April Is Autism Awareness and Mental Health Month

Today I thought I would shed a little light on autism awareness and mental health for this week’s blog for few reasons. It’s your girl’s DJ Quassy birthday (age undetermined!) Also, I was diagnosed and placed on the mild/moderate end of the autism spectrum. I am considered high functioning and I wanted to shed a little light and awareness on this growing pandemic of neurodiversity globally.

Meet Mental Health Advocate Lakin Thomas

I had the pleasure of doing an interview with a special guest and longtime friend Lakin Thomas, a mental health and addictions advocate. In addition, she’s, the administrator of the popular social media group “You are Not Alone.” A mental health Facebook group, Thomas is an author, screenwriter and CEO of Fade2blaq Productionz. 

Real Wordz w DJ Quassy (The Autism & Mental Health Crisis)

Neurodiversity

You have a mental health group that meet regularly on zoom through Facebook? How many members do you have currently?

It depends, I have quite a few members coming. It really depends on who comes during the groups and what they are needing. Sometimes it can be 5 people join the zoom, maybe it’s more, maybe it’s less. My group is not public for HIPPA and confidentiality purposes.

Tell me more about that group and when you arrived at an inflection point that you could contribute to a solution about the mental health crisis we have globally?

Basically, I’m talking to the Director of NAMI. Her name is Desire out of York, Pennsylvania. NAMI stands for National Alliance of Mental Illness. We’re talking about opening a mental health center out here in York because I feel as though a lot of people claim to have mental health struggles globally including celebrities and even politicians claim they have it.

There’s a shortage of mental health clinics and I think that is really effed’ up. We have these artists that rap about mental health with all the money in the world but why are there no centers and clinics devoted to battling the mental health crisis? You have Politicians claiming anxiety and depression. I mean you have some Presidents claiming mental illness and I am not talking about Trump. In general, why are there a shortage of mental health centers globally? I don’t get that.

That’s facts for sure. Yes, I do agree with you on that. How often do you have members reach out to you about feelings of hopelessness?

All the time! 

Coping strategies from someone who understands

You can’t understand my fight with depression when you don’t live with it!

What is your approach to help redirect those thought processes?

I tell them to breathe and relax. I also tell them to make sure they go do something whether it is read a book or watch TV. Write something, go outside, and take a walk, look at some birds. Whatever makes you feel good about yourself. I always tell them to get out of their head. A lot of my friends are over thinkers like me. You know, when you over think stuff, you have to stop that thinking and get outside of your head. Go outside and look at nature. Take a walk, read a book, but do something that gets you out of your mind.

April: Autism Awareness Month (Stop the stigma)!

Shifting Gears

April is Autism Awareness month and the rate of diagnosis today has been coming at an alarming rate. What do you feel is the cause in the rise of formal diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder?

Ok so one thing I will say about autism is this. It’s a few women I know. One of them I call her my son. She’s a stud and she have autism. The other woman I know just gotten diagnosed at the age of 32. I’m going to need people to stop saying that because you have autism that you are slow or that you have Down Syndrome because no, the hell it doesn’t.

I know a lot of people that are autistic that are very smart and very bright that has very positive and creative futures. I will say that the alarming rate of diagnosis in these young babies is because they are born smart and not “slow,” contrary to ignorant beliefs. People think when you say ASD that it is a bad thing but, it’s not. In my opinion it is a good thing because it makes you stand out as different and unique. That is why its important to push autism awareness.

There is Hope!

Can you give us 2 or 3 strategies you use in your support group to restore hope as we strive for autism awareness and mental health awareness?

Ok, I post mental health quotes and positive things every morning. I post positive, affirmations, and I post things about anxiety and depression. What I do is, I use this app on my phone that I use which has a lot of inspirational quotes and I share it daily for a positive beginning to the day. I post on the Messenger groups as well.

One of my groups is called “You Are Not Alone: You Matter,” and the other is “You Are Not Alone One Bit.” I post in those as well. I do my dual diagnosis zoom meetings on Monday’s and Thursdays to see how people are doing and I try to interact with my members as much as possible.

Like you said, I’m an Author also and I do a lot of things but, I always make sure to check in because the support is a key aspect in recovery. I actively advocate for mental health people are constantly reaching out to me and I try to make myself available because it’s the moments which may be a crisis that’s the most crucial and it’s important for my members to know I am there.

Conclusion

As a support system to thousands of people who have mental illness ASD or both what advice would you give an adult struggling with some of these issues outside of the traditional coping skills?

I have a friend who was just diagnosed as an adult and like I told her don’t listen to the people around you do your own research. Practice your own due diligence and look it up so you can discern what is relatable to you and what is not. You can’t believe everything you hear. Don’t listen to people tell you about it find out for yourself. Do your own research.

Well, that concludes all the questions that I have. I want to thank you for speaking with me today and, I want to honor you for your contributions to the autism awareness and mental health awareness movement. Tell us how we can contact you and follow your content and or join your private groups.

It’s called “You Are Not Alone,” it has two hands in the name. Like I said earlier it is invitation only so when you click on it, it will ask you if you want to join and it does have questions. You don’t have to answer the questions; however, I do read all of them. My group is private and confidential. People come in and write things that their own parents don’t know but, we serve as a safe place to do that in a non-toxic way. Spouses, friend, family, kids. None of them will every find what you expose in that group privately unless there is a threat to harm yourself or someone else and there is an active plan.

My name is Lakin Thomas pronounced (Lay-kin) not Lincoln not Luhkin!

Social Media Handles

Facebook you can find me https://www.facebook.com/lakinfadechristina.thomas

Tik Tok its @fade2blaq215 https://www.tiktok.com/@fade2blaq215

Instagram its @fade2blaqbytch https://www.tiktok.com/@fade2blaq215

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes ONLY and is backed up by verifiable references. This is NOT a diagnostic tool; however, this IS a tool to create awareness of mental illness. Should you or a loved one have any concerns or exhibit any symptoms described here it is important to talk to your Physician as soon as possible, call or text the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or the SAMHSA National Helpline at (800) 662-4357.

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