Actively Autistic

Well this explains a lot ... I really need to talk to my doctor once I have insurance again.

"When Autistic people talk about chronic pain, fatigue, or physical health problems, we are often dismissed.
Doctors say it is anxiety.

Relatives tune us out. “There goes Taylor again.”
Siblings lose patience. “Nothing is wrong. It is attention-seeking.”

It is exhausting to be gaslit about what we feel in our own bodies. It wears people down. It makes us question ourselves. We know what we feel is real.

If that ignorance were replaced with facts, we would be supported, not dismissed. At least the research has our backs.

Many Autistic people are living with real, measurable physical conditions that are exhausting and painful.
A large population-based study of over 31,000 people found that Autistic individuals were 1.74 times more likely to develop autoimmune disease than non-Autistic people. This includes conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, psoriasis, inflammatory bowel disease, and autoimmune thyroid disorders like Hashimoto’s disease.

These conditions also appeared earlier. Our bodies are dealing with more, and they are dealing with it sooner.

Now look at connective tissue.

A 2025 systematic review and meta-analysis found that 22–31% of Autistic people have joint hypermobility, and up to 39% meet criteria for hypermobility spectrum disorders or Ehlers-Danlos when clinically assessed.

These are not minor conditions. These are our bodies managing instability, injury, and constant strain.

Now layer in fatigue.

Research consistently shows higher levels of chronic fatigue and overall physical health burden in Autistic adults. This is not being simply tired; it is exhaustion that builds where we dont have a chance to catch up and reset.

Fibromyalgia adds another layer.

Chronic, widespread pain. Heightened sensitivity. Pain signals that stay switched on longer than they should. A 2025 study found that people with fibromyalgia showed higher levels of autistic traits, sensory sensitivity, and central sensitization, and that these were strongly linked.

This is a pattern across the immune system, connective tissue, and pain processing systems that many Autistic people experience.

We often carry a heavier physical burden than non-Autistic people. We may learn to grit our teeth, push through, and pretend we are 'fine' but we are not.

Why might we do this?

Managing the pain is hard enough, that's for sure, but coping with other people’s reactions to it can be even harder.

≈≈====Please spread this information if you find it helpful. Thanks!≈≈=======

**Research references are in the first comments on the Autism Goggles page post."

When Autistic people talk about chronic pain, fatigue, or physical health problems, we are often dismissed.
Doctors say it is anxiety.

Relatives tune us out. “There goes Taylor again.”
Siblings lose patience. “Nothing is wrong. It is attention-seeking.”

It is exhausting to be gaslit about what we feel in our own bodies. It wears people down. It makes us question ourselves. We know what we feel is real.

If that ignorance were replaced with facts, we would be supported, not dismissed. At least the research has our backs.

Many Autistic people are living with real, measurable physical conditions that are exhausting and painful.
A large population-based study of over 31,000 people found that Autistic individuals were 1.74 times more likely to develop autoimmune disease than non-Autistic people. This includes conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, psoriasis, inflammatory bowel disease, and autoimmune thyroid disorders like Hashimoto’s disease.

These conditions also appeared earlier. Our bodies are dealing with more, and they are dealing with it sooner.

Now look at connective tissue.

A 2025 systematic review and meta-analysis found that 22–31% of Autistic people have joint hypermobility, and up to 39% meet criteria for hypermobility spectrum disorders or Ehlers-Danlos when clinically assessed.

These are not minor conditions. These are our bodies managing instability, injury, and constant strain.

Now layer in fatigue.

Research consistently shows higher levels of chronic fatigue and overall physical health burden in Autistic adults. This is not being simply tired; it is exhaustion that builds where we dont have a chance to catch up and reset.

Fibromyalgia adds another layer.

Chronic, widespread pain. Heightened sensitivity. Pain signals that stay switched on longer than they should. A 2025 study found that people with fibromyalgia showed higher levels of autistic traits, sensory sensitivity, and central sensitization, and that these were strongly linked.

This is a pattern across the immune system, connective tissue, and pain processing systems that many Autistic people experience.

We often carry a heavier physical burden than non-Autistic people. We may learn to grit our teeth, push through, and pretend we are 'fine' but we are not.

Why might we do this?

Managing the pain is hard enough, that's for sure, but coping with other people’s reactions to it can be even harder.

≈≈====Please spread this information if you find it helpful. Thanks!≈≈=======

**Research references are in the first comments on the Autism Goggles page post.

I made a few posters for work for the month of April

RFK & Trump talk about people like me like we’re a mistake. (via Meg Raby)