Em Rusciano has explained why her autism and ADHD have become more apparent since she was officially diagnosed with a developmental disability.
In a video shared to Instagram Stories on Friday, the podcaster says she’s “masked” her autistic behavior her entire life and finally feels free to express her true self.
“If you were late diagnosed with ADHD or you’re autistic, you might come across people who say you’re suddenly acting more autistic or more ADHD,” the 44-year-old said at the beginning of the clip.
“I’ll give you a reason why. So throughout our lives there have been two planes that we have existed on. “What’s actually going on in our heads and what do we do with our bodies to mask and adapt,” Em continued.
“And that’s what makes us so exhausted and uncomfortable.” So when we get that diagnosis, we realize that we don’t want the two planes. We want our mind and body to harmonize.
Em Rusciano (pictured) has explained why her autism is more visible now that she’s been officially diagnosed with a developmental disorder along with ADHD
“So we started giving ourselves permission to drop that mask and close the gap between our bodies and our minds.” And because of that, suddenly you’re going to behave the way you actually feel.
“And you’re not actually acting, you’re more yourself than you’ve ever been in your life,” the singer concluded.
It comes after Em denied false claims earlier this year that she “faked” autism to attract attention.
In a lengthy statement posted to Facebook, Em explained how “heavily masking” her symptoms helped her cope, but also made it less obvious to outsiders that she was struggling.
The statement came after media personality Meshel Laurie incorrectly implied that the comedian was using her condition as an “influence.”
In a video shared to Instagram Stories on Friday, the podcaster says she’s “masked” her autistic behavior her entire life and finally feels free to express her true self
“The truth is, I’ve spent a lifetime developing coping skills to try and adapt. I’ve become an expert at looking “good,” but in reality my apparent competency was actually doing heavy masking,” Em wrote.
“That’s how it is with most women who are diagnosed late. I now know that many of my mental health issues stem from trying to force my brain into neurotypical structures and systems that weren’t designed for me.”
Em continued, “I just didn’t understand why life was so freaking exhausting, but then I found out it was because I had to spend all my time pretending that certain parts of it were easy.” would find.”
“I didn’t know that everyone else only knows how to make the right amount of eye contact during a conversation with a stranger.
“I have a great attention to detail because I spend hours anxiously thinking about everything I do in case a mistake happens and someone realizes I’m not really up to the task.”
“We started giving ourselves permission to drop that mask and close the gap between our body and our head.” And because of that, suddenly you’re going to behave the way you actually feel,” Em told fans
“I monitor myself for social interactions. I work really hard not to interrupt the person who is talking, not take over the conversation, and spread information for five minutes because they brought up a topic I know all about.” If I’m excited, tired or anxious, I stimulate.”
Back then, Em received some unwarranted backlash online after she revealed she was planning to potentially use the “sensory inclusion space” at Marvel Stadium during a Harry Style concert in Melbourne.
“I’m extremely sensitive to light, sound and texture.” “I get sensory overload and burnout five to six times a week. So when I saw there was a sensory room at Marvel Stadium, I was thrilled,” she explained after being criticized.
The star dismissed false claims earlier this year that she “faked” autism to attract attention
Rusciano was diagnosed with autism last November, just a year after being diagnosed with ADHD (attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder).
“These are just a few examples of how my ASD is showing up, but I shouldn’t have to explain myself.” Still, this week I’ve had to endure the debate of whether I’m autistic enough, or even autistic at all. How is that ok?’
The former radio star also called the questions surrounding her autism “limiting and ableistic” and that neurodivergent women, whose symptoms can be slightly different than men, are often left out of the conversation.
“The only examples of ADHD and autism that I saw were men.” But that’s the whole point, so representation is important. “More women like me need to be seen and heard so that we can change attitudes and narratives around ADHD and ASD,” she said.
To further support her point, Em read out her official autism diagnosis on her Emsolation podcast.
Rusciano was diagnosed with autism last November, just a year after being diagnosed with ADHD (attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder).