28/04/2025
Autism and How It Impacts My Day-to-Day Life ✨
Hi, I’m Courtney! I’m 35 years old, and I was officially diagnosed with Autism when I was 28. Getting diagnosed later in life made my childhood a lot harder—for both my mum and me. Without support or guidance, we were kind of just winging it through the chaos.
Why was my diagnosis so late? Well, here’s the thing: only 20% of people on the Autism spectrum are female, and girls like me tend to mask our traits much better than boys. That means it’s way trickier for people (even the pros!) to spot the signs in females. Sneaky, right?
Living with Autism definitely comes with its own set of plot twists. Some days are better than others, but with the help of my amazing support team and a bunch of fantastic providers, I’m slowly but surely learning how to navigate the ups and downs 💪
Here’s what I face on the daily:
😟 Anxiety
😞 Depression
🎧 Sensory overload (taste, texture, sound, touch—you name it!)
🧍♀️ Struggles making and keeping friends
👋 Nervousness meeting new people
💼 Job hunting heartbreak (rejection after rejection)
📦 Hoarding & OCD tendencies
🗣️ Brain says one thing, mouth says another
💸 Money management? Big struggle.
🤥 Getting taken advantage of
🔄 Dealing with changes
📍 Going to new places
One of the biggest hurdles?
I used to feel like I didn’t have a voice—like I couldn’t speak up about what I needed or wanted. But thanks to Jacqui and my incredible team at Boutique, I’ve busted through that barrier! 🎉
Sure, some of these challenges are still a work in progress (aren’t we all?), and while I might not fix every single one, I’ve learned that with the right support and therapies, I can manage them. And yes, they affect my everyday life—because routine and structure are everything for me.
When multiple barriers hit at once? It gets super overwhelming. I can get upset or have an anxiety attack, and in those moments, I’ve learned the best thing I can do is step away, take a breather, and walk it out until I feel more like myself again.
