so before your period, everything gets louder. Your focus disappears, your fuse gets shorter and a small comment can knock you flat for days. You forget … Read more

It’s gone midnight. You’re exhausted, but your brain has just decided now is the perfect time to replay a conversation from 2014, plan a kitchen renovation and remember an email you forgot to send. By the time sleep finally arrives, … Read more

He’s the one who’s always late but somehow talks his way out of it. The one with six half-finished projects in the garage, a temper that flares and fades in minutes, and a partner who has quietly taken over the … Read more

You’re not bouncing off the walls. You never were. You’re the one who reads the email three times and still misses the key detail, who loses the thread halfway through a sentence, who sits in a meeting nodding while your … Read more

Every October, your social feeds fill with posts about ADHD, and something in you might quietly sit up. Maybe you’ve lost your keys three times this week. Maybe you’ve started a dozen projects and finished none, or heard for years … Read more

Some people respond to a short reply, a slight change in tone, or a message left unanswered with a wave of feeling so disproportionate that they can see it is disproportionate while it is happening and still cannot stop it. … Read more

Most descriptions of autism are written from the outside, lists of behaviours as they appear to an observer, and usually an observer watching a child. That turns out to be of very limited use to an adult sitting at home … Read more