{"id":2223,"date":"2025-11-12T10:10:36","date_gmt":"2025-11-12T10:10:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.manchester.ac.uk\/edi\/?p=2223"},"modified":"2025-11-12T10:10:36","modified_gmt":"2025-11-12T10:10:36","slug":"matthew-harrison-ageing-with-autism-my-journey","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.manchester.ac.uk\/edi\/2025\/11\/12\/matthew-harrison-ageing-with-autism-my-journey\/","title":{"rendered":"Matthew Harrison: Ageing with Autism – My Journey"},"content":{"rendered":"

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For years, I thrived on minimal sleep. I didn\u2019t rest well, but I kept my overactive mind busy\u2014anything to avoid lying awake creating shapes from shadows or spiralling into anxiety. Socialising was my lifeline. If there wasn\u2019t a plan, I made one. I had to stay busy so I texted friends most days trying to fill every evening.<\/p>\n

Things began to change in my mid-thirties. My once sharp memory faltered, and concentrating\u2014even on simple tasks\u2014became difficult. Odd bouts of illness struck: brief, flu-like episodes that flattened me for 48 hours before vanishing. I didn\u2019t understand what was happening, so I pushed harder, trying new techniques to keep up the pace.<\/p>\n

At 44, I finally received an autism diagnosis. Only then did I grasp how much my brain had been doing all along: navigating sensory overload, decoding human interaction, and constantly calculating the \u201cright\u201d neurotypical response. Imagine putting jet fuel in a regular car and then driving it at top speed for years. That\u2019s effectively what I was doing and if we move to a health-insurance system like some politicians want us to, I\u2019d be a write-off.<\/p>\n

I sleep better, yet I\u2019m always tired. Rest doesn\u2019t restore me. My memory is poor, and processing information feels impossible. Socialising is rare; when it happens, recovery can take days. \u00a0Despite doing less and protecting my energy, I haven\u2019t regained the executive function I\u2019ve lost. Retirement is decades away, and I don\u2019t want to wish my life away.<\/p>\n

As awareness of neurodivergence grows, diagnoses increase\u2014and some people, including politicians, question this trend. The real issue isn\u2019t overdiagnosis; it\u2019s sustainability. Supporting autistic people to live in ways that protect their health and energy is not just sensible\u2014it\u2019s essential.<\/p>\n

Matthew Harrison – Co-Chair of the Neurodivergent Network<\/p>\n

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Related<\/h1>\n

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Sylvia Masters: Challenging HIV and AIDS Stigma and Misinformation<\/h2><\/div><\/div><\/a>
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Bibhusha Karki: Empowering Inclusion Celebrating Diverse Abilities in Our Society<\/h2><\/div><\/div><\/a><\/div>
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