“I can only blame myself; everyone told me to take care of them, but I just didn’t listen like an idiot.”

I’m an award-winning writer and editor living in New York City, where I currently work at BuzzFeed as the Senior Lifestyle Editor.

"Yoga (i.e., power flow or vinyasa) saved my back. I was nearly unable to stand without pain. 10 years later, it’s all gone. Yoga is all about core muscles that hold your spine and everything else together."

"Now I just accept that some things are a lot easier for me than for neurotypical people, and some things are a lot harder. So I put more energy into the hard things and enjoy doing the easier things."

I'm also diagnosed with AuDHD only in the last few years at middle age.

There's definitely too much going on in the whole 'don't mask, be yourself, get accommodations' thing. It's gone too far and is making people give up and act helpless.

I guess I kind of see it like I'd see a weak muscle. I'll probably always struggle with it, but I want to keep it strong enough to live a successful life. I don't want my autism to strip me of opportunities by being complacent and letting it take over my life.

Like, for example, executive dysfunction is a bitch, and I do allow myself some 'dysregulation days' — perhaps one day a week or two evenings a week where I can do whatever my brain fancies, even if that's sitting around not doing much. But other days I'm definitely going to battle it and be more firm with myself, 'No, you need to do one of your hobbies, you need to study,' because if I don't fight it, then my life will become me just flopped on the couch, and that is very dull.

Like, sometimes I need to mask. I'll never like crowds, I hate crowds, but you better believe I'm going to fight that so I can enjoy concerts and conventions."

"Marrying at 19, divorced for the wrong reasons, and got married to a wild man the second time. Now, I’m almost 40 and twice divorced, and it’s fine to be alone, but man, I wasted a lot of my youth in crappy relationships. Now, I’m 40 and think I’ll be alone forever. I did get two great kids from Dud #1, though."