I want to get more involved with organising, but fear that due to my autism I will just be a burden. I’m bad in social interactions and get overstimulated quickly.

It’s also hard to make connections as well as an autistic person and when I go to socialist meetings I always gravitate towards the people I already know and when they aren’t there I feel somewhat left out.

  • Beat_da_Rich
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    7 months ago

    ADHD here. Haven’t been tested for autism, but have always had similar burnout/overstim issues. It doesn’t help that my professional life is very irregularly timed, which makes it hard for me to establish routines. I’ve been a formal part of organizations before, but found that I couldn’t manage the regularity of the expectations put on me. By being an active supporter of orgs, rather than a member, I’ve found I am more useful. I am able to do activism on my own schedule and have a much easier time managing my energy.

    Organizing in person takes A LOT out of me. I still do it, but my capacity is limited and takes focus away from other personal responsibilities of mine, like work/bills/marriage/self-improvement goals. I primarily participate in movements during my downtime at home and I’m deliberate about meeting my hours of activism with just as much dedicated time for fun. I’ve found that if I don’t do this, then my dopamine-starved brain will literally hyperfixate on the miseries of capitalism and then in 3 or 4 weeks I’ll find myself in a mental/emotional crisis because I never gave myself any release.

    There are definitely ways you can organize and contribute as a ND person. It’s work to develope an acute awareness and understand yourself more though, but it sound like you’re already aware of how your body operates. It can be really difficult to forgive yourself for your limitations, but remember, “Each according to their ability.”