A week ago today myself and my fellow NeuroHub director Jonathan Towse were on a plan to Switzerland. This was being done so that I could present my seminar Autism, Psychosis, And The Ecology Of Distress at the international congress of the International Society For Psychological And Social Approaches To Psychosis (ISPS).
The weather was blisteringly hot, and the flight was cramped, but it was all worth it for the reception of my presentation (which was very well received) on an international stage. We made connections and shared idea that could do a great deal of good for those who we aim to serve.
Over the course of the seminar, I explored the cyclic nature of psychotic experiences for Autistic people; exploring idea’s like the Autistic Burnout-To-Psychosis cycle, as well as recontextualising burnout and distress through an ecosystemic model, rather than one built on symptomatic, medicalised terminology.
One interesting moment was when I was presented with a question of why I combat stigma through wearing my diagnoses as identities. My answer was simple:
Some aspects of my life are incredibly difficult, some are amazing, but underneath it all is the aggressive neutrality of being human, and I wanted people to see that neurodivergent life is just as neutral and mundane as anyone elses most of the time. Our lives do not need to be sensational.
Below is a selection of photo’s from our trip, including some beautiful images of the mountains and Lake Geneva. For those interested in attending my seminar in a webinar format, I am currently planning to deliver it again at the end of August, tickets are ยฃ5.
