@trevorcarroll_: I often get asked in my comments or messages if the gym ever overstimulates me or overwhelms me as an autistic person. And the answer is yes, absolutely. I took this picture yesterday after one of the worst workouts I’ve had in a while. I am so grateful to have found an outlet like weightlifting at such a young age. Most days it helps me ground into my body and free myself from the chaos of my mind. But there are still days where it does the exact opposite. To be fully transparent, I’ve had a pretty tough week mentally. My OCD has been intense, my brain hasn’t been able to stop ruminating and perseverating, and not much has been helping. When this happens to me, I have found the best way to get through it is to try to stick to my usual routine, allowing the obsessions and anxiety to exist without attaching too much meaning to attention to them. But it’s hard. Like really, really hard sometimes. Especially when it seems to make my sensory overload worse. Yesterday, I tried to stick to my routine, which includes working out. But even that made it worse. I couldn’t get in tune with my body, the weights felt unnecessarily heavy, the smells… so many intense smells, and honestly I just felt a bit dissociated… I think my mind’s way of coping to this overwhelm. I am sharing this for a few reasons. First to be transparent about my mental health, to show that as hard as it is, sometimes life still must go on and we have to find healthy ways to manage our mental health. But also to show that every day will look different and that it’s so incredibly important to give ourselves the grace and patience we deserve. Today, I will spend the day in my bed because I am fatigued and exhausted from all my nervous system has been through. Hopefully it helps. Not everyone can see or understand our struggles. And that’s okay. It doesn’t mean they aren’t valid. So whatever you’re currently going through, I’m really proud of you for trying your best to get through it. #MentalHealth #neurodivergent #autism #autistic #ocd

Trevor Carroll

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Region: US

Saturday 19 July 2025 19:16:23 GMT