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Exploring the link between alcohol, women and autism
A discussion of how gender, disability and drinking interact
Those of you curious or invested in discussions of autism and alcohol, may be interested to watch this. Claire Davey, a PhD Candidate researching sobriety, alcohol and gender at Canterbury University, interviewed me for Club Soda, and we had a fascinating conversation about drinking, sobriety, mental health and autism.
We discussed coming of age in the 90s and how it felt to be presented with what Claire described as ‘your gender strait jacket’ around puberty, and how that identity-focused experience, without adequate support, can fuel a young woman’s drinking.
I was too tired to create and deliver a PowerPoint presentation (autistic fatigue is real) and so Claire ran this as a Q&A, which I was incredibly grateful for. Informality takes less of a toll on the nervous system, and it felt good to admit my needs/difficulties, and have them accommodated. It’s something I’ve hidden and been ashamed of for so long. I’m sick and tired of pretending to be more capable than I am — it has made me ill too many times — so I really appreciated Claire’s generosity here.
I hope more people are feeling empowered to acknowledge their needs, and finding, at least sometimes, similar kindnesses and…
