V1ZION 2023-06-19 14:44:20

I’ve known about my autism since I was about 4 years old. I also may have ADHD but never got it checked out. It’s weird knowing I have it because I do a lot of things that “normal” people wouldn’t do. It’s just in my nature. They’re involuntary.
There was this book I read a while back called The Reason I Jump and it was an interview with a lot of questions regarding the person’s behavior and other things affected by autism. Maybe reading that would help you get more acquainted with it.

Hopefully what I said makes sense.

BBaNK 2023-06-19 16:41:50

Might be an unpopular opinion, but i think diagnosing a highly-functioning autist (aspergers for example), is completely unnecessary, and a lot of the times damaging.

A lot of cultures (like mine) just arent familiar with the concept of high-functioning autism, and receiving a diagnosis without clarifying that is more of a burden than anything else. "You have to get special treatment, because you are not one of us anymore. Its not that you are above or below us. You are just different, and because of that, you have to be treated different."

In the case of such, i think it would be best if people stop getting diagnosed with these things, and let everyone accept the fact that these things are completely normal and common traits. The world will be colorful again, once you open your eyes, and let the light in.

As a fellow autist, i hope this helps. Sending you a big rack of root beer, and a big hug with that! <3

OnixDark 2023-06-19 17:00:10

@BBaNK the things you mentioned in the 1st 2 paragraphs are what make me hesitate to try to search an official diagnosis: will that be good or bad for me? will that make my life easier or will that make things worse? it would explain a lot about me, but would the official explanation actually do me any good?

I've heard good things from people who got their official diagnosis at a late age, but those people were retired or on the verge of retiring. what if it blocks access to things instead of opening doors like it did for those people?

BBaNK 2023-06-19 17:19:24

@OnixDark I would highly advise not to. I personally never have been diagnosed, and ill certainly never voluntierly choose to. I know a friend who did lose quite a bit as of the result of his diagnosis. Will it do good or bad, that will depend on your culture, your current situation, and the actual severity of the spectrum that you are on.

A key to understanding your partner is transparent communication, which autists typically excel at. They have way less social/ethical gates coded in their brain's pathways, and as a result of that, we are way more honest. (This is the main reason why they do weird things out of habit that other people perceive as unnatural.)

People will understand, even without a diagnosis, and the ones that dont, a large portion of them will respect it. Also, keep in mind that as you age, the symptoms will likely become less noticiable, as your mind will start to adapt to social situations.

Of course, these are my experiences. Educate yourself, and make the right choice!

CIEIRMusic 2023-06-20 22:38:27

When I first got diagnosed and they told me I have Asperger's Syndrome, I like many people have reacted no different than an anti-vaxxer at the time. To put it plainly, it made me feel like there was something wrong with me, but when I looked up further what Autism, Asperger's and other Spectrum related disorders were like it helped me understand certain behavioral traits in my life. Learning about yourself in comparison to what you've been diagnosed with is one of the big steps in living with it.

In terms of pointers, there are a few things.
1. Certain things you do, may come across as weird by people that believe themselves to be society's standards of normalcy. Some things you do or say, may seem innocent to you, but offensive to someone else, whether they are or not.
2. If you have certain interests in your life, be it personal or professional. Stick to them, learn as much about them as you possibly can. For example I myself have interests in movies, music and video games, just to name a few. So I look up everything about it and try to learn every aspect of the subject.
3. There are some ignorant people, whom think various things about people with autism. Such as the infamously known vaccine bullshit. Then of course there are others whom don't even know what Autism is and would simply judge you based on first impression. As long as you keep your head held high and not let their words get to you, you should be OK.
4. Finally, the most important thing. It may be part of your life, but it doesn't define your life as a whole. You're still you, this is merely another part of you. The next chapter in the story that is your life. You could either make it a happy ending or a downer ending. The choice is yours.

All that aside, just have fun, be safe and try to survive this crazy world in one piece.

spoonman420 2023-07-05 06:15:32

Trois brought me here... Anyway, I read your story and wish to comment. A few friends of mine described me as having OCD. Maybe I am, so I adopted it and started saying that I am, in fact, O.C. I don't call it a disorder though. And as artists, I think it is necessary sometimes. I wonder, though if a perfect person exists. I imagine that to be boring. I know a few people with narcissistic traits. They use creative people and then abandon them. That, I have a problem with. I don't know you personally, but the fact that you shared your feelings about your diagnosis tells me that you are ok. I doubt narcissists will tell people what they are... They, most likely aren't even aware, they believe their own lies.