#admin palp

[tipstricksandfidgets]

Welcome!

Welcome to Tips, Tricks, and Fidgets, a blog dedicated to providing individuals with resources to get by in this very stressful world.

The aim of this blog will be to produce or link to lists of coping mechanisms  for neurodivergence and mental illness that can be used; either by specific people, in specific situations, generalized tips, or even broad suggestions. And we’d love to hear what works or doesn’t work for all of you. The only thing that makes We the Admins qualified to run this blog and make these suggestions is the fact that we are individuals with these issues, speaking from that unique experience.

For example, if there is a post about day to day dealing with autism, then that post will be written by or in cooperation with someone that actually is autistic. If it isn’t - which there may be rare occasion for - the post will be prefaced with a statement informing followers of this fact. There will also likely be an explanation of how that poster is qualified to speak on such a topic. For example, I am the caregiver to my father, who is diagnosed bipolar. Maybe I can’t speak from his position, but I can speak from the position of someone that interacts with/adapts to him and his particular needs.

How can these posts be helpful, though? They can provide either an alternate perspective for an individual directly affected or act as a resource for said individual to give suggestions to their loved ones or even refer them to these posts.

Another goal we have here is to keep a comprehensive list of helpful products that have actually been used by one of us. So far that list includes fidget toys and overstimulation aids. If you have questions about any products, ask us. Maybe we’ve tried it. Maybe we haven’t but should.

You might ask if there’s really a need for this. Perhaps there are plenty of other places to go to for the same information, but I personally have found it difficult to find recommendations and advice that correlate to my perspective and experiences. If I search for products - such as reusable earrplugs - I have to make guesses based on reviews from swimmers, musicians, those that need them to sleep, but rarely if ever do I find someone with sound sensitivity, a migraine disorder, or ADHD, which is the information I would personally need to make a purchase decision.

We are always willing to take suggestions and would love to hear about your own experiences! Anyone that wants to submit their own tips, tricks, or fidgets is free to do so!

Admin palp

[tipstricksandfidgets]

Are dog toys safe to chew on?

I honestly don’t know. You can try asking @safechewablethings - they might have an answer. If you just want a safe, cheap thing to chew on, Wal-Mart has some round teething necklaces that are pretty good. You can find it at this link for about $3 - they usually have them in store too. I have one. I’d go for baby toys over dog toys, if only for the taste (we’re much more sensitive to taste than dogs so they make sure our toys at least don’t taste terrible)

Admin palp

[tipstricksandfidgets]

Admin Bios

Admin E: I’m a queer soon-to-be grad student with dysthymia and anxiety. While my academic focus is on national security, counter-terrorism, and their presentation in media, I also do jujutsu, write, knit, and bake. Dating profile done with, I’ll also add that, having spent the vast majority of my life with dysthymia/double depression and at least all of my adult life with anxiety, I know about both living with mental illness on a long-term/indefinite basis and coping both with and without access to therapy or counseling.

Admin palp: I’m a proud autistic aroace demigirl with adhd and a passion for normalizing “mental illness” and all things related - the stigma keeps us from so much, let’s work together to remove that stigma! I deal with anxiety and depression on the regular and have a pretty severe auditory processing disorder. I have a long line of mental illness on both sides of the family. Many of the issues I might talk about comes from first hand experience or being a caregiver to my father, who also has many of the same issues - because of that, I can sometimes see things from both sides.