I'm Fel (short for Felicia) and I'm a young adult who is at the start of her self-discovery journey.

I proudly identify as an autistic/neurodivergent Greek (CALD) with binge eating disorder (BED), ADHD (inattentive), learning and psychosocial (Generalised anxiety disorder & major depressive disorder) disabilities. I've lived in the Bayside (southeast) area of Melbourne all my life and have experience with the diverse local culture, schools (public and private), and communities. 

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My identity journey began I was diagnosed with autism in September 2020 (during the covid pandemic). By receiving a formal diagnosis, I was able to fully understand myself from a range of different perspectives and comprehend my past.

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Reflecting on this, I remember in primary school that I always struggled with both learning and socialising which only got worse with age. At the age of 12 it became clear that I was struggling with my mental health because of several problems I was dealing with at school with learning, home and with friends. After repetitive loss of friendships/being kicked out of friend groups, unstable mental health, online learning and toxic family, I finally had enough. This made me feel absolutely confused and destroyed so after talking to my psychologist, they briefly mentioned the potential of autism. I decided to find out more which is where my journey began but for me it all truly changed after the formal diagnosis due to the prior feeling of imposter syndrome.

 

Presently I’m extremely proud and comfortable with all my diagnoses and as an outcome of them, I've discovered a passion (a special interest) for being a leader and advocate in the disability and intersectional youth communities. I do this by sharing my own experiences and stories which allows me to support local individuals and create change by actively pushing for accessibility, inclusion, diversity and education from a wide local to national lens.