Oof as someone whose just called out sick to work for no other reason than “look dude I’m just TIRED” this is extremely timely. While having an autism diagnosis finally gave me an answer as to why I’m just constantly living life exhausted it’s still not something I would feel at all comfortable disclosing to my bosses. And the part that almost is worse is I genuinely LIKE my job and my bosses, so now I’m just swamped with the guilt of letting them down. It’s so hard to honor and defend your own limits when surrounded by a work place culture that encourages you to push through them (or are just surrounded by people who seem to have a much higher tolerance). Idk if there’s a point to this rant but man am I feeling this article right now.
This is so relatable. I have been searching for a diagnosis for my chronic exhaustion for years because no one takes me seriously unless I have proof on a piece of paper from a doctor that I am easily overwhelmed and...well, fragile. Thanks for taking the time and energy to type these thoughts out.
I think about this A LOT. I'm autistic and chronically ill. I know SSDI wouldn't help me/I'm not "disabled enough" to get it, but I'm too disabled to do more than drag myself through life. I'm high masking which means I "seem fine" a lot of the time even when I'm really not. I found a lot of validation in getting a diagnosis, but yeah... knowing why I'm constantly feeling like I'm being crushed by life doesn't actually mean I have any more power to change that. Knowing that it's systemic oppression is both helpful in remembering that there's nothing wrong with me, but also depressing because in a lot of ways it feels easier to be like "well maybe if I just did this or that thing ~it would all go away~ than knowing it's actually a gigantic system and culture.
I'm autistic and recently I've been reading and listening to material on autistic inertia... And I'll tell you, being mostly retired and still having a lot of trouble task switching is not fun. I don't have trouble characterizing the inertia as disabling especially now that it gets in MY way as opposed to the way of some wageboss. But I agree with you on the way capitalist expectations dominate our own ability to set realistic limits for ourselves.
I am a college student, going into my Junior year. This summer was my first experience working in order to survive, and everyday I get more and more annoyed with the idea of working. I joke with my friends sometimes, but working a 9 to 5 for me is too close to slavery. Why should I be forced to work within a system that doesn’t even benefit me. As a queer black person, I find it hard finding jobs that are fulfilling and beneficial to not only me but the rest of the world. I don’t know where that ever leaves me, but I try to work on things that I’m passionate about, but even then most of the time I just want to go to sleep and eat Ben and Jerry’s 🤷🏽♀️
Oof as someone whose just called out sick to work for no other reason than “look dude I’m just TIRED” this is extremely timely. While having an autism diagnosis finally gave me an answer as to why I’m just constantly living life exhausted it’s still not something I would feel at all comfortable disclosing to my bosses. And the part that almost is worse is I genuinely LIKE my job and my bosses, so now I’m just swamped with the guilt of letting them down. It’s so hard to honor and defend your own limits when surrounded by a work place culture that encourages you to push through them (or are just surrounded by people who seem to have a much higher tolerance). Idk if there’s a point to this rant but man am I feeling this article right now.
This is so relatable. I have been searching for a diagnosis for my chronic exhaustion for years because no one takes me seriously unless I have proof on a piece of paper from a doctor that I am easily overwhelmed and...well, fragile. Thanks for taking the time and energy to type these thoughts out.
Thank you for taking the energy and time to write this. I resonate with it so much.
I think about this A LOT. I'm autistic and chronically ill. I know SSDI wouldn't help me/I'm not "disabled enough" to get it, but I'm too disabled to do more than drag myself through life. I'm high masking which means I "seem fine" a lot of the time even when I'm really not. I found a lot of validation in getting a diagnosis, but yeah... knowing why I'm constantly feeling like I'm being crushed by life doesn't actually mean I have any more power to change that. Knowing that it's systemic oppression is both helpful in remembering that there's nothing wrong with me, but also depressing because in a lot of ways it feels easier to be like "well maybe if I just did this or that thing ~it would all go away~ than knowing it's actually a gigantic system and culture.
I'm autistic and recently I've been reading and listening to material on autistic inertia... And I'll tell you, being mostly retired and still having a lot of trouble task switching is not fun. I don't have trouble characterizing the inertia as disabling especially now that it gets in MY way as opposed to the way of some wageboss. But I agree with you on the way capitalist expectations dominate our own ability to set realistic limits for ourselves.
I am a college student, going into my Junior year. This summer was my first experience working in order to survive, and everyday I get more and more annoyed with the idea of working. I joke with my friends sometimes, but working a 9 to 5 for me is too close to slavery. Why should I be forced to work within a system that doesn’t even benefit me. As a queer black person, I find it hard finding jobs that are fulfilling and beneficial to not only me but the rest of the world. I don’t know where that ever leaves me, but I try to work on things that I’m passionate about, but even then most of the time I just want to go to sleep and eat Ben and Jerry’s 🤷🏽♀️