When most people think about changes, they usually feel fear before they realize that what they might be feeling is normal. Believe it or not, everyone goes through that anxious feeling. Many people with autism (and without it) deal with fear of change constantly. When I reached out to the autism community, I heard an abundance of replies. Many people said the same thing, change disrupts what they know and makes them feel insecure. And, change simply may take some time to adjust to.
Adjusting to Change as I Gain Independence
I understand this a bit too well. There is a big change ahead for me. I have plans to move into an apartment complex not too far from the CA Residence. This move has me feeling anxious, excited and overall, overwhelmed. It is an all too familiar situation for everyone. Changing from something that has been familiar to something new and different can be a bit of a leap in terms of life. I have spent several years in the CA house and am comfortable with where I am. As you can imagine, it took my family a lot of time before they agreed on where I should go next. The place we chose was also the one place that my dad and I checked out a couple of years ago just to get an idea of where I could go in the future. Not that my time with the CA Adult Programs was ending at that point. It was more of a landing point that I could see myself settling into if I chose to make that change.
Someone once said to me, “If you’re comfortable, you’re not growing”. I truly agree with that. With my move in day getting closer and closer, my anxiety is closing in on me. It is the fear of the unknown and overall change happening. Though, I do feel this will be the best change that I will deal with so far. This is because it means I am one step closer to my own independence, which is what the program at CA helped me to do. Living on my own is a big change but also having a place that is truly my own is going to be a massive change in my life and that will make me wiser and see continued growth. When that stepping stone reaches its end, then the next change will be something I will make with more independence. The road less travelled has been a blessing to me.
