AUDHD: I am personally STILL broken since moving house in 2021!

So in 2021 (My household consists of 2 children, 2 cats and myself)We moved house. From a really bad living situation in terms of my landlord refused to keep up with repairs, as well as threats of increasing rent because I was repeatedly asking, to also then threatening to increase my neighbours rent because they also owned it if I kept persisting. I in the end turned to the council it had been years already since repairs been done and the living conditions were grim. Black mould on walls, discovered lead pipes under bath, after one of them leaked and brought down the ceiling into the kitchen, oh yea the hole in the kitchen ceiling from the water leak. Putty all fallen out in majority of the wooden glass windows, was very cold all year round. Hole in roof along bumble bees and a chimney being held up by a piece of wood, lower chimney been removed from ground floor and upstairs it was just remaining in the loft for the top of the chimney. Again she refused to repair. Had a council person inspect my emails with photos I had sent, they could not believe my photos they wanted to visit in person. They were silent throughout the visit. My house was condemned not fit for living in. However this was happening during Covid, which brought its own complications. I was told my children and I, would have to be placed into an emergency B&B and my pets would have to be fostered, there was no foster care available during Covid only option that vets would provide was a death sentence, quite literally. I couldn't cope with that, it was overwhelming. I said no to B&B I refused to put down my pets. (My two cats) Stated to them, you need to find me a place I can move into to live in, not a temp where I cannot even own pets. 7 months later still in 2021 I got the phone call that they had a new built house, the last available which suits my household number, do I want it ? but I had to move in within 14 days and make the decision right there and then on the phone to go to view it. Again all these rushed unexpected things happening and forced to make a decision. Discovered it was away from my hometown with zero public transport within a mile no public footpaths a lot of roads unlit. I do not drive because of my autism, I have too much sensory sensitivities which would interfere with ability to stay safe, I was aware of this so never attempted to learn. I had always walked or used public transport to get children to school and myself to work. I had no real choice in deciding this so my answer had to be yes. It had been months already, from when being told its a condemned house but because of my refusal under awful circumstances aka covid and coping with them telling me I would have to put my pets down, to be able to move into a B&B. I Really had no choice but to choose this new house. Everything flew into mad rush and stress, packing up house. Lucky my older child had just turned the correct age to hire a Luton van from a company and we moved things just the two of us to get everything there. I had no support from work they were not allowing me time off. Thankfully my older child was lucky to have a great workplace who allowed them time off work. My youngest was still at high school until the last day we had to get taxi arranged by school as two different directions and times for my other children. One at work other at school. I discovered after finally moving in I was stressed and exhausted with realisation I could not leave the house. There is no pavements, there is dual carriageway and no streetlights and a 60 zone its so dangerous.

There is no way I can leave the boundary of the new house. I do not feel connected aware?? of this house although, I feel safe in the house and within the back garden I am fine. When outside the house at the front out outside the back gate, its like a instant disconnect. I need a rope or a thread connected or attached to the building to feel I can get to it. Its such a weird thing, I have seen multiple GPs and self referred myself to psychologists and they just turn to me and blame my autism and adjusting to change, I had another type of therapist who believes its again my autism and I just need to feel grounded since I lived at the previous house for over almost 2 decades. This person didn't offer advice how to "ground me". This move was not something I wanted, I just wanted the repairs done, to the previous house, but my new house is great, I love it, I just am broken now I cannot leave the house without being escorted, there and back to a car.  

I do not know what has happened to me mentally its like I need a connection to my "NEW" safe space the "new house" and i do not have it. It does not exist. When I leave the house its like a instant disconnect from everything that's safe knowing how to get home. I can be stood on the pavement after getting out of the car and see the house, but I am frozen stuck I need a connection to the house so I end up having to grab my child's arm to escort me to the building of the house and I can then touch the house so I am connected again and fine. It is so weird. 
If I am out now in the car I feel safe in the car as I know that the car can get me home I can touch the car then reach and touch the house I am okay. But when out I need to be escorted to the shopping trolley and then I Can hold onto the shopping trolley as long as I can see where my family member is I am feeling safe and okay. If I lose sight of them I end up freezing. My breathing doesn't change I do not panic I just freeze until they find me and I can walk again after I have touched their arm I feel connected again. 

Sorry my explanation or terminology might not be correct ones to select, I am still unsure even after almost 2 years. I miss going to work, I miss being independent, I do not understand why this has suddenly happened to me. When I was a teenager I used to go out for long walks down country lanes without lights and no pavements by myself, I had no anxiety back then, I knew my way home, I had security just by using maps or mobile phone. Now because I am freezing I cannot even get my phone out and feels like a very stupid reaction in myself and leaves me unable to function or do anything to support myself, I hate being stuck and broken like this. I feel I should be fixed and working by now. I do not want to be a burden on my children like I am currently to get me out of the house. I want my freedom back. To be told it will take time to adjust all the time by other family members is just annoying. 

Perhaps someone can offer suggestions, ideas, solutions, anything pro-active would be pretty much welcome at this point.  

Parents
  • Wow that is awful, I'm so sorry this happened to you. This is deffinitely not just autism, it's clear you have some kind of anxiety disorder stopping you from living your life in the new house. I honestly wouldn't be surprised if it was kicked off by the trauma of having to move like that after enduring such rotten treatment by the old landlord and being made to feel unsafe and pressured about the cats.

    If I were you I'd look into anxiety and trauma specific therapy techniques. I dunno if that will do the full strick but it definitel seems like a step in the right direction. Good luck.

Reply
  • Wow that is awful, I'm so sorry this happened to you. This is deffinitely not just autism, it's clear you have some kind of anxiety disorder stopping you from living your life in the new house. I honestly wouldn't be surprised if it was kicked off by the trauma of having to move like that after enduring such rotten treatment by the old landlord and being made to feel unsafe and pressured about the cats.

    If I were you I'd look into anxiety and trauma specific therapy techniques. I dunno if that will do the full strick but it definitel seems like a step in the right direction. Good luck.

Children
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