Autistic people, what do you think of autism?

[Juxtapose]

I am autistic and frankly it's pretty lonely. You gotta mask so much it feels like most social interactions are about pleasing the other person at the expense of yourself. Very few people *really* get you so you're on your own, especially in intimate relationships. Oh and loud noises DESTROY you.

Updates

+1 y

Kinda surprised at the level of self-diagnosis, generalizing and trivialization of autism. It's a serious neurological condition and not something you have just because you don't fit in or feel a little nerdy. It's also a disorder and pretending it's simply a difference in neurology is disingenuous. Here's some actual medical information about autism below so you guys can educate yourselves.

my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/8855-autism

[VIVANT]

Fun fact I have 4 out of the 7 RISK factors and 6 out of the 7 COMPLICATIONS of autism

I’ve never been diagnosed I’ve never been tested I didn’t have anyone in my life who cared to do do when I was a kid dnd I avoid drs as much as possible as an adult bc if too much f*ckery from them towards myself in my childhood. I’m in touch with my neurologist bc I have to be but that’s it.

I know I get along really well with people on the spectrum. I suspect I have adhd which I know the symptoms overlap a lot with autism but now days it seems everything is autism so I would not jump to conclusions about myself.

I am involved with some autism communities and I do find threads very helpful bc 7 out if 10 it’s stuff I can relate to and heh way people have learned to deal with stuff I struggled with forever, makes it helpful. Also, just knowing people who experience stuff the way I do. It’s really comforting in a way.

I’ve been targeted by medical staff as having disorders I clearly do not have based on “intentional behavior “that is just Inherently part of who I am. so it really means a lot to me to find people like me who are just trying to live their lives. So whether I have it or not it on the spectrum or not I’ll stay in contact w/ forums for those who do have it or are on the spectrum - bc it improves my quality of life to do so.

im sorry you are feeling so alienated. I know masking is so much of my life I didn’t realize I was even doing it until I read about it. Being excruciatingly uncomfortable in social settings having to worry about others plus comfort to my detriment and rarely if ever saying exactly what I think had been my entire life. Or I just go though periods I’ll be direct and everyone will hate me but my brain is calm 🤷🏻‍♀️

[VIVANT]

I really despise the way of stuff doesn’t slur sense you have to be dumb or thinking too much

No it just doesn’t make sense and if the author can’t explain it without ad hominem attacks my guess is well everyone doesn’t “ just know this”

I really hate that. A question is a question— if you can’t a base then just don’t but there’s no need to pathologize a question

But basically it’s bc it’s culturally the norm to lie and it’s “weird” to be honest so no one really very makes sense, even to themselves in my opinion

[Juxtapose]

You sound like you have a strong possibility of being autistic and you know what it's like to feel alienated. I think there is one theory out there that are species of humans defeated neanderthals and whatnot because we were the ones who could be duplicitous and lie.

What ad hominem attacks was the author saying?

Oh and thank you for sympathizing with me, the feelings of alienation aren't new but having people really to me helps 👍

[Jamie05rhs]

@VIVANT I identify with like 95% of what you said.

[VIVANT]

@Juxtapose if you want to talk or vent feel free to message. If I didn’t respond immediately it is not personal, I am so stoned just on here erratically but I will get to it 😊

@Jamie05rhs yeah I know! lol I was just thinking about this today. You are one of the only people I know who never gets annoyed with me for how I am. I mean obviously you get annoyed if I’m being a jerk but that’s controllable 👍🏼

[Jamie05rhs]

@VIVANT 🥲🥲 I just melted. I want to hug you so much right now. 🥰

[CupcakeTheDestroyer]

Don’t be an asshole to people who self-diagnose. Autism is a spectrum, your experience is NOT universal. What is autism for you is not the same as everyone else’s. Receiving a medical diagnosis - which can be markedly different for anyone who is not a straight, white man because of medical biases (I wasn’t diagnosed until my teens despite showing multiple symptoms at age 5) - is not a sign that you are an authority on the subject. Autism is just a way that we all see the world, we take statements at face value, we heavily value our trust in others, and we all mask in some way or another. Don’t assume that you, as a white-presenting man, are the authority on the subject of autism and its experiences, especially when a majority of autistic women are often misdiagnosed because women are inherently better at masking than men.

[OddBeMe]

As someone with a mentally handicapped brother I can say I like the more umbrella terms. I think it is more a spectrum that we’re all probably on, most just nominally affected.

I am tired of hearing “autism” as a crutch. Just admit a mistake ffs.

[Juxtapose]

You are not on the spectrum, that is ridiculous. It is a medical diagnosis that is very serious. I was taken to several specialists and had my diagnosis reaffirmed several times throughout my life. I had to have special classes in school and even learning how to do things like maintain eye contact required lessons. I was exempted from some classes and given an ed tech that followed me around in school.

And my diagnosis is on the mild side. You have no idea what it's like, it is just as debilitating as any other major disability.

[Anonymous]

Was my opinion removed? ﾠ

[Opinion Owner]

Oh I never hit "submit". Shit. It was a long one.

[Opinion Owner]

To sum it up, I never saw myself as being "autistic" though I probably act like it, "autism" has a notion of being born with it I think, while I am obviously weird from many things including a fucked up childhood with social isolation. You can see it in everything I post, from slithering horror cock monsters to transvestigations, and the repetitiveness of it. Probably qualifies as autistic but I am pretty sure I wasn't born "weird" rather turned out this way over time. So I am not sure what to think.

[Juxtapose]

You would know dude, it changes your life from the very beginning in a very major way. I was taken to the doctors and short order and diagnosed by specialists at age 5 and later had my diagnosis confirmed several times throughout my life. I had to have special classes in school as well.

[Opinion Owner]

I was never diagnosed for it but as I read more the more I'm convinced I had it my entire life.
Maybe it's just because I was never sent to get diagnosed, like I've had tapeworms for years too and my family talked down on me but never even helped me to get the medication. I couldn't get it without RX and it is too expensive to buy the veterinary version. So I consumed crap tons herbal extracts, excreted probably already 50-100 feet of total tapeworm segment length. Hadn't had any more excretions for a while, possibly the long list of herbal extracts I took (some so bitter that I puked a few times before consuming it again) killed them all, but you see how it doesn't have to be diagnosed to be real.

[Opinion Owner]

Again, I also said that I never labeled myself as having autism. I just see many similarities, most likely from a fucked up childhood and other challenges.

[Opinion Owner]

It's funny I mentioned tapeworms today. Because just 5 minutes ago first time in a while, I pooped out, a whole one, you could tell it was old and wrinkled, and it came out fully by itself. Normally i have to pull to and pull and pull with the length often being over 6 feet. This time it wasn't that long but you could tell it was old. I think the main head came out, as opposed to partial segments. That means it died from something I ate. And I did ingest lots of interesting things during the past 3 days.

[panda2712]

I got diagnosed at a young age and not much was done about it but I was way worse when I was a kid I’m not as severe now that I’m older but I definitely still have most of my traits just lessened a lot but luckily for me (unintentionally) I had a lot of friends that also had it but we never really talked about it

[Spongebobssocks]

I am not autistic myself but I take care of a child with severe autism and i've had a friend with just moderate autism. It's very different depending on where on the spectrum the person is.

Your update: yes it is a serious condition and sometimes (not always) the medical field will push a little on the results so they can diagnose people to make money. It is a government business after all.

[Jamie05rhs]

You should never be on your own in an intimate relationship. If you are, then you're not with the right person.

[Juxtapose]

Story of my life!

[Jamie05rhs]

@Juxtapose 💙

[jahaims]

It can be a burden, but fortunately where I am at on the spectrum it has been mostly beneficial. It being a spectrum makes it even more lonely because I haven't met anyone who thinks like me yet in this way.

[SeaStorm1]

I seen a austic people through out my life and always liked me and did become friends with me with through out college. I seen some stereotypies that i watch on youtube about austism but that is not truth not ever single person that not fit in the same box of austism people every single one has be diffenet. is be more harder for austic girls since they seem to be better at masking and making is more harder autism diagnosis. i think my younger sister might be on part of being austism.

[Juxtapose]

I definitely disagree on the gender part. It doesn't matter what disability you have as a woman, you will never be as invisible as a man.. especially an autistic man. Men aren't given value just for being born, we always have to prove ourselves while women will always be cherished simply for being women.

[butterly248]

Yeah, u never feel like u belong or fit into society. People always look at u like u r stupid or weird

[GoodGuyBreakingBad]

My little cousin, has Autism, but she does everything and makes it good for her and I believe all Autistic people can do the same in life.

[Juxtapose]

It's a spectrum disorder so not really. You can't use one girl as an example for everyone.

[Christoff92]

Both my niece's are autistic. They're both for now non-verbal. Hopefully they get to talk as they mature. They both under 4. So time would tell.

[Guardian45]

Welcome brother. I am ND too, but not autistic. I do understand some of your problems as we overlap.

[disgustingweebtrash]

Being naive is one pretty bad aspect of autists, they can really badly get taken advantage of sometimes

[shortster]

It is a gift. If only normal people were more accepting.

[Juxtapose]

It is not a gift, it is a horrible disability.