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McGinnity
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21 Mar 2021, 5:03 pm

Hi all. Long story short, I am autistic, but work retail and am expected to act normal. While I do well most the time, there are times when I "mess up" because I don't understand the situation. Through many, many conversations between quite a few companies, the best I can understand is that others that I work with know I am autistic and accept it, as long as it doesn't hurt them in any way business wise. I would make less through disability, but the only job I can get is in the public sector. I can't drive or be a manager, but I write well, and am working on a high fantasy fiction book, but that takes time to make.
The advice I need is simple. What I can I do to be okay for the near future? My back is falling apart, but I have to do some of the hardest work to keep hours. I need to socialize with people that drain me. I need to always be at my best when there are days, like today, where I am just drained.
I am bone tired, thirty-two with a bright future, soon, but am having trouble getting through the now that will get me there. I am happily single, no kids, and care for my father. I like my job because it's what I'm used to. I hate my body because it's getting worse with what my job needs from me. There's no way I can just quit, and I'm not considered bad enough to go through the methods to fix my back or get the help needed financially due to my autism.
What can I do to fix any of this? Any advice, even bad advice, is welcome. I am trying to work for better and am hitting walls, and I just want to break through to better solutions.
Sorry for the depressing rant. Thank you for your time and, hopefully, for your advice.



Juliette
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21 Mar 2021, 5:20 pm

I was working long hours in my own business, doing beyond anything I could have imagined earlier. But, my health started to suffer. I was workaholic. At 26, I wound up with pneumonia then pleurisy. Took many months to recover. Once I cut back to working 4 days a week, just a simple tweaking like that, made a world of difference. Simply put, we need to recharge our batteries. We can’t expect to keep pushing ourselves beyond all limits, without something giving. Take care of yourself. X



McGinnity
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21 Mar 2021, 6:07 pm

Juliette wrote:
I was working long hours in my own business, doing beyond anything I could have imagined earlier. But, my health started to suffer. I was workaholic. At 26, I wound up with pneumonia then pleurisy. Took many months to recover. Once I cut back to working 4 days a week, just a simple tweaking like that, made a world of difference. Simply put, we need to recharge our batteries. We can’t expect to keep pushing ourselves beyond all limits, without something giving. Take care of yourself. X

Thank you. The stress from everything almost killed me two Octobers ago. While everyone was starting to freak out about the pandemic a year back I was in the middle of the strongest medicine for an overactive thyroid and dangerously high anxiety. I'm, more or less, recovered now, but I feel more drained and sluggish being more physically normal, and the masks don't help.
I'm starting to learn Japanese as a way to cope. I plan on learning both main alphabets, reading, listening, and writing it all well in three months, then I can learn the language. It's a good diversion and might help keep my brain going.



Juliette
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21 Mar 2021, 6:31 pm

Japanese will be a good diversion! I have a family member who’s moving to Japan any day now, as soon as they are given the all clear, covid-wise from the Japanese powers that be. She’s lived there before and loves it.

Hope it helps you and that you can find a good work/play/rest balance. Hobbies re-energise me and genuinely centre me when I really need it. Masking will fail after so long and the Sense of Self loses its layers after so long of keeping that up. Treatment alone from thyroid issues will take alot out of you, let alone the thyroid issues pre-treatment. Hope you’re doing okay. I researched thyroid issues and wrote an article on it, a few years ago as my cousin was having a time of it, as well as a friend who had a non-verbal autistic son. It was an eye opener. Auto-immune Disorders and Autism seem to go hand in hand for quite a few.

Konnichiwa :)

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jimmy m
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21 Mar 2021, 6:36 pm

McGinnity wrote:
The advice I need is simple. What I can I do to be okay for the near future? My back is falling apart, but I have to do some of the hardest work to keep hours. I need to socialize with people that drain me. I need to always be at my best when there are days, like today, where I am just drained.


It sounds like you are experiencing back pain. I might suggest a back brace or back support. There are a number on the market. This link might get you started in that direction.

The 7 Best Back Braces of 2021


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Dear_one
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21 Mar 2021, 7:45 pm

A farmer/handyman I know was having to go to a Chiropractor frequently for his back. Then he started lifting weights in addition to his regular work-related exercise, and his muscles strengthened enough to hold his back in place. Back trouble can result from even something like a tight shoe. You'll move differently to favour one foot, and that can throw everything out of balance. There's also the usual wisdom about lifting with your knees, not your back, etc to check for.



McGinnity
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22 Mar 2021, 6:06 am

Juliette wrote:
Japanese will be a good diversion! I have a family member who’s moving to Japan any day now, as soon as they are given the all clear, covid-wise from the Japanese powers that be. She’s lived there before and loves it.

Hope it helps you and that you can find a good work/play/rest balance. Hobbies re-energise me and genuinely centre me when I really need it. Masking will fail after so long and the Sense of Self loses its layers after so long of keeping that up. Treatment alone from thyroid issues will take alot out of you, let alone the thyroid issues pre-treatment. Hope you’re doing okay. I researched thyroid issues and wrote an article on it, a few years ago as my cousin was having a time of it, as well as a friend who had a non-verbal autistic son. It was an eye opener. Auto-immune Disorders and Autism seem to go hand in hand for quite a few.

Konnichiwa :)

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I don't know if it's true for others on the spectrum, but for me, I'am always a bit sickly, but rarely, if ever, sick. I am in tune with my body enough to know when something is off. Like, right now, my right hand is sprained and my back's in pain, which is perfect for lifting up chairs at work today for up to five hours :).
And I'm learning Japanese my own way. I'm learning to read and write both main alphabets first, then I'll learn how to speak the language. I already know the sentence structure of the language okay, like instead of saying "bring me that pen" I'd say "You, the pen, to me." It's tricky, but fun, and I watch enough anime that I might as well learn the language.



McGinnity
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Joined: 20 Mar 2021
Age: 36
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Posts: 26

22 Mar 2021, 6:10 am

jimmy m wrote:
McGinnity wrote:
The advice I need is simple. What I can I do to be okay for the near future? My back is falling apart, but I have to do some of the hardest work to keep hours. I need to socialize with people that drain me. I need to always be at my best when there are days, like today, where I am just drained.


It sounds like you are experiencing back pain. I might suggest a back brace or back support. There are a number on the market. This link might get you started in that direction.

The 7 Best Back Braces of 2021

Thank you :). And I'm way ahead of you. I've been wearing a back brace for work for the last year and a half. My spine is straightening and my discs are degenerating. I'm bad enough where I shouldn't do what I do at work, but not bad enough to where the managers don't care. It's a "do it or you'll lose hours" kinda thing at the moment. I'll have to lift/move around thirty chairs at work today, some of which could weigh 77.68 pounds, on a lift, on my own.
Work wise, it's the best I can do for now.



McGinnity
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Joined: 20 Mar 2021
Age: 36
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22 Mar 2021, 6:13 am

Dear_one wrote:
A farmer/handyman I know was having to go to a Chiropractor frequently for his back. Then he started lifting weights in addition to his regular work-related exercise, and his muscles strengthened enough to hold his back in place. Back trouble can result from even something like a tight shoe. You'll move differently to favour one foot, and that can throw everything out of balance. There's also the usual wisdom about lifting with your knees, not your back, etc to check for.

I was thinking about lifting weights. I found a series on Youtube called Welcome to Night Vale that's the perfect length for a day's routine. I'm just afraid it might be too much with the work stuff, but I won't know until I try.
I am, as they call it, fat. 5'6", 225 pounds, and recently recovered from an over-active thyroid. My heart's no longer racing. It makes me feel sluggish, but I'll try the weights idea since I was thinking the same. Thank you :).