Help! Are there any women in this Community with ASD

I know Malabar isn't "working" nor am I but I think maybe others are. You may not be aware but  In the UK claimants for social benefits can be penalised for being fully engaged in social media as it shows that you can mix, have friends, can use technology, can concentrate etc etc Fear tactics! I am even wary of contributing on here. But I have really appreciated listening to you all very much. 

I know Malabar isn't "working" nor am I but I think maybe others are. You may not be aware but  In the UK claimants for social benefits can be penalised for being fully engaged in social media as it shows that you can mix, have friends, can use technology, can concentrate etc etc Fear tactics! I am even wary of contributing on here. But I have really appreciated listening to you all very much. 

My god that's depressing Misfit, I'm not surprised you are cynical!  One of my whole body shaking crises was when I went to try to sign on for jobseekers allowance so that I could get housing benefit and leave to be on my own, long time ago now.  they took one look at me and told me to go and see my GP, I did and got a sick note "anxiety and depression", then got passed on to those awful assessment people who of course said I wasn't sick enough to get benefit, so I never got a penny and never got to leave.  I think I pretty much went to bed for a month, certainly didn't have enough oomph to appeal and no support.  I'm still here and given what I now know maybe that's a good thing.

Having not painted for most of twenty years after my MA I found artists on Instagram and thought 'I can do that', so I started drawing and posting my efforts, it's changed now but was small and friendly to begin with.  My account grew and I sold a few pieces but lots of people comment (in a nice way) and I felt obliged to answer them and be friendly but I increasingly found I couldn't answer and I'm still stuck like this and can't even paint at the moment.  All I want is to make my art and have a small income, but I always run into the brick wall because I can't find a way to sell it that doesn't turn me into a basket case.

. The benefits system is an incredibly traumatic place to be for sure, keeping your head down is the only option.  All we want is to have a chance at living a productive and balanced life but sometimes it seems impossible.

HI Misfit and all - wow that is something I didn't know about.  Guess it's too late to make a difference to me as I've been on facebook since moving across country on the hunt for an education placement for my daughter.  But the isolation is just too much if I don't communicate online so will have to keep going with it.  Plus - its supportive (incredibly) being on this forum.

So living is a punishment now..,,my god, didn't realise that being human was such a crime.,,,,how does that scanagainst the human rights act?