Mostly just commenting to boost this thread, it seems helpful...
hello, hopefully it's okay to post in a thread that hasn't been active in a while, but i wanted to continue my post from last month and say that i was formally diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder yesterday. it really was such a relief to finally know for sure and i feel like my world has opened up a bit.cowgirl!!! that's so great! i'm glad that this has opened your world up more, and that you got some good introspection about how to deal with part of it. i didnt see your reply to my previous post before because i get notifications for every forum post, but im glad i could help before too. ur free to message me any time if you wanna ask about anything too
my doc said something interesting though. i'd mentioned to her during my assessment that i feel like i can't control my brain and have thought patterns where i get fixated on things (sometimes a good thing but sometimes i fixate on something negative) and she mentioned this may have something to do with the fact that many with autism have an excess of synapses. while most people have brains that prune synapses and unneeded mental connections, those with autism don't do this at a normal rate.
the way i see it, it's like the brain of someone without autism has neural pathways organized like a well-planned recently built suburban neighborhood. a person's train of thought which i visualize as a car has an easier time navigating this landscape. it's the kind of place where there are multiple routes to get to home depot if that makes sense.
i view the brain of someone with autism like a cluttered downtown area. the streets are all built around one point and almost lay on top of each other as the city has grown over the years. there's lots of one-ways and dead ends so it's easy to get lost there. the abundance of one-way streets means there's often just one route to get somewhere and a wrong turn can turn a short drive into a very long one. so when i'm fixated on something, it's like i've gotten lost at a dead end in a neural city street.
apparently there is a drug that can restore normal synaptic pruning but i like my downtown brain, nothing wrong with a suburban brain either. my hope is that with this diagnosis i'll be able to get help so that i can better drive the car that is my train of thought. just thought i'd share because maybe someone else can relate to the analogy.
another interesting thing and i suppose a question as well. i wonder if the excess of synapses may have something to do with migraines. i get migraines with aura and apparently during the aura period my synapses are going absolutely hog wild so perhaps these things are connected. so does anyone else here with autism experience migraines?
Probably very obvious to anyone who has ever spoken to me but I'm also autistic :-)Hyperfixation means that you can Only concentrate on that thing. Its more of an ADHD term (but most dont mind autistic people using it, yknow) where you have severe problems paying attention to Anything but then you hyperfixate on learning everything about the video game Don't Starve even though youve never played it and you forget to eat and go to the bathroom for more hours than you really should
Honestly very comforting to see other people who got diagnosed later in life, I didn't get diagnosed until I was 20 and it was the best thing that ever happened to me tbh, it made so much of my life suddenly make sense.
Related: Does anyone else hate the term "special interest" ??? It feels so infantiilizing, I wish there was a more neutral term. I guess there is hyperfixation but I'm honestly not sure if that's the same thing.
Probably very obvious to anyone who has ever spoken to me but I'm also autistic :-)
Honestly very comforting to see other people who got diagnosed later in life, I didn't get diagnosed until I was 20 and it was the best thing that ever happened to me tbh, it made so much of my life suddenly make sense.
Related: Does anyone else hate the term "special interest" ??? It feels so infantiilizing, I wish there was a more neutral term. I guess there is hyperfixation but I'm honestly not sure if that's the same thing.
What is Ximboland ?
The Fashionable Republic of Ximboland is the worlds first democratic social media platform.
What is its mission?
Ximbolands mission is to serve the world by offering a truly democratic alternative to the established, familiar and autocratic social media platforms.
The establishment of The Fashionable Republic of Ximboland is a response to the widespread demand for a democratic alternative to autocratic social media governance. The world’s major social media platforms claim to be based on good will and fair governance however most seek to impose their world-view on all of their users.
Ximboland recognizes that democracy is the antidote to this problem.
What is the national flag of Ximboland?
When was The Fashionable Republic of Ximboland founded?
2007
What is the capital city of The Fashionable Republic of Ximboland?
Bimbo City
How many states make up The Fashionable Republic of Ximboland?
There are 6 states that make up The Fashionable Republic of Ximboland. They are Atheistia, Freethinkerland, Reasonopia, Agnostica, Secville, and Antitheocra. Bimbo City is the neutral administrative capital and is its own city zone. Booby Island is the home of the President of the Fashionable republic of Ximboland - Sindy Laarson I aka Miss Bimbo
What is a Ximbo xitizen?
A ‘Ximbo xitizen’ is a citizen of The Fashionable Republic of Ximboland. All citizens must be at least 18 years old.
What is a Ximbo?
Some people define a Ximbo as a superhuman - blessed with extraordinary good looks, intelligence and fashion sense.
Some people claim a Ximbo is a genderless or nonbinary superhuman.
Either way - all Ximbos possess the X factor.
How can I become a Ximbo xitizen?
In order to become a xitizen of Ximboland you must first pass the Ximboland xitizens test. It is free to become a Ximbo xitizen.
What is a Ximbo senator?
A Ximbo senator is a senior member of The Fashionable Republic of Ximboland. Only xenators are eligible to put themselves forward for election to senior government roles. Ximbos also get 10 x votes in all elections so they really do shape Ximbolands future.
What is a Ximbo minister?
A Ximbo minister is an elected or appointed official in the Ximboland government. These Ximbos are our leaders.
Who is the Prime Ximbo?
The Prime Ximbo is the democratically elected head of The Fashionable Republic of Ximboland.
Where does the Prime Ximbo live?
The Prime Ximbo lives in the Pink House for the 3 month term they are in office.
I want to become a minister or Prime Ximbo. How do I do that?
Any Ximbo citizen can become Prime Ximbo using the democratic process. Its a 2 stage process from Senator>Prime Ximbo. All Ximbo xitizens can vote in general elections but in order to put themselves forward to become Prime Ximbo/a minister they must first become a Ximbo senator.
Can I become Prime Ximbo more than once?
Yes a Ximbo can hold the position of Prime Ximbo for 6 terms max.
How often do elections take place?
The Fashionable Republic of Ximboland holds elections every 3 months for Prime Ximbo and every 3 months for State Ministers.
Where do important discussions take place?
The Town Square.
What is the treasury/ministers/Prime Ximbos salary?
The treasury/salary is the bank account of The Fashionable Republic of Ximboland. This figure is transferred to the paypal account of the Prime Ximbo at the end of their 3 month term in charge.
How is the treasury calculated?
The treasury is funded by the Ximbo xenators.
A percentage (33%) of the money paid by Ximbo xenators via Paypal is transferred into the Ximbo treasury. The rest is used for further Ximboland development.
What are the national colours of Ximboland?
Pink and purple
How old must I be in order to become a Ximboland
xitizen?
Anyone over the age of 18 can become a Ximbo xitizen.
When are the national holidays of Ximbo
land?
Jan 1st New years day
Feb 12th Darwin day
Feb 14th Lovers day
March 8th Womens day
March 21st Spring solstice
April 13th The Hitchslap Day (Christopher Hitchens birthday)
May 3rd National day of reason
June 21st World Humanist Day
Aug 2nd The Fashionable Republic of Ximboland national day
Sep 21st Peace one day
Dec 25th Newtons birthday
What are the currencies of Ximboland?
The Ximbo Dollar (B$). Currently it is pegged in value to the US$ and the Ximbo Diamond.
Who is the President of Ximboland?
Sindy Laaron I aka Miss Bimbo is the President of Ximboland. She founded the great bimbo nation in 2007 after escaping the tyranny, poor fashion jealousy of the old world. You can read more about her here
and here
Where is MissBimbo.com?
The Fashionable Republic of Ximboland was created by Miss Bimbo herself and is its successor.