I’m David and I’m autistic. Over the past couple of years, I have been through some significant life changes. This left me feeling a mix of emotions. Although I was really happy about some of them, I also felt frightened, worried, and I felt a bit lost as well.
Because of this I felt really numb. I just had no interest in hobbies or activities that I normally enjoy. One day I went to see my football team play, and that’s normally a big part of the week for me, but on this day, it was just really strange. I had no interest in whether they won or lost.
I started masking how I was feeling. I wouldn’t tell anyone at all and then I started to avoid going out as well and started to check things over and over again like the locks in my flat. It got really frustrating, and I just avoided doing things.
Shortly after that, I attempted suicide, and I knew after that I needed to reach out for help. So, I went to see my GP who helped me, and I also started talking to my family and friends. I started to become honest about how I was really feeling.
Mental wellbeing is a journey. Even though I am in a better place now, I still have days where I’m feeling really low or have little interest in doing things. But now, I am able to recognise the signs of when I’m starting to feel low and when I am losing interest in stuff.
I also recognise what I need to do and practice self-care better as well, so I’ll try to do something I enjoy and that sometimes brings me back a bit. My friends and my family really support me, and they have been a big support for me during this time. Getting the right support has helped me to realise that you can still live a good life and have down days as well.
So please, if you do feel down or if you feel like you are losing interest or you’ve got worries, please talk to someone. Getting the right support can help you lead a good life.
