Sometimes I feel like "high functioning" means "I've created a situation where I'm expected to force myself to communicate verbally because everyone thinks I can easily do that and I have the ability to force myself to do it but not the ability to give myself permission to not do it."
I'm high functioning that's why I've dug myself a hole where I have to mask constantly and hold myself to unreasonable expectations and it feels really exhausting and awful. Unlike those low functioning autistics who just communicate their needs, abilities, and boundaries instead of hiding them
i'm high functioning (i have been convinced via trauma that i should be devoting a major section of my energy to regulating myself to what societal norms demand and live in anxious fear that i'm not masking properly in social situations).
high functioning (expert at disappointing entitled assholes)
