Elysium Healthcare’s Dr Malinder Bhullar has contributed to a best-selling book – An Autistic Anthology. The book explores the ‘neuro-narratives of mental health professionals’. She tells us more about the book and the chapter she has written.

“I joined Elysium as a Locum in May 2023 and took on a permanent part-time role in August. I’m the Lead Psychologist at Spring Wood Lodge in West Yorkshire.

“I trained and qualified in Australia and was around two years post-qualified when I came to the UK. I worked in the NHS for 16 years and my last role was working in Devon with the NHS, working in a secure hospital. So the move has been quite a big change.   

“I was diagnosed as autistic relatively late – a ‘later realiser’. Neurodiversity is one of those things which is not really ‘publicised’ by people, particularly perhaps those working in the healthcare sector. You just get on with your work and with your life – particularly if you’re female. 

“I was approached to write a chapter of the book An Autistic Anthology. The book explores the ‘Neuro-narratives of mental health professionals’ and the majority of the contributors were, like me, those who were later realisers. 

“And so I contributed a chapter. It wasn’t something I had done before but it came together very quickly. The chapter was finalised in the summer of 2024 and published in October. It has already topped the best-seller list for its category on Amazon and it’s encouraging to see that there is such an appetite for people to learn more about neurodiversity among professionals working in the healthcare sector. It’s been a really pleasant surprise to see how well it has been received. 

“Previously, I don’t think neurodiversity was a subject that was talked about very much, even in the mainstream narrative. There was a degree of taboo previously, but I think it’s easier now. And as neurodiversity has become more talked about generally, it has become more talked about specifically in the healthcare sector. 

“In the book, some of the contributors explore that taboo and that stigma. Medics are very much focused on being doctors; we don’t want to stand out. We just want to be seen to be functioning really well and doing the job well. And people who are neurodiverse can be very good at masking. 

“So this book, and my chapter, is a ‘little window’ into life as an autistic mental health professional and the trials and tribulations of being different, especially in plain sight. My hope is that this book helps create more spaces for being curious about difference, whatever form it takes. 

“I’ve now got the writing bug! Before this, I had written conference papers and things like that but this has definitely given me an appetite to explore writing further.” 

Further information about: An Autistic Anthology: Neuro-narratives of mental health professionals can be found here.