Mayke Bloem (22) from Geldrop has been dealing with prejudices and misconceptions all her life due to her autism disorder. In addition, the 22-year-old suffers from an anxiety disorder and depression. That limits Mayke in her daily life, but in writing blogs and a recently published book she can lose everything. Many people identify with her story.
“Six years ago, Mayke was diagnosed with autism,” says her mother Leonore Belksma. “There is much more to her autism because of her anxiety disorder and her depression. For example, she does not dare to call, not to go to the supermarket alone and she does not dare to eat with others.”
Mayke has been blogging about her life with autism on her own website for three years now. People in her environment, such as mother Leonore, also write about their experiences.
And that turns out to be a good outlet. “Mayke has a chiseled smile that she uses as a mask. Because when you smile, no one asks if it’s okay,” her mother explains. “But when she writes, she lowers her mask for a moment and is honest and open.”
Hundreds of reactions followed from people who identify with Mayke. “After all the comments on her blog, she was approached by a publisher from Heeze to publish her book,” says Leonore. And with results, because the book was published at the beginning of January ‘My life with autism’ full of blogs from Mayke and people from her environment.
In her book, for example, it is about the corona crisis. “Many young people feel locked up because everything is closed and they can’t do anything. For Mayke this has been the reality all her life because she can’t and dares.”
The corona crisis has even cost the 22-year-old her job because it is very busy and hectic in the supermarket where she worked. Yet there are also measures that Mayke likes, such as the one and a half meters. For example, she writes in her blog that ‘the three kisses can stay away’ because she finds it stressful when people come close.
Mayke also writes a lot about the prejudices she has to deal with on a daily basis. “Many people think that she can’t work and that she can’t have a relationship. Yet she has had a boyfriend for a year and a half who understands her very well,” says her mother. “She is also busy with her website and sending all the books. She will do it anyway. I think she is super brave and I am very proud of her.”