https://www.neuroqueerlifeskills.co.uk/blog-2 daily 0.75 2026-08-14 https://www.neuroqueerlifeskills.co.uk/blog-2/alexithymia monthly 0.5 2026-08-14 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6883de7d59cf653ea1a903e1/8217195f-5de6-4674-bf99-7b5998787ba2/Alexithymia+umbrella.png Blog - Alexithymia - Core Traits: Problems with identifying feelings might involve struggling to notice and/or interpret the bodily signals that relate to emotions. Problems with describing feelings could be more internal (eg not knowing what words to use to describe your feelings) or external (struggling to express your feelings to others). Externally oriented thinking means a persons’ focus is on external events, rather than on their own internal experiences. Additional Traits: Some people with alexithymia can have a diminished fantasy life and might daydream less and be less interested in creativity. This is not a ‘core’ feature of alexithymia. Affective empathy, also called ‘vicarious interpretation of feeling’ refers to when other people’s emotions are strongly mirrored for you internally - for example if someone tells you about a time they felt embarrassed, you might feel embarrassed too. Associated Traits: Relationship difficulties aren’t part of the definition of alexithymia, but alexithymia is correlated with reduced cognitive empathy [4], and empathy issues can negatively influence relationships [5], which is why this trait is listed Sexual problems/disinterest is also not part of the definition of alexithymia, however there are correlations between alexithymia and reduced sexual satisfaction, detachment from sexual partners, sexual shyness and sexual nervousness [6] https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6883de7d59cf653ea1a903e1/04636cd5-a898-4118-afb3-f513cc0f721e/IA%2C+Alexithymia+training.png Blog - Alexithymia - The hypothesis is that because alexithymia is a result of poor awareness of internal bodily signals (both those related to emotion, or ‘affect’, and those that aren’t), improving our awareness of our bodily signals will lessen the experiences that are caused by alexithymia. Some of these experiences, such as empathy differences, might not feel like problems to be fixed. However, there is evidence linking the more ‘neutral’ of these experiences to effects that are more concretely negative, such as mental and somatic health problems, issues dealing with stress and even increased mortality [20 & 21]. https://www.neuroqueerlifeskills.co.uk/blog-2/my-thoughts-on-the-ehrc-guidance monthly 0.5 2026-07-27 https://www.neuroqueerlifeskills.co.uk/blog-2/so-im-doing-some-research monthly 0.5 2026-03-19 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6883de7d59cf653ea1a903e1/31d5b6f1-719d-4ca3-ae96-46284805a657/unsplash-image-ZkL7UBiS6GM.jpg Blog - So I’m doing some research… - Specifically, I’m currently in the early stages of the process of doing a Health Research MRes, and my research project is: “What is the effect on both patients and clinicians when autistic patients receive mental health support from autistic clinicians?” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6883de7d59cf653ea1a903e1/07d67005-de35-4a3b-9fa6-0a5a57e25775/unsplash-image-iJ2IG8ckCpA.jpg Blog - So I’m doing some research… - It helped, I think. Hopefully, patients felt less bad about not being able to go to the pub with friends when I shared that I wouldn’t be able to do that. Or about losing a whole day to playing a video game, when I said that was sometimes the case for me too. There were lots of things about myself that wouldn’t be professional for me to share, but what I could share, I did, to show my patients that a happy and full life doesn’t have to look like neurotypical society’s expectation of what it should be. https://www.neuroqueerlifeskills.co.uk/blog-2/lemon monthly 0.5 2025-10-27 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6883de7d59cf653ea1a903e1/1761568173735-O9LKNBVB5QMDVIFPQOEH/unsplash-image-TFqjlTmkeyY.jpg Blog - Lemon - The world is sharp and I don’t want to cut myself on its edges. The world is bitter and it makes my lips pucker and gasp. The world is fast and I am blunt, slow and confused. The fear is non-specific, nonsensical. Too many inputs, too many people. They’re so chaotic, with their free will and their actions their unknowable motives. Don’t hurt me! Hurt me? I am closed, tight. Shut up like an undercooked mussel. I stretch my muscles but the painful effort has a cost and leaves me sore, and raw. Like an unsealed cut vulnerable to the bright sting of this lemon world. https://www.neuroqueerlifeskills.co.uk/blog-2/my-story monthly 0.5 2026-01-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6883de7d59cf653ea1a903e1/1761517141246-50GPG8IRNT0Y9HLBT8HU/Babyinbed.jpg Blog - my Story - Halfway through my mental health nursing degree, I started seeing more and more people talking online about ADHD. The more I read, the harder it became to ignore the obvious: throughout my life, my struggles with impulsivity, inattention and hyperactivity were a better explanation for my lifelong issues than anything I’d thought about before. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6883de7d59cf653ea1a903e1/240ec2bc-5913-49ef-8028-dac037c643fa/20210828_121844.jpg Blog - my Story - Finally, a month after I qualified as a mental health nurse, I received an ADHD diagnosis and started medication. Within a couple of weeks, I noticed that for the first time in my life I felt rested after a night’s sleep. Then I realised I’d gained the ability to think about what I wanted to say and do before I said it. Following routines and completing (and remembering) tasks was easier. It was a revelation. Within a month of starting ADHD medication I no longer needed the antidepressants I’d been taking for most of my adult life. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6883de7d59cf653ea1a903e1/6d46c8bd-0924-459e-bd92-5e188bd4364b/IMG-20250622-WA0035.jpg Blog - my Story - Now, in my neuroqueer life skills work, I help others to understand and accept the unique way that they experience the world and learn how to live the most neuro-affirmative life possible. I educate clinicians, students and the general public on all things neurodivergence. And I’m part of the new movement of neurodivergence research being led by neurodivergent people. My work helps me in turn to better understand and accept my neurotype, and to continue to shape my life around my needs and skills. https://www.neuroqueerlifeskills.co.uk/blog-2/category/Personal monthly 0.5 https://www.neuroqueerlifeskills.co.uk/blog-2/category/Educational monthly 0.5 https://www.neuroqueerlifeskills.co.uk/blog-2/category/Poetry monthly 0.5 https://www.neuroqueerlifeskills.co.uk/blog-2/category/Research monthly 0.5 https://www.neuroqueerlifeskills.co.uk/blog-2/category/Intersectionality monthly 0.5 https://www.neuroqueerlifeskills.co.uk/blog-2/tag/adhd monthly 0.5 https://www.neuroqueerlifeskills.co.uk/blog-2/tag/personal monthly 0.5 https://www.neuroqueerlifeskills.co.uk/blog-2/tag/autism monthly 0.5 https://www.neuroqueerlifeskills.co.uk/blog-2/tag/poetry monthly 0.5 https://www.neuroqueerlifeskills.co.uk/home daily 1.0 2026-08-14 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6883de7d59cf653ea1a903e1/25c6cb07-7a86-4260-8b9c-96d71ed2f03d/Billy https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6883de7d59cf653ea1a903e1/277ca70f-9aa8-4bf0-bb10-bab07978e799/2.png https://www.neuroqueerlifeskills.co.uk/contact daily 0.75 2026-08-14 https://www.neuroqueerlifeskills.co.uk/about daily 0.75 2026-08-14 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6883de7d59cf653ea1a903e1/e6896e43-65ec-4add-b095-8d249d799d81/IMG-20250622-WA0100.jpg https://www.neuroqueerlifeskills.co.uk/team-training-and-lectures daily 0.75 2026-08-14 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6883de7d59cf653ea1a903e1/1af7da64-e03b-4733-b123-019b39436fd3/20260404_123239.jpg