Ask D.J. Wilde discussion

I'm a writer who lives with (brace yourself) Asperger's syndrome (and a sensory disorder), bipolar disorder, and Multiple Sclerosis.

Now anyone who tells you that has no bearing on their work is telling you stories or just has no freaking idea. Having severe disabilities has its impact on my life in every daily thing I do.

People have had all sorts of questions on this. How do I do what I do? All that comes in fragments and is on a day by day basis.

I push against the depression and mental fogs caused by my cocktail of conditions, but I don't win that fight every day. Some days, I just can't think clearly enough to work my craft. Others and thankfully more rare, the depression drains all motivation to try anything.

I take medications and live a personal protocol. I'll be sharing more on that as I go. In the mean time. Questions, personal stories, all welcome.

How do I get anything done? This is a good question and I'm asked this fairly often. To see what I accomplish, people wonder how I get past my difficulties and actually complete the work. Some people who live with multiple sclerosis (especially if they really struggle) get offended by this question. They feel it diminishes their struggle. I see it as a chance to educate. What I do I have to space out and take my time with. But that still doesn't explain it very well, does it?

When I talk about the mental fogs and severe fatigue it sounds like I just lay in bed every day and do nothing. That certainly is not true. Yes, I struggle and I have to really push myself to get some things done. There are days I get a couple paragraphs written or a section of pencils on an illustration and then I have to stop. Sometimes for hours, sometimes for days. This includes household chores. My cognitive mind derails in mid-project and I have to change up what I'm doing to re-calibrate.

And then, how is it I'm able to social so well in writing when I'm clumsy in person? Not that anyone tells me I'm clumsy socially in person (but I assure you that I am). It's because writing is a different set of social skills. I've also lived a life of baptism by fire. I've had to grow up long before I was supposed to. I apply those experiences to my writing.

Have questions? That's what this group is for! Ask away!

I think of my eight year old son as a hero. He is autistic/nonverbal. He loves to learn and he follows directions well. But, sometimes when there are too many people in one room active, he gets too excited and can't focus on the task at hand. So at school he has only seven classmates counting himself. The one on one helps him focus. Sometimes he can drown out other noises and focus. But, he makes good grades in school. He goes to speech and occupational therapy weekly and makes steady progress every day.

He prefers to try to use his words although it is quite a struggle to get a word or syllable out but, he never stops trying. He knows ASL (American Sign Language) very well and communicates that way at times. I have learned a lot about autism through him. I plan on writing about his experiences and our experiences as a family living with autism.

Angel, that is absolutely awesome. I believe that our kids on the spectrum can show us so much about life that we never knew existed. My son is also on the spectrum and while we worry, he proves what he can do all the time.