Does your Aspergers ever get you in trouble?

[ancusmitis]

My aspie traits have gotten me into a fair amount of trouble. Most cases originate from other's suspicion of me - I speak and behave immaculately, yet also differently, which feels threatening to others for various wooly reasons. Here are some of my adventures:

- Chased with a shovel by my older brother for correctly observing that he was fat. Age 6.

- Interrogated for sexual harassment at age 9.
(I had gone about the school offering unsolicited hugs, thinking people appreciated that sort of thing. Wrong.)

- Accused of "demonic inspiration" at age 12.
(Artsy all of my life, my creations took on a Gothic tone post-puberty)

- Threatened with expulsion after flooding the school kitchen at age 15.
(Other students had warned me that wasn't how to mop, but ever the individualist, I tried my own method)

- Placed in an isolation unit for two weeks after having a meltdown on suicide watch. Age 17.

- Amassed a small cult following; also age 17.
(Apparently my confident materialistic logic weilded over the heads of psyche staff unaccustomed to patients lucid enough to form sentences was very impressive. I contemplated a nonviolent uprising to kill time, but that would have required nonviolent participants)

- Evicted at age 20 for "doing subversive things to get in my landlady's head".
(Like forgetting to put the spoons back)

~ Now age 21, I live a quiet, notably stable life with my boyfriend.

Years since trouble: 1

Wow, some of the responses seem completely over-the-top! Were they really going to expel you over a little bit of water? How old was your brother when he chased you with a shovel?

 

[ancusmitis]

Also, and I'm not trying to be insensitive. Let me know if I am! But I have to say that picking up a cult following is pretty awesome. I tried to start a cult a few times when I was in highschool, but it never worked.

 

[Lysander]

Wow, some of the responses seem completely over-the-top! Were they really going to expel you over a little bit of water? How old was your brother when he chased you with a shovel?

Hi!

As for whether staff would really expel me over spilt water, I certainly hope she was just intimidating me. The woman who spoke to me, a school administrator with bite behind her bark, however, was red in the face and releasing spittle. Fact is, she didn't like me to begin with.

My brother was 13 at the time. We're opposites, he and I. My aggression has become less over time; as he grows older, his behaviors worsen. We never got along.

I don't mean to brag. I have a lot to say and opportunities to share this stuff are pretty rare. When I write a narrative like this, I really get to let the information flow.

 

[Lysander]

Also, and I'm not trying to be insensitive. Let me know if I am! But I have to say that picking up a cult following is pretty awesome. I tried to start a cult a few times when I was in highschool, but it never worked.

It was unprecedented fun. Incidentally, it nearly took place of it's own accord; a psyche unit being a place of isolation, desperation, compromised reasoning, and entrapment. It is a pitiable place where hope is sterilized and critical thinking is villified. A typical patient will wake up, vomit periodically, obey a minute by minute clinical structure, or be forcibly put back to sleep. "Medication is not always medicine" was my mantra.

What I did for them as a leader was to cultivate a sense of individual worth - I wanted them to really believe that they could be free again. What they did for me was very much the same. We were mutually supportive and collectively pissed.

 

[ancusmitis]

Hi!

As for whether staff would really expel me over spilt water, I certainly hope she was just intimidating me. The woman who spoke to me, a school administrator with bite behind her bark, however, was red in the face and releasing spittle. Fact is, she didn't like me to begin with.

I met several people like that over my school years. My mother didn't know how to fight them at first, but she sure learned! I'm lucky to have a real mamma bear on my side.

 

[ancusmitis]

It was unprecedented fun. Incidentally, it nearly took place of it's own accord; a psyche unit being a place of isolation, desperation, compromised reasoning, and entrapment. It is a pitiable place where hope is sterilized and critical thinking is villified. A typical patient will wake up, vomit periodically, obey a minute by minute clinical structure, or be forcibly put back to sleep. "Medication is not always medicine" was my mantra.

What I did for them as a leader was to cultivate a sense of individual worth - I wanted them to really believe that they could be free again. What they did for me was very much the same. We were mutually supportive and collectively pissed.

That is so sad, but at the same time very beautiful. Sounds a bit like the classroom I was during elementary, only without the insurrection and we didn't sleep there. I didn't really talk to anyone there anyway, even when it was allowed.

 

[Carnelian]

My aspie traits have gotten me into a fair amount of trouble. Most cases originate from other's suspicion of me - I speak and behave immaculately, yet also differently, which feels threatening to others for various wooly reasons. Here are some of my adventures:

- Interrogated for sexual harassment at age 9.
(I had gone about the school offering unsolicited hugs, thinking people appreciated that sort of thing. Wrong.)

- Accused of "demonic inspiration" at age 12.
(Artsy all of my life, my creations took on a Gothic tone post-puberty)


Years since trouble: 1

I used to do that hugging thing too. Except for I tended to JUMP on them and hug them. It took forever to realize people didn't like it.

Who the hell accused you of demonic inspiration? Who does that anymore??? Especially for art?

((I'm biased with that. I dress like GothyMcGothGoth complete with victorian-style dresses, corsets, and boots.))

 

[Lysander]

I used to do that hugging thing too. Except for I tended to JUMP on them and hug them. It took forever to realize people didn't like it.

Who the hell accused you of demonic inspiration? Who does that anymore??? Especially for art?

((I'm biased with that. I dress like GothyMcGothGoth complete with victorian-style dresses, corsets, and boots.))

Lol, my father is credited with that gem. I was visiting him in Alaska, which is a culturally backwards place in it's own right, and he's a religious fundamentalist. He tried to tell me I couldn't read Harry Potter because it too is demon worship. I told him that we hadn't seen each other for several years, I was the one visiting him, and what I do in my spare time does not concern him.

BAM.

Cool! Corsets too? I support your creative expression. I've always liked Gothic apparel, even if I don't wear it anymore.

 

[Aspieistj]

More than once my Aspieness has almost gotten me fired! Being retired is such a relief.

 

[Beverly]

Ditto Nadador I solve everyone's problems but, they usually don't want the problem solved, they just want to vent to me, I am bad for forgetting that.

You and I would give production fits on a project if we ever did one together, I think but, oh what fun LOL.

 

[ASD_Geek]

I had a meltdown in 6th grade after being bullied one time. It took the principal and several teachers to stop me. They ended up picking me up and carrying me to the office.

This incident led to a referral to a child psychologist that unfortunately did not know about Aspergers as this was the early 80's

 

[metalminx24]

At school I was just told by teachers to "stop turning on the waterworks". Really helpful, obviously...

 

[cherryq]

I have always been very non-confrontational in person (though in my head I can think of all the ways to be very confrontational towards people if need be). Unfortunately, my aspie tendencies still got me in trouble a lot (and probably still will as I start grad school this fall). Specifically, I have always gotten in trouble for not participating in class, for not interpreting instructions correctly, and for not thinking in an abstract manner.

Problems with abstract thinking often occurred in math classes for me, and often the teacher would make me feel really dumb because I excelled in pretty much everything else except for the specific concepts that required thought that was a little more abstract in nature. For instance, in 3rd grade, we started discussing three dimensional figures and volume. Great, I understood that. However, the assignments involved a three dimensional figure with squares drawn on it and instructions that said to write how many small blocks were in the figure (indicated by the squares). My thought process was that one could never know if all or any of the blocks were on the back side of the figure. I would think that it was just an odd-shaped figure. So I would put the correct number of visible blocks. Many times, though, I was supposed to recognize it as being a rectangular prism and assume all of the squares were filled in on the backside. I was basically told that I was the only one in the class struggling with this concept and that I was smart and should be able to understand. Other problem areas in math included negative numbers and, for a brief period, fractions. I guess I turned out okay though in math without a firm grasp on the abstractness of these concepts because I made a 5 on the AP Calculus AB exam in high school...

I still have a lot of trouble with spoken instruction and often forget steps, which leads to trouble. I also have trouble following lecture-style classes which causes me to lose points in participation during almost every class of every semester and I earn disdain from professors for not inputting my thoughts because my thoughts on particular matters "would have added so much to the class."

 

[wanderer03]

My ASD gets me into trouble in two distinct areas: executive functioning and socialization in the workplace. I'm rather scattered and disorganized and, no matter how hard I try, I cannot figure out the unwritten rules and social dynamics in the workplace. So, I tend not to last too long at a job being told the following line, "You just don't fit in!" I used to sulk over that, now I get passive aggressive. What the *bleep* does that mean? I get the job done, isn't that the bottom line?

 

[ancusmitis]

I thought of a new one just today. I live in Tennessee, so some people don't understand that even if your dad is cool with it, you're still not allowed to bring a gun to school. So after a few times when people did this, we were required to always have our pockets visible. No oversize shirts and no jackets. Both of these things were basically all I would wear and I would not, under any circumstances, consent to stop. I was out of the punishment sphere by this point, so their response was basically that I didn't have to--I mean, I wasn't allowed to go to class. Definitely ruined my day, lol. Clear backpacks was another thing I refused to comply with. I was punished, but could not be moved. After my experiences in elementary school, these administrative jerkoffs could not frighten me.

 

[Geoo98]

My graphics teacher at college used to shout at me a lot so I dropped the class because I couldn't handle it. She often gave vague instructions so at the start of the year my anxiety meant I couldn't ask questions so I had to just assume what I was supposed to do but I got in trouble a few times for it. After a while I started asking questions when I was unsure, and she had a go at me for 'not listening'. I hated that class, I got in trouble literally ever lesson.

Also my dad loses his temper with me quite a lot. I try to talk when something's bothering me but it's like I have a certain reaction I want in my head (I don't know what it is but I know that my dads reaction of advice, the advice doesn't fit my situation so I tell him) and then he gets angry saying I'm too difficult and I always just want to argue.

 

[Cerulean]

It's about to. It'll too loud at work and I'm too anxious to do anything so I'm just sitting here. Only a matter of time before someone notices.

 

[wanderer03]

I'd love to have a few Zombies to take my frustration on.

Seriously, yes, I get in trouble.

 

[NovaScotia Aspie]

I used to say inappropriate things that may have been honest and truthful but still should have been left unsaid . I was also pretty naive in the past not realizing that negative comments made about someone in the workplace will get back to the individual. So , I would say I am much more quieter now and usually don't speak before analyzing what kind of reaction I might receive about something I say .

 

[OrSomething]

I sometimes get in trouble for having meltdowns in school. I also remember one time when I said something rude without knowing it was rude.