Mess is Progress: A personal chronicle of an unmasking, late diagnosed, Autistic woman

by Hannah Walker

Strap in for a roller coaster of emotions from existential crises to humorous, relatable and general observational anecdotes of what it is to be a late diagnosed, Autistic woman.

If like me, you are Autistic too (and/or ADHD) and currently gobbling up every ounce of information you can get your mitts on to satisfy your new special interest of being Neurodivergent, then you will have read many articles, books, memoirs, psychology based titles and so on. Let me introduce you to my own exploration of my recently discovered identity and through the “who even am I” stage that so commonly presents itself in the wake of the diagnosis reverberations. I’ve always found writing and poetry a form of therapy, celebration and communication, let’s face it as Autistics we aren’t best at verbalising our thoughts, emotions and needs, so finding an alternative form of communication for myself has been a relief and release, somewhat liberating.

No-one prepares you for the post diagnosis burnout, the imposter syndrome and the grief. Mess is Progress encapsulates all of that and more. Self discovery, revelations and the elusive goal of finally unmasking are all here within.

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir

231 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 16, 2023

About the author

Neurodivergent writer, photographer, mother and feminist - South West UK

Debut book: MESS IS PROGRESS
A personal chronicle of an unmasking, late-diagnosed, Autistic woman.

Reviews

[Zara · Rating 3 out of 5]

my first book of 2024!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
a really honest and relatable read

n insight into life as a late-diagnosed autistic woman including both anecdotes, advice and poetry

best bits👇🏻
💖 hannah is so honest and writes in a very easy-to-read conversational tone which makes the book feel like you're talking to a close friend
💖 lots of good advice and interesting conversations around neurodiversity abd the struggles it presents for autistic people, specifically women who have masked for a long time

complaints👇🏻🧠 the poetry sections were sometimes a little hard to read, and could lose interest, but this may be my personal preference over prose!

i recommend this book for anybody wanting to read more about the autistic perspective and find a relatable read :)

[MRS A L BENNETT · Rating 5 out of 5]

So relatable to me

I have thoroughly enjoyed reading this book as it resonates so much with me. Receiving a diagnosis of both ASD and Adhd aged 48 has been such a rollercoaster of emotions and memories and this book has been an emotional read. Although I'm not really a fan of poetry, this book is so relatable and well worth a read.

[Jenny Pocock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just finished this book and found it a real eye opener. I know the author and let’s just say she masks extremely well. I didn’t have a clue and I work with autistic young adults. A brave & incredible woman. Fantastic book. Written in a way that I didn’t want to put it down, wanted to get to the end but also didn’t want it to finish.

[Derek · Rating 5 out of 5]

Late diagnosed Autistic male (62), reading this book was an act of compassion for my self. Poems were like a balm that soothed and aided digestion. Thank you for writing.

[Emma Bradford · Rating 5 out of 5]

Accidentally picked this book up and couldn’t put it down. Wow well… i relate to the authors words 100% which is hard to read but validating.
Need more books like this, thank you.

[Erin Wickson · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolutely beautiful layout for a very important and impactful book - absolutely loved it👍🏻

[Juliette Challinor-Howard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading this book has given me so much of a better understanding of myself and has made me realise there are other people similar to me in the world. I am just on the start of my journey of unmasking and it feels overwhelming and I feel relief at the same time... these words have brought out more relief x

[Sefri Kuehn · Rating 4 out of 5]

If your autistic, or you know someone who is, you n e e d to read this collection or poems and personal stories. I loved the added element of poetry, and that actually gave me the idea to write poems more ^^ i also love that Hannah’s daughter Erin is more aware thanks to her mom. Overall, fantastic book. I definitely recommend!^^

[Leanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hannah's frank and moving account of her post-diagnosis burnout really helped me to understand and articulate what happened to me in the year after my diagnosis, and to unpack the shame I felt about it. The glossary at the end of the book is brilliant. I want to give it to everybody I know.

[Georgia Edgeley · Rating 5 out of 5]

was the perfect read post-diagnosis. thank you Hannah ❤️