Music, Art,and the Spectrum

Music, Art, and the Spectrum

There are a lot of things you wouldn’t expect when you first meet me. One of them is me being on the spectrum. High-functioning Autism isn’t a true diagnosis but is a term used to refer to people on who can generally live a normal life without much assistance. Growing up my mom just thought I was sensitive and weird for not being able to handle the feeling of denim and certain sounds. After around half a year of therapy for anxiety and depression, a lot of things started to make sense. At first, it was sensory issues, but after a few more weeks of working on it, we realized I was on the spectrum (this was in my freshman year of high school, talk about getting diagnosed just a little late). My autism just tends to show itself as anxiety, depression and obsessive tendencies.

People ask me, a lot, how I often can’t handle a full school day without going into sensory overload and freaking out, but can handle a full concert once or twice a week. I feel like that’s a big thing people don’t understand. There is commotion I can enjoy. Being shoved around in the pit at a concert is an example of that. However, a full day of listening to high schoolers scream is somehow less enjoyable. Who knew! Concerts and music have always been a big part of my life. Just listening to music can take me down from a full breakdown in seconds. General people know music has an effect on you but not how big the effect really is. Music therapy is a big help when it comes to my sensory issues, anxiety and even depression. There is only one time I didn’t enjoy a concert, and it was when I was already having a bad sensory day. I ended up having a panic attack between acts. But as soon as I headed back in everything calmed. I may be sensitive to auditory stimulation in a negative way, but that means I also am in a positive way. Music or the voice of somebody I love can calm me down in almost seconds.

Another big part of my life is art. I spend four periods a day in the art wing of my school. Living with autism, there are many things I often find hard to express. Art is such an easy way to flesh everything you’re feeling out in a healthy way. From abstract painting to sculpture to photography there’s something there for everybody. It helps to calm anxieties I have and even sensory problems I may be having. Creating something that is individual to you is such a good form of expression for anybody with issues in expression, communication or emotional regulation. Putting energy into something that is pretty much an extension of yourself helps your mental state in so many ways.

Finding ways to express things I wouldn’t otherwise be able to has been something so critical after my diagnosis. The affect of music and art in my life is something I am extremely thankful for. Much of the advice I would give to other autistic people who found out they were on the spectrum later in life is to turn to art and music. The basis of both of them is subjects that people often have issues with when on the spectrum. All the thoughts and emotions you have can be pushed into something so positive that may even help other people to express themselves as well. I’ve met so many people through these two mediums over the past year. My communication skills have increased greatly since then. Sometimes all you need is a push out of your comfort zone (which can be hard to find, especially when autistic) to change the course of your Greattastic Life.