12. S1, Ep12: Building a new post-diagnosis life after bullying and substance misuse

Hannah Cross is a writer and a student at York St John University, studying Creative Writing and Media. She is 29 and was diagnosed autistic very recently, just last month. Her writing includes novels, short stories, memoir, articles, and poetry. She has resumed her education a little later in life, after experiencing struggles at school and in her early adulthood, including substance misuse and being expelled from school. She says that her life has felt “like a muddle of misunderstandings” and that she now wants to “get involved in unveiling autism, particularly among women”. In our conversation we talk about: The difficulties of being autistic at school, university and work, including her experiences of bullying Using substance misuse as a coping mechanism Accessing support during and after being diagnosed - from professionals and family and friends Finding the positives in being diagnosed autistic and looking forward to the future after diagnosis Squarepeg is a podcast in which neurodivergent women, and trans and nonbinary people, explore navigating a neurotypical world and share their insights, challenges and successes. I hope that these conversations will be inspiring and thought provoking, open you up to new ways of thinking about being neurodivergent, and help you feel more connected to a worldwide community of people with similar experiences. I’m Amy Richards, and after being diagnosed autistic at the age of 37 I’m now on a mission to learn more about different perspectives and issues around being a neurodivergent adult in a world that feels like it doesn’t quite fit.   EPISODE LINKS: Hannah’s website: https://www.hannahcrossauthor.com  Her blog: https://fiftyshadesofwhiteandblack.blogspot.com/   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_the_write_words_/   If you'd like to connect or get in touch with Squarepeg, you can find me on: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/squarepeg.community/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/squarepegautism  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/squarepegautism/  Or on my website: http://squarepeg.community/