Posts Tagged ‘mental health awareness’
Navigating Holiday Gatherings with Autism
Don’t judge. It’s everyone’s holiday season. With the holiday season upon us, I’ve been reflecting on my autism journey as a younger child. It looked much different than it does now as an adult. Whether it was during Christmas with the family or a holiday gathering, I’d often be alone in the corner, trying to avoid too much social interaction and strong sensory input. While my family would be eating beef, chicken, or some other holiday feast, I’d be snacking away on my favorite snacks like cheese doodles and goldfish.…
Read MoreGrowing Up With Autism: Putting My Mental Health First
One of the best things I ever did for myself was to put my mental health first and not be afraid to talk about it. Please teach our society that seeking support for mental health challenges doesn’t make someone ‘crazy.’ When I was a kid growing up on the autism spectrum, I saw a therapist for a short time due to my challenging behaviors. Being bullied in school, I would avoid mentioning this as getting help and seeking good mental health was often labeled as being ‘weird.’ Some of my…
Read MoreI Don’t Know how to Fix This Either
I woke up this morning to a text message I didn’t send. The words were still in there. Typed. Staring at me when I unlocked my Home Screen. I quickly thought about erasing them because then I could pretend I didn’t feel that way last night. But, who would that help. Not me. Not anyone. And certainly not another mother who feels the same way. I feel like I’m in a trapped place sometimes. And as a fixer, a doer, a plan maker, it’s really foreign to me. I know…
Read MoreMore Than a Caregiver
I am so excited to share with you that Finding Cooper’s Voice is launching a brand new initiative to help caregivers! We are partnering with a counseling agency to bring counseling services to caregivers in need. And we are offering it FREE OF CHARGE for the caregiver. Finding Cooper’s Voice, along with donations and support, will pay for up to 3 counseling sessions per caregiver. We are also going to remove the barriers to getting counseling. So often, as parents, we struggle to help ourselves. It can all feel like…
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