How To Respond To Intrusive Thoughts: A 7-Step Guide
Intrusive thoughts are unwanted thoughts that pop into our minds and make us feel distressed, upset or uncomfortable. The nature of these vary, but they can be violent, distressing, or a recurring fear that you might say or do something…
My Mid-Year Book Wrap-Up
Somehow, we are half-way through 2025 already, so it’s time for a mid-year book wrap-up! Books, as usual, have been a real comfort to me over the last six months, particularly whilst being unwell and my favourites have been a real…
Reminders for Mental Health Recovery
Mental health recovery is hard. No matter what you are struggling with, recovery is messy, it’s challenging and the pain can feel never-ending. I wanted to share some reminders with you today. I hope that something here…
Words of Hope
I have had a difficult couple of months due to being unwell. But, as usual, I’ve found comfort in words - be those from books (check out my Goodreads for my book reviews!), poetry or quotes…
Shortlisted for ITV’s Book bCreator of the Year
Hello, it’s been a while.
Thank you for the messages checking in on me. I do apologise for not responding. Unfortunately due to being unwell, I’ve had to pull out of several things including…
How Social Media Can Influence Identity - from a Neurodivergent Lens
I recently spoke to the young people at Ambitious about Autism’s youth network on social media and identity from a neurodivergent lens. I learned a lot whilst prepping for it that I thought was worth sharing.
Many of us are aware that we spend a lot of time online…
Autism Acceptance Week: What is Autism and What Does Acceptance Look Like?
I was sixteen when the question of whether I could possibly be autistic arose and, at this stage, my understanding of autism was limited. I thought about the TV series Atypical that I had recently watched and about Sheldon from The…
One Year of Girl Unmasked
It is the 28th March 2025 - one whole year since the publication of Girl Unmasked: How Uncovering My Autism Saved My Life. One year ago today, at my book launch, I stood at the front of a room packed with almost everyone I loved and cried for a solid twenty minutes....
Autism, ADHD and Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder (EUPD)
I recently worked with the National Centre For Autism and Mental Health (NCAMH) to record some podcasts as part of course content for their diploma. One of these was on autism and Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder (EUPD)…
There is a Life After Rock Bottom
There is a life AFTER rock bottom. I wish I could have known that there was a life waiting for me away from feeling ‘stuck’ in the system. Away from assumptions. Away from ‘she has EUPD’ and ‘at risk of repeated admissions’ and away from…
Neurodiversity Celebration Week
It’s Neurodiversity Celebration Week - a week for neurodivergent people to celebrate their neurodivergence (if they want to), to challenge stereotypes and misconceptions and to advocate for more inclusive and supportive environments where everybody can flourish…
International Women’s Day 2025: The Fight For Neurodivergent Women and Girls
It’s International Women’s Day 2025 and gender inequality and health inequalities still have major consequences for neurodivergent women and girls. Whilst there have been changes and improvements (for example, the narrowing…
Why World Book Day Is So Important
I’m a day late, I know. That’s how life goes sometimes, especially when you’ve got ADHD. But I couldn’t resist writing about World Book Day anyway, because, as I’m sure you know, I love books. Books allow you to step into whole other worlds, explore new cultures, experience different…
The Publishing Process and How I Became a Sunday Times Bestseller
As we approach paperback launch week (which is NEXT week!), I feel a bit like I’m saying goodbye to the hardback era of Girl Unmasked. I know many people prefer paperbacks - they’re cheaper, lighter and have a different feel. I’ve always been a firm paperback lover too, but…
I Met My Younger Self for a Coffee
This is a beautiful trend inspired by Jennae Cecelia’s poem in her book ‘deep in my feels’.
I met my younger self for a coffee this morning…
BBC Disclosure: Kids on the Psychiatric Ward - A Reflection
BBC Scotland’s Disclosure ‘Kids on the Psychiatric Ward’ tells the stories of young adults who were patients at Skye House, a children’s mental health unit in Glasgow, between 2017 and 2024. I have just watched the programme and…
School-Based Anxiety and Attendance
Sometimes it feels like the only thing that matters to politicians and education leaders is school attendance. And when they declare that the best place for children to be is in school, it makes me feel like my school experience doesn’t matter, and makes me feel angry for all the children…
Authentically Emily Update - Book Guide, Girl Unmasked Paperback, Giveaway and Talks
Hello and happy Monday!
This is a bit of a rambly post with a few updates rather than my usual blog post.
Autism and ADHD Book Guide
ARFID is Not ‘Fussy Eating’: The Truth About Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder
Sky News published an article yesterday titled ‘ARFID: The little-known eating disorder that is on the rise’ and the responses on social media highlight the extent of stigma and misunderstanding surrounding this condition…
Managing a Trip to Thailand as an Autistic Person
I absolutely love seeing and exploring new places, but when my boyfriend suggested that we plan a trip to Thailand, I was initially hesitant. Being autistic means that some things can be more challenging, and I felt anxious about many things, like…