Muni Long Reveals That She Has Autism

So apparently I’m autistic, and my free self is the version of me that I began repressing at the age of 22 because it made people highly uncomfortable. It started first with me doing insane amounts of drugs and then when that didn’t work I just held it in. Which led to lupus.

— My name is MUNI (@munilong) December 3, 2023

Long went on to share that in order to cope with the challenges of the autoimmune disease, she needs to release their emotions. However, the mention of autism has brought on a sense of disbelief in the situation.

“And now the lupus has gotten to a point where it’s effectively impossible to contain,” she continued. “And in order to free myself from the rollercoaster that is autoimmune disease, I have to let my emotions, thoughts and feelings out…. But…. Autism! OMG WTF THIS IS SO WACK.”

And now the lupus has gotten to a point where it’s effectively impossible to contain. And in order to free myself from the rollercoaster that is autoimmune disease, I have to let my emotions, thoughts and feelings out…. But…. Autism! OMG WTF THIS IS SO WACK 😭

— My name is MUNI (@munilong) December 3, 2023

According to Cleveland Clinic, autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disease typically diagnosed during childhood. Those with autism can exhibit challenges in social interaction and communication, along with atypical patterns of activities and behaviors.

While the news has been shocking for the songwriter to come to terms with, the diagnosis has given her a sense of relief, “But at least knowing I am autistic explains SO MUCH.”

In the last year, the Grammy winner has remained open about her health with her fans. In a 2022 interview onBlack Girl Stuff, Long discussed the challenges she has faced living with lupus, a chronic autoimmune disease.

“Lupus is a stress-related disease. It’s a silent, invisible struggle ’cause you can’t see it. You wake up in the morning and you look just fine, but you really feel like you got ran over by a train…,” she shared. “There’s a lot of different things that I’ve experienced with this diagnosis, everything from hair loss to skin rashes. Being in this business is vainglorious, so that affects my output so much.”

“When I feel good, I look good, I produce well. When I feel like crap, and I gotta go out… Even something as small as someone touching my arm, it hurts. But I gotta smile, and I gotta talk to people when I don’t feel like talking,” she adds.

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