Today I want to do a blog about another of my books with an autistic character. This is the book, The Other Side of Carrie Cornish who is having to deal with neighbour noise while her own mental health is suffering and the physical health of her partner. This is the main thrust of the story.
There's no doubt in my mind now that Carrie is autistic but when I began writing it in the noughties I had no idea. But this books is semi autobiographical. I couldn't finish it at the time as it was too close to my own experiences so rewrote it some years later.
But you'll find no mention of autism in the book at all. Carrie does however mention her anxiety, her panic attacks, her social anxiety and agoraphobia. She withdraws into her fantasy world with her alter-ego—Seroxat Sid. We also see that she suffers with noise and light sensitive and other sensory overload and trichotillomania (hair-pulling) though she doesn't refer it by name. She refers to trichotillomania or trich as a guilty secret. I didn't know for years that this is what's known as a 'stim' (or self-stimulation) nor that it's a very common stress-buster in autistics.
In the video here I also read a small passage from the book about this. Apologies for the suboptimal quality of the vid in my places and it got cut off rather abruptly but I hope you'll stick with it!
The news also significant to Carrie and partner Sandy (there's also a reference to this in the book excerpt). They particularly follow the welfare reform changes in news which impact on them, as was happening around 2012.
I shall be returning to this book as I feel there's a lot relevant to anyone with personal experience of autism eg more about sensory overload and meltdowns.
As always your comments and feedback most welcome.
very well written.
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