MELTEM ARIKAN

  As an adult with autism who has achieved inner peace, it meant that I had to strip away all the social conditioning that made me believe I was weird. I do still accept, however, that I am different. It means redefining my identity. It demands a little bit of effort, bravery, and discomfort, but above all, it necessitates the courage to allow myself to be who I am. Permitting ourselves to be ourselves may be the greatest challenge for autistic people...  The confusion I experience when the big difference between thinking I understand myself and understanding myself hits me in the face... Of course, it was not easy to face the fact that I thought I understood myself most of the time when I looked back, but this confrontation taught me to know myself. I am no longer afraid of being myself or realising my weaknesses and hearing the judgements of others because the fact is, I am who I am. Reflecting on my experiences has allowed me to realise how much I struggled with feelings of inadequa

How could somebody who is so intelligent, knowledgeable and smart, someone who researches everything, once trust and believe in the knowledge of only one person? So much so that it never even crossed my mind that there could be a truth other than his words... and I did so for years until the therapy sessions that I had after I was diagnosed with autism.  I now have dozens of answers to the question of how I came to believe so blindly in a person, but I don't really know which one is right to this day; however, despite all the troubles, pains, losses, betrayals and lies I have experienced because of this belief, so many different doors have opened in front of me that I have even learnt to smile at my past, albeit bitterly... But the most important thing I have learnt is that it is my responsibility to find my own truth. Unfortunately, this can be a little difficult for those with autism, but this truth applies to all of us...  Everyone should find their own truth... With their own m