Reviews tagging 'Chronic illness'

Unmasking Autism: Discovering the New Faces of Neurodiversity by Devon Price

12 reviews

fatfrog's review

challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense slow-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Mental illness, Alcoholism, and Chronic illness

Moderate: Addiction, Transphobia, Dysphoria, Racism, Eating disorder, Misogyny, and Homophobia

Minor: Police brutality, Toxic relationship, Self harm, and Forced institutionalization

jourdanicus's review against another edition

hopeful informative reflective medium-paced

5.0

One of the best "self help" books I've ever read, I really think there's something here for anyone who identifies as neurodivergent or neurodiverse. Especially autistics, but anyone really.

Dr. Price makes relevant observations and connections about how masking affects people on an individual level but also how the issue ties into societal/cultural pressures and discrimination. I love books about psychology that draw these connections because it really shows how mental illness and diverse neurotypes are socially seated. They are not just personal flaws that we should be left to deal with alone.

This book gives realistic examples and tips, without flowery language or euphemism. Recommended for anyone autistic, questioning, non autistic neurodivergent people, or anyone who has someone autistic in their life.

The content warnings I tagged indicate the discussion of the topics mentioned, not that the author or content of the book itself is ableist etc.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Eating disorder and Ableism

Minor: Classism, Biphobia, Homophobia, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Bullying, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Racism, Chronic illness, and Transphobia

eldritch_ace's review

emotional informative inspiring reflective slow-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Mental illness, Eating disorder, Racism, Misogyny, and Ableism

Minor: Domestic abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Classism, Dysphoria, Police brutality, Forced institutionalization, Transphobia, Fatphobia, Drug abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Chronic illness, and Toxic relationship

maddelpop's review

informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.25

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Content Warnings

Minor: Dysphoria, Drug abuse, Sexual harassment, Mental illness, Child abuse, Sexual violence, Self harm, Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Transphobia, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Racism, Medical trauma, Homophobia, Drug use, Chronic illness, Classism, Addiction, and Ableism

linblythe_pub22's review

challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective relaxing medium-paced

5.0

This book has helped me immeasurably. It taught me new and deeper ways of unmasking with the help of what felt like a parasocial relationship with autistic community via the extensive interviews and sources used in the book. It doesn't give you any copout answers; Dr Price lays out the small thing autistic folk like me can do for ourselves but more significantly, the systemic changes we must fight for if the world is to be safe, free and joyful for everyone.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Ableism and Medical content

Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Police brutality, Bullying, Chronic illness, Dysphoria, Emotional abuse, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Eating disorder, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Stalking, and Transphobia

zosiablue's review

hopeful informative medium-paced

4.0

I read this because a friend suggested I might recognize myself and I did. While I don't need to lean into another diagnosis, I felt seen by many of these autistic/neurodivergent traits (especially as a kid), and also disabused of what autism is typically depicted as (white, male, middle class, nerdy). Mostly, whether it's autism or anxiety or what, this helped me pay attention to how I mask in the world, the ways I've adapted so I seem quirky but not off putting, bubbly but not annoying, and self-preserved but not too distant. I wonder what it would look like if I stopped the balancing act? Would I have more energy? Would I feel less cognitive dissonance? This is a good book to help you figure that out. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism

Moderate: Addiction, Chronic illness, and Eating disorder

katharina90's review against another edition

hopeful informative reflective medium-paced

5.0

A really wonderful resource that I imagine is super validating and affirming for folks on the spectrum. Lots of great exercises. 

I really appreciated the suggestions on how to make public spaces more sensory-friendly and how to make our world more accessible in general.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Eating disorder, Mental illness, Racism, Bullying, Drug abuse, Ableism, Chronic illness, and Transphobia

returningb00kworm's review

challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective fast-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Ableism, Addiction, Chronic illness, Misogyny, Self harm, Racism, Alcoholism, and Eating disorder

zombiezami's review against another edition

hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Dysphoria, Bullying, Ableism, and Eating disorder

Moderate: Chronic illness, Confinement, Medical content, Sexism, Torture, Transphobia, Colonisation, Mental illness, Biphobia, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Medical trauma, Racism, Toxic relationship, Addiction, Classism, Drug abuse, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Minor: Colonisation, Sexual harassment, Pandemic/Epidemic, Religious bigotry, Slavery, Vomit, Cursing, Domestic abuse, and Police brutality

jenny_librarian's review

challenging informative inspiring medium-paced

4.5

A very interesting book about being autistic and learning to unmask and accept yourself.

Seeking an autism diagnosis as an adult is extremely difficult. Most people who don’t realize they are autistic before adulthood have low support needs, and have been masking all their life. It makes it incredibly hard then to figure out which parts of you are the mask and which are your true self. Despite the numerous green sticky notes I used when relating to autistic traits mentioned, I gaslighted myself throughout the whole thing, figuring that since I didn’t have it “that bad”, I must be appropriating an identity that wasn’t mine.

This book was illuminating on some points, but should definitely be used as part of a larger research if you think you are on the spectrum. It did include BIPOC and queer perspectives as well as those from people with other disabilities, something that not enough books and research do.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Child abuse, Ableism, Forced institutionalization, Addiction, Eating disorder, Medical content, Gaslighting, and Medical trauma

Moderate: Genocide, Homophobia, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexism, Chronic illness, Dysphoria, Transphobia, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Classism, Sexual harassment, Bullying, Racism, Emotional abuse, Police brutality, and Domestic abuse

Minor: Infertility, Suicide, and Slavery