🫂 Community Story: Elise

Elise has AuDHD and is struggling with excessive fatigue and chronic sleep deprivation.

“The link between autism and fatigue is seriously underestimated. I know I'm not alone when I say I experience immense exhaustion. You could say I constantly feel like I'm jet-lagged. It's particularly tiring to have to function in a world that's not designed for me. I have to put in extra effort to do things that come naturally to others. Processing all the stimuli and information around me requires an enormous amount of energy. It makes me nervous and stressed, which only drain my energy further. To cope with this stress, I prepare for situations as much as possible and learn to manage my energy well. I focus on small things that make me happy and take breaks to recover from my exhaustion. But sometimes I even need a power nap or a full day of rest to recover. When you're constantly exhausted, everything is difficult. You can't function properly: fatigue is like the syrup that covers the buffet of life and makes everything hard. Sleep is also a challenge because my racing thoughts never stop, and I always get an energy boost in the evening, like many people with ADHD. I need extra rest and sleep to recover, but that's easier said than done.”

Follow Elise on Instagram.