Have you ever gotten the "Oh, everyone is somewhere on the spectrum?

[Pats]

But then my sister has a mind of her own - I don't think it's on any spectrum including neurotypical.

I've read so much on autism and aspergers. In doing so I've read some interesting articles about the brain differences. I especially liked an article I read about how the neurons firing and sending messages to the wrong places, which is why we easily perceive things as a threat whether it is or not and that we are slower to calm down once the threat is gone.

I've even shown my sister images I've pulled up off the internet comparing the brain's functions and explained why medication can not fix it. (She was also one who suggested medication). But I've had the everyone is somewhere on the spectrum more than once. Sure, everyone may get a bit stressed meeting new people, but that does not put them on the spectrum.

But I also realize I've always been really good at hiding me, so it's partially my own fault when people didn't believe me. My work twice made me go to a specialist before if I wanted to keep my job. I didn't understand why and really wasn't given a specific reason but both times the therapist thought I was amazing and said I was absolutely fine. Shoot, a therapist or whatever who had been watching through a 2 way mirror had to come out to shake my hand once because she was so impressed with all my answers. lol But about 7 years ago I was given this GAF test along with a psych eval - that I had never had before. My score was 50 and showed 'severe' difficulty in social and occupational functioning.

I always knew I wore masks and was always desperately trying to keep anyone from finding out - just didn't exactly know what it was I didn't want anyone to find out. But I was good enough to even keep specialists from seeing it. Actually I once was put on an antianxiety and was told I would also need to see a therapist on a regular basis. I told the psychiatrist that was fine but I knew I would not be telling anything that really was bothering me so he said I didn't have to go and kept me on the medicine. (I never did take a full dose and took myself off because I didn't like the side effects if I forgot to take one).

Anyway, I do wish more people knew more.

 

[Nervous Rex]

Yes. And I think, "And yet you fit in perfectly with your group of friends and come to me for math help."

"Oh, everyone has some OCD traits" - I've heard people with real OCD complain that straightening pictures on the wall and calling it OCD isn't the same as compulsively repeating a behavior that you wish you could stop.

"Oh, everyone is addicted to something" - I've heard recovering alcoholics and drug addicts complain that having a bad habit isn't the same as an addiction.

I think it's those people's way of trying to relate, trying to find something common between their experiences and yours. But I do wish that "everyone has" didn't sound so dismissive.

 

[LearnedCoward]

"Oh, everyone has some OCD traits" - I've heard people with real OCD complain that straightening pictures on the wall and calling it OCD isn't the same as compulsively repeating a behavior that you wish you could stop.

I don't have OCD, but I have some real OCD traits. Ironically, one of the strongest of these is my refusal to clean. I have a fear that if I touch something or another, something bad will happen to someone or something completely unrelated. This isn't a fear that I'll throw out something I might need, but "magical thinking"... like, thinking if I clean out a certain kitchen cabinet my dad (who lives 1500 miles away) will have a heart attack. Step on a crack, break your mother's back, but for real.

I also am not a neat and tidy person at all. Wanting to keep things clean is a lot different than thinking everything must be clean or else some inexplicable dreadful thing will happen. From what I understand, wanting to keep things neat and clean for the sake of cleanliness is Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder, which is separate from OCD, but I'm not sure. Maybe someone with OCD can explain this better.

"Oh, everyone is addicted to something" - I've heard recovering alcoholics and drug addicts complain that having a bad habit isn't the same as an addiction.

This. I've had many bad habits, but never an addiction, let alone a chemical dependency. Even my autistic obsessions are not addictions.

I think it's those people's way of trying to relate, trying to find something common between their experiences and yours. But I do wish that "everyone has" didn't sound so dismissive.

Sometimes they're trying to find common ground, but other times people have been deliberately dismissive. I have even been told that "everyone has something", which even if it were technically true (it isn't), comparing my autism to someone else's gastric reflux is not a fair comparison.

I have things people don't even know exist, such as faceblindness, synaesthesia, location blindness, dysgraphia, etc. If you think "everyone is on the spectrum" or "everyone has something", that's fine, but if I start talking about things you've never heard of, you should admit to yourself that my life experiences are different than yours.

 

[Pats]

I don't have OCD, but I have some real OCD traits. Ironically, one of the strongest of these is my refusal to clean. I have a fear that if I touch something or another, something bad will happen to someone or something completely unrelated. This isn't a fear that I'll throw out something I might need, but "magical thinking"... like, thinking if I clean out a certain kitchen cabinet my dad (who lives 1500 miles away) will have a heart attack. Step on a crack, break your mother's back, but for real.

I also am not a neat and tidy person at all. Wanting to keep things clean is a lot different than thinking everything must be clean or else some inexplicable dreadful thing will happen. From what I understand, wanting to keep things neat and clean for the sake of cleanliness is Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder, which is separate from OCD, but I'm not sure. Maybe someone with OCD can explain this better.



This. I've had many bad habits, but never an addiction, let alone a chemical dependency. Even my autistic obsessions are not addictions.



Sometimes they're trying to find common ground, but other times people have been deliberately dismissive. I have even been told that "everyone has something", which even if it were technically true (it isn't), comparing my autism to someone else's gastric reflux is not a fair comparison.

I have things people don't even know exist, such as faceblindness, synaesthesia, location blindness, dysgraphia, etc. If you think "everyone is on the spectrum" or "everyone has something", that's fine, but if I start talking about things you've never heard of, you should admit to yourself that my life experiences are different than yours.

I had not heard of the synaesthesia. I looked it up and that's interesting. Probably explains why you associate certain items with harmful consequences for someone else?

 

[LearnedCoward]

I had not heard of the synaesthesia. I looked it up and that's interesting. Probably explains why you associate certain items with harmful consequences for someone else?

Not really, but it does explain my perfect pitch.

 

[Tom]

I have heard some things along that line applied to certain countries, such as 'Everyone in Finland has Aspergers'.

 

[OkRad]

I don't have OCD, but I have some real OCD traits. Ironically, one of the strongest of these is my refusal to clean. I have a fear that if I touch something or another, something bad will happen to someone or something completely unrelated. This isn't a fear that I'll throw out something I might need, but "magical thinking"... like, thinking if I clean out a certain kitchen cabinet my dad (who lives 1500 miles away) will have a heart attack. Step on a crack, break your mother's back, but for real.

I also am not a neat and tidy person at all. Wanting to keep things clean is a lot different than thinking everything must be clean or else some inexplicable dreadful thing will happen. From what I understand, wanting to keep things neat and clean for the sake of cleanliness is Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder, which is separate from OCD, but I'm not sure. Maybe someone with OCD can explain this better.



This. I've had many bad habits, but never an addiction, let alone a chemical dependency. Even my autistic obsessions are not addictions.



Sometimes they're trying to find common ground, but other times people have been deliberately dismissive. I have even been told that "everyone has something", which even if it were technically true (it isn't), comparing my autism to someone else's gastric reflux is not a fair comparison.

I have things people don't even know exist, such as faceblindness, synaesthesia, location blindness, dysgraphia, etc. If you think "everyone is on the spectrum" or "everyone has something", that's fine, but if I start talking about things you've never heard of, you should admit to yourself that my life experiences are different than yours.

Cool. I have prosopagnosia, too. It's very weird, eh? I kind of like it, actually. It helps me to block things out. Do you get lost a lot, too? That often goes along with it.

You have many of my same traits. Have you ever been karyotyped? Can you describe your synesthesia? I have a theory that Homer had it. I don't have it, but I think he did!

 

[tducey]

I've heard it as well, mainly I've heard everyone shows some Autistic characteristics from time to time.

 

[Suzanne]

told I would also need to see a therapist on a regular basis. I told the psychiatrist that was fine but I knew I would not be telling anything that really was bothering me so he said I didn't have to go and kept me on the medicine. (I never did take a full dose and took myself off because I didn't like the side effects if I forgot to take one).

Exactly what took place with me.

I have the horrid job of seeing him next week and feel it is going to go badly, because he is not going to like that I just stopped taking them. But, sincerely hope hubby will be on my side with this visit, as he is sick and tired of my anger issues.

 

[Suzanne]

And to continue... yes, I have had it said to me that everyone is a bit autistic and: why not take some medicine for it?

It is all to do with preconceived ideas and we are all guilty of preconceived ideas.

 

[LearnedCoward]

Do you get lost a lot, too? That often goes along with it.

Oh yes. Most certainly. That's what I meant by place-blindness earlier.

I don't enjoy that at all.

Have you ever been karyotyped?

Nope.

Can you describe your synesthesia?

I see color when I hear music. Subconsciously, though. I don't have to think about what color it is, it just appears. The colors don't make much sense though.

This is admittedly weaker for me now than it used to be. I used to have very strong synaesthesia when I was a child, but it's tapered off starting in my teen years. I used to see letters as colors and numbers as shapes as well.

 

[Drakanav]

I went to the dentist last year in November, and he said that to me.
It makes me feel like I should be ashamed for saying I'm autistic. I have no right to say that I am because "everyone" is somewhere on the spectrum.

 

[AO1501]

A work colleague last Christmas said that she thought that really, everyone had a little bit of autism in them. She knows I am on the spectrum, and it was, I suppose, an attempt to make me think I'm not really any different from everyone else, when clearly I am.

I think she was trying to say that everyone seems weird to other people sometimes, which is undoubtedly true, but rather misses the point.

I was quite shocked to hear her say this, but I told her that I wished it were true, because if it were, the world would run far more smoothly and rationally, and workplaces like ours would be far better managed and organised if everyone had just a tiny bit of the same kind of autism that I have.

I think she might have thought that was me being arrogant.

 

[Sashiengland]

I've gotten the "I think everybody has a little autism in them" too. Maybe the person is trying to make me feel better. If that was their intent, they did not succeed. I want to respond with, "If I told you I had asthma too, do you and everybody else has some of that too"?