ASD and Lifestyle Obstacles

[Gig3]

Hello to All,

Throughout my life I've tried hard, at times, to exert myself and strive to achieve certain standards set by the NT powers that be, i.e. college degrees in order to get on the career "treadmill" as well as study and travel abroad in order to "broaden my horizons." Yet I continued to hit the familiar walls of limitations in the form of frustration, anxiety, and confusion. Could ASD be a limiting factor in my life, or is it more likely due to childhood encephalitis? I guess I'm asking how bad ASD could mess up a life. BTW, I'm trying to deal with it now but continue to suffer from confusion and anxiety and am sure that my friends who are "successful" are not dealing with the same issues (though I know that everyone has challenges).

 

[Jane Smith]

So, I have had PTSD for my entire life. Because of the severity of the diagnosis, I will have to live with it for the rest of my life. It makes partaking in daily life very hard. I have to constantly keep track of meds, have an exit plan for if I am triggered, and making things like dating IMPOSSIBLE.

A lot of the times I hated getting up in the morning. My life got easier once I accepted that I am who I am. Good and bad.

ASD won't mess up your life. Neither will child encephalitis. Now, it's going to be frustrating. It might even be infuriating. You'll have bright moments, and you'll have dark ones. But, it gets easier. It's all about acceptance and kindness to yourself.

It's okay to be confused, anxious, and frustrated. There is nothing wrong with you for feeling that way.

 

[Progster]

Instead of looking at what you can't do, you need to look at what you can do, and start with that as a basis to build on. If you set out with the assumption that failure is ineveitable, then you will fail, it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.