Hello Mark,
What a wonderful message. Thank-you for sharing… I’m immensely moved by discovering what flying your drone has done for you.
J
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Oh wow that got me @Sparkyws. Am I alias to share that. I just read my childhood.
I don’t know what to say but thank you for that. It’s hard to explain what we go through. But also Autism has some fantastic traits. Loyalty, honesty, to name a few.
Wow I’m blown away by this forum already.
And my little mini 2
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That’s fantastic!! Have fun and enjoy yourself as do most people here.
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TOAL?
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TOAL = Take Off And Landing
How did I not get this straight away 
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took me a while 
Wow biggest praise goes out to Marks1 who can speak openly about a condition that most us couldn’t imagine. Again a tiny drone with many capabilities is able to give him the ability to break out and enjoy again what most people never get to see from the ground.
Take a real man to honestly open up in today’s day and age.
Congratulations Marks1
@Dren thanks man that means a lot and I really appreciate you saying that.
Honesty is one of my greatest values and it’s rewarding when I know it pays off.
I like how you say that most people can’t even comprehend what it can be like having autism that is a rare thing to hear but very refreshing as we often live in a very Linley world. A little drone take me out of that and I think freely and SMILE. A distraction has never been more welcome.
Again Thank you
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Thanks Mark for this moving and honest post. Glad you’re enjoying the flying and that it’s helping you.
Totally moving poem @Sparkyws . Thank you for sharing!
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Great post. Keep it up
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Hi Mark
So glad to read your story.
It’s not often we hear about this but I can understand your situation.
I found that flying during lockdown definitely helped my depression.
Keep it up , even in the winter we get some great sunny days.
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@Marks1
Whilst I don’t suffer from autism I discovered a few years ago that I suffer from anxiety and depression. It’s something that’s been going on for a very long time but I just thought it was part of my personality and tried my best to ignore it, until it came to a head and I had some small breakdowns. Been on meds until very recently and for the main part I am managing to cope without them. Some days are good, some days are bad, but the dreadful days where I can’t face another person are gone. What I have found immensely helpful is photography. Whenever my thoughts turn to shit I grab a camera, go for a walk and immerse myself in whatever I see, even if its just in the garden. It provides something positive to focus on instead of the negative, getting a drone a few weeks back has added to this enormously, I can get totally lost in what I’m doing and after a short time the bad thoughts are gone, replaced by things that make me smile. It most definitely is therapy and I’m really glad to see other people on here seeing it that way as well. Keep on having fun and enjoying your new found hobby.
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Thanks for your reply I appreciate it. Lockdown for me was bliss. No body coming to my door and not having to do anything social was heaven for me. Coming out of lockdown was a difficult process for me.
All the best for the future.
Hey @mynameisjoe thank you for that very open and honest reply it’s amazing how there are so many very real stories behind those people you see. You never know why somebody might do what they do.
I really do identify so strongly with how your depression effects you and it can be so difficult to see beyond that hence why the distraction flying the drone and photography provides is essential. I am glad you have found a peace in your drone and I hope life treats you the way you deserve. Just by your words I can tell you are one of the good ones.
All the best my freind.
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Thanks @Marks1
my problems were
Being a typical bloke
Being a typical South African/Scot
Rugby player.
None of which ever allowed me to be open and honest. It’s taken me 45 years to be able to tell people I have problems and explain why I sometimes have to hide away. Lockdown for me too was fantastic, I loved every minute of it. I even built a wooden canoe and some laminated paddles to keep me occupied for 6 months of it. I do believe that being open and honest not just helps me, but let’s others see they can be too, which is why I hijacked your post. If one other person reads all the posts above and decides to seek help then it’s all good.
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Me and you are definitely on the same page.
I totally agree in that being open can encourage others to.
Keep on going @mynameisjoe keep fighting it and keep being open.
Like you say if it helps one more person then it’s worth it.
It’s a clear day here tomorrow I just need the wind to settle and I’m flying tomorrow.
Can’t wait.
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Well done, anything that helps is a good thing. “Enjoy”
And all this time I thought I was the only one.
When the first lockdown hit I got into the routine of sitting on my decking every morning for an hour or more, which is at the end of my garden and as high as the guttering on my house. Without the constant drone of road traffic and the cleaner air I must admit I felt like Thanos after he clicked his fingers and made half the Universe disappear. It’s a routine my cat and I still adhere to today, irrespective of the weather. I suppose it can be classed as a Mindfulness technique. And my knowledge of indigenous bird life has increased exponentially.
I’ve studied the mechanics of depression to better understand myself, in the hope I can make those understand me better also. No easy task as anyone else whom has suffered from Treatment Resistant Depression can attest to. I’ve found that some people are quite surprised by and receptive to hearing about how the various neurotransmitters modify behaviour, how they bind to various receptors, and what happens when they don’t do quite what they’re supposed to. Also why I take the medications I do, and what they can and can’t do. When I’m asked what TRD feels like I ask them in return to imagine the feeling of losing the person closest to you. Now imagine having that feeling everyday for the next 45yrs. And the hardest thing to comprehend is that no feasible trigger or event can be found. Just as a diabetic is defined by the inability to produce insulin, someone with chronic depression loses the ability to produce and/or retain those neurotransmitters that promote feel good vibes. Medications do help but they are not effective in the long term as in many cases they lose that palliative property as resistance builds up. This doesn’t always mean they are not doing what they’re supposed to, and it can signal the onset of a dangerous condition known as Serotonin Syndrome or Serotonin Toxicity, meaning there’s an over abundance of the neurotransmitter Serotonin unabsorbed the in the brain which can be lethal. I’ve experienced this a few times myself.
Having an appreciation of the above has taught me to be more empathetic to others whom suffer through no action of themselves. I like to think we’ve come along way to a better understanding than those responsible for mentoring me during my schooldays, where I was labelled slow and stupid.
Not being neurotypical may appear to some as being disabling, but that’s only because they are complicit in imposing unnecessary restrictions. When the chains are removed a non-neurotypical mind can surprise and astound and be responsible for incredible creations.
I’ll step off my soapbox now.
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