Sober/autistic writers I'm reading lately
In delightfully autistic fashion, I have an annoying tendency to fixate on a relatively finite number of writers on here - and will devour their fresh-off-the-press newsletters before we’ve all noticed our inevitable typos.
I wanted to start a monthly segment to showcase these people (there are more!) — and broaden my own horizons a little by asking you to share your favourite recent pieces by an autistic and/or sober writer in the comments.
Switching Off - Becky Handley
Autistic and sober writer Becky, who this month has written a great piece on the sanctity of switching off and reconnecting with the outside world, is a mainstay in my Substack inbox:
“I go on another walk. I leave the phone, the music at home.
I see three squirrels. I chat to them all. With one, I play a game of hide and seek around a tree. I am more invested than the squirrel.
Do I look crazy?
Do I care?
I just want to feel connected. To stop getting lost in my head, in the worry, in who I should be or, the louder thought, who I shouldn’t be.”
the tension between me and being an annoying vegan again 🤝 - Helena
I’m lucky enough to know Helena in real life and can vouch that she is a top human. An autistic writer who delves into her co-occurring OCD with humour and warmth every time. Well worth a read, especially if the line “If eating vegan pisses off conservatives, maybe I should try it again” also makes you snigger.
Whilst I don’t believe Helena has written about alcohol, it’s probably good to note that she is not sober, in case this is a topic she touches on in future (but she’s a great ally and will happily sink a couple mocktails with me when we meet up):
“I didn’t know I had OCD, I don’t think I had even fathomed the concept of being neurodivergent and I, embarrassingly so, definitely had this puritan obligation driven from unpacked insecurities where I felt the need to overcorrect and examine every single issue in black or white thinking. Online, I would envelop the concept of being a shouty, vegan, feminist because it made me feel worth something.”
I got sober by accident - Chelsey Flood
My absolute woman crush of a sober, neurodivergent writer, Chelsey has a knack for writing as though she’s peering into your own brain. Endlessly relatable and yet self-reflective, Chelsey makes sobriety as an autistic/ADHD-er accessible and even a little… playful?
“Instead of thinking fuck it, one won’t hurt when a free glass of cava was offered on entering a fancy restaurant, I left the room and called a sober friend almost crying with anger and embarrassment. Why on earth couldn’t I just drink it? Because it is never just one, she reminded me. Because you are trying something different.”
Inside My Autistic Meltdown - Please, Please, Leave Me the Fuck Alone - Nick
Nick’s a more recent find on my autistic-sober-clan radar - and every piece I’ve discovered so far has been more and more relatable. To quote my comment on this piece: “Oooosh, another disconcertingly relatable piece - thanks Nick 🌚 The bit with the internal monologue mid-major meltdown hit home; it’s like watching out of body as you break down from the inside and there’s sweet FA you can do about it.”:
“If somebody is in the room with me whilst I am having a stratospheric meltdown, there is a high risk that what comes out of my mouth, and this is what scares me in those moments, feels impossible to stop. I am out of control emotionally. Literally out of control. I would estimate for around two minutes.”
Unmasking and the Fear of Feeling ‘More Disabled’: What’s Really Happening Beneath the Surface - Jen Benford
This one felt very on the money at the moment. Unmasking and basically having to reassess your entire worldview post-diagnosis, without feeling too much of a sense of regression, is quite the wild ride. Jen breaks it down into something more palatable:
“No wonder so many ND folks turn to entrepreneurship. I’d love to know the global percentage—it wouldn’t surprise me if it’s significant. Because where I feel most alive isn’t in an office. It’s with grass under my feet.”
If that wasn’t enough to go off, this is my latest piece on sobriety this week - which sounds a little counterintuitive…
