A lot of our individual symptoms are something “everyone struggles with sometimes,” so we think what we’re struggling with is normal. Likewise, others may not realize the extent to which we’re struggling, because the behaviors they can see are only the tip of the iceberg. We’re trying so hard to meet neurotypical expectations, it might seem we’re doing okay—even when we’re not. The soul-crushing effort it took for us to meet those expectations isn’t obvious.
