If you’ve found this article, I’m glad you’re here. Welcome to my open-dialogue style article about my disability and mental health diagnoses. To start off, I am relaying some background information. My name is Brianna Morgan, but I go by “Bri”. I am employed by Myers-Davis Life Coaching as an office assistant for our headquarters location in Batesville, AR. I have been working for Myers-Davis for over 2 years now. It’s been such an amazing experience working with this team.
Now off to the nitty gritty. When I was in 8th grade (between the ages of 13 – 14 at the time), my parents and I were told to go to a company (via the school system) that specializes in helping people find out what their disability/disabilities are. We had to wait to hear back from the company. Within a month or so, my parents had a company in Jonesboro contact them through my school district, and an appointment was officially set. This company will remain anonymous, and I’m so thankful for their help.
The next thing we know, we head out to Jonesboro to figure out what disability/disabilities that I have. Not long after we entered the company’s building, we were in the waiting room for maybe 10 minutes or so. Then we got called back in the room we needed to be inside of. After a series of many questions, I had to do lots of tests on paper and on a computer (it’s called a “screening”). This took a few hours, and I had breaks in-between too. After the long period of screening, the following were my results: Autism Spectrum Disorder (known as “Autism” or “ASD”), Attention Deficit Disorder (known as A.D.D.), and Anxiety Disorder.
Interview
The following interview further explains the impact of my diagnoses.
- How has knowing your diagnoses changed my life?
Well … it all made so much sense to me since finding out what I’m diagnosed with because I now understand why I am the way I am, you know? Honestly, I thought I was some lunatic or something years before I got diagnosed because I was (and still am) a “different” person. There’s many pros & cons, but I’ve learned to deal with many of them.
With ASD, I tend to do things a little differently unlike other people, and that includes doing things at my own pace. Sometimes it’s fast and sometimes it’s slow, mainly because I can understand many things really quickly. Now, there’s been a few occasions where some things needed to be explained because I’d rather do the task(s) correctly. With A.D.D., sometimes my attention span is awful, and other occasions it’s decent. Because of that, I actually have gotten chewed out by teachers. With Anxiety Disorder, I’m such an over-thinker on so many things, sometimes I wonder how I function on a daily basis. I’ve also had occasions where my mind and face don’t always communicate.
- How do you think other people perceive you because of your diagnoses?
On many occasions, I feel so misunderstood because of all the stigma surrounding my disabilities. I know for sure that I’ve had people be so judgmental towards me out in public (they don’t know that I’m aware though). I mean, of course there’s also educated folks that make me feel human too 😊.
- How do you perceive yourself because of your diagnoses?
That’s a mix of complicated thoughts for me personally. I’m unsure how to put those thoughts all together in one sentence, or in five sentences. Let’s just say that it’ll be a long and complicated story to process.
- Why do you think there’s a stigma around your diagnoses?
It’s because people really don’t do their research, or they’re just arrogant because they think they know everything when that’s not really the case. People really need to educate themselves before making bold assumptions about others.
- What is the best piece of advice you can give to others in the disability community?
Hmm… I’d say that people are always judging no matter what. None of that judgement or stigma should stop anyone from being themselves. Let people’s actions tell them about the way people truly are, or in other words… let them show their true colors.
Be authentically you!
-Brianna “Bri” Morgan, Office Assistant for Myers-Davis Life Coaching
