Hi

[aladdinsane]

I recently got an informal diagnosis of A.S.D through a psychiatrist.turns out i am autistic..not mentally ill.funny that,isnt it? Meltdowns,shutdowns and then burnout.not that i knew what the problem was.I am still very confused...researching the last two years and going over my life has helped but i do not know any other aspergers people.my cousin is "level 2" or whatever. i will be meeting him soon but i dont know if i could really relate to him.but at least he wont mind if i talk at him and vice versa.i joined here to see if i could learn more,because i dont know that much in the grand scheme of things...i am somewhat shy and "mask" or whatever without realising it.i dont want to anymore.makes me depressed.makes me angry too.cannot be myself with anyone i know other than a lady with a four year old autistic son.i am 35 so...lol.my name is patrick.this is all new to me.noone knew what it was in the 90's,and i hid it from a very early age.i am on two seperate waiting lists for diagnosis.one through the mental health system(i have mixed anxiety/depression.i am sure thats hardly uncommon) and one through autism ireland...very expensive.anyway thats enough about me.

 

[Magna]

Welcome. I'm assuming you're a Bowie fan. Cool if that's the case...

Also, when you meet your "level 2" cousin, in my opinion there will be a good chance that you'll feel some sort of bond with him on a sort of metaphysical level. I feel that with every fellow autistic person I know and that includes those that were diagnosed as "level 2" as well as the few I've known who are somewhere between "level 2" and "level 3". I feel as though it's being on a different wavelength of sorts than NTs. It's a different (better, more comfortable) feeling.

 

[Gift2humanity]

I recently got an informal diagnosis of A.S.D through a psychiatrist.turns out i am autistic..not mentally ill.funny that,isnt it? Meltdowns,shutdowns and then burnout.not that i knew what the problem was.I am still very confused...researching the last two years and going over my life has helped but i do not know any other aspergers people.my cousin is "level 2" or whatever. i will be meeting him soon but i dont know if i could really relate to him.but at least he wont mind if i talk at him and vice versa.i joined here to see if i could learn more,because i dont know that much in the grand scheme of things...i am somewhat shy and "mask" or whatever without realising it.i dont want to anymore.makes me depressed.makes me angry too.cannot be myself with anyone i know other than a lady with a four year old autistic son.i am 35 so...lol.my name is patrick.this is all new to me.noone knew what it was in the 90's,and i hid it from a very early age.i am on two seperate waiting lists for diagnosis.one through the mental health system(i have mixed anxiety/depression.i am sure thats hardly uncommon) and one through autism ireland...very expensive.anyway thats enough about me.

Welcome aboard.
It's a nice place here.
I hope you enjoy it and get a lot out of it.

 

[Rodafina]

Hello and welcome. I bet you can learn alot here! I certainly have.

 

[madisen622]

welcome to the forum!
hopefully you can get your diagnosis soon, i understand the confusing aspect of it. i had no idea what i did growing up wasn't considered "normal" to society until about a year or two ago. my psychiatrist looked at my mom during the session and said "how did no one know she had autism?" it makes me laugh still remembering it.

 

[aladdinsane]

Welcome. I'm assuming you're a Bowie fan. Cool if that's the case...

Also, when you meet your "level 2" cousin, in my opinion there will be a good chance that you'll feel some sort of bond with him on a sort of metaphysical level. I feel that with every fellow autistic person I know and that includes those that were diagnosed as "level 2" as well as the few I've known who are somewhere between "level 2" and "level 3". I feel as though it's being on a different wavelength of sorts than NTs. It's a different (better, more comfortable) feeling.

Thank you for your kind words.yes i am a big bowie fan.loving the alien is my favourite. I think you are right about my cousin.ive met him before i realised i was autistic,but only for a few moments at a time(he is well protected)i liked him and he liked me.that was maybe 8 years ago and he was a teenager.(i also dated an american girl with a level 2 son and bonded with him for the 3 weeks i was there..again lol no clue i was the same.)i look forward to it.and also learning more here and through the assessment(which is mostly for my family and also for school.left when i was 14).i am still a little bit afraid to reveal too much on here...but i dont think i will be judged for speaking my mind or saying alot.i read fast and type fast.faster than most people i know(which kind of irks them lol).ive alot to say because i rarely get to speak.again thank you for your kindness.

 

[aladdinsane]

Welcome aboard.
It's a nice place here.
I hope you enjoy it and get a lot out of it.

Thank you!

 

[aladdinsane]

welcome to the forum!
hopefully you can get your diagnosis soon, i understand the confusing aspect of it. i had no idea what i did growing up wasn't considered "normal" to society until about a year or two ago. my psychiatrist looked at my mom during the session and said "how did no one know she had autism?" it makes me laugh still remembering it.

The ads are making it hard to see what i am typing! But that made me laugh.my own psychiatrist had no idea i had autism.none of them that i ever had.they told me after 4 hours with them(i was in distress after having not slept for 2 days) that they agree i have it but cannot tell where i am on the spectrum.also that everyone is on it to some degree,which is fascinating.guess i mask too damn well for my own good.no time like the present.

 

[madisen622]

The ads are making it hard to see what i am typing! But that made me laugh.my own psychiatrist had no idea i had autism.none of them that i ever had.they told me after 4 hours with them(i was in distress after having not slept for 2 days) that they agree i have it but cannot tell where i am on the spectrum.also that everyone is on it to some degree,which is fascinating.guess i mask too damn well for my own good.no time like the present.

haha, i understand. those pesky ads!
wow, really? that's interesting. i know the psychiatrist is the professional here, but i can say confidently the statement "everyone is on it to some degree" is offensive (i know not everyone may agree however i think it is). that statement feels belittling and invalidating, almost saying "it's not a big deal. you're fine. this is normal, everyone goes through this." i don't want to turn this into a debate i apologize, but i felt like it needed to be said.

 

[tree]

 

[aladdinsane]

haha, i understand. those pesky ads!
wow, really? that's interesting. i know the psychiatrist is the professional here, but i can say confidently the statement "everyone is on it to some degree" is offensive (i know not everyone may agree however i think it is). that statement feels belittling and invalidating, almost saying "it's not a big deal. you're fine. this is normal, everyone goes through this." i don't want to turn this into a debate i apologize, but i felt like it needed to be said.

Well,we are human after all? I dont personally mind the idea.its almost comforting.they were not saying that everyone has actual autism but just that everyone has a certain amount of "traits" or "symptoms" i find it comforting i guess but i havent a clue really.very ignorant of the facts.maybe you could enlighten me? (Also they are not experts.they cannot diagnose autism.thats up to the psychologists..at least in ireland anyway)its still in its infancy here.but i may just change my mind haha.just dont want to be alone..so..its comforting to think its more prevalent than it actually is.

 

[aladdinsane]

View attachment 96198

Thanks!

 

[madisen622]

Well,we are human after all? I dont personally mind the idea.its almost comforting.they were not saying that everyone has actual autism but just that everyone has a certain amount of "traits" or "symptoms" i find it comforting i guess but i havent a clue really.very ignorant of the facts.maybe you could enlighten me? (Also they are not experts.they cannot diagnose autism.thats up to the psychologists..at least in ireland anyway)its still in its infancy here.but i may just change my mind haha.just dont want to be alone..so..its comforting to think its more prevalent than it actually is.

yes, i do understand where you're coming from. it is okay not to agree with me i just feel like the statement is invalidating personally, i heard it a lot from family members and old friends when i told them i had a suspicion i may have autism. everyone ive ever heard that phrase from around me said it in a snooty way, it always went "you have a diagnosis? well everyone is a little bit autistic" or "but you seem so normal everyone's a bit autistic in a way." ive only gotten a negative connotation around the phrase so i apologize.

 

[330]

@madisen622

I have heard that phrase before “everyone has Autism”

And when it is mentioned to me , I ask them can you explain to me what Autism is ?
Well they can’t , so I ask how can you claim every single person has something you can’t even explain .
And I try to explain just because one has an opinion it does not make it fact or true.

I have no clue how or why that misinformation phrase came to be

 

[aladdinsane]

yes, i do understand where you're coming from. it is okay not to agree with me i just feel like the statement is invalidating personally, i heard it a lot from family members and old friends when i told them i had a suspicion i may have autism. everyone ive ever heard that phrase from around me said it in a snooty way, it always went "you have a diagnosis? well everyone is a little bit autistic" or "but you seem so normal everyone's a bit autistic in a way." ive only gotten a negative connotation around the phrase so i apologize.

Dont be sorry.That was my experience for a while as well actually.and also people comparing me to people who cannot or do not know how to mask their traits.so i got alot of " you dont look or act autistic" and "but you werent that way before,why all of a sudden are you this way now?"(i forced myself not to stim or enjoy my interests out of fear of being judged and masked 24/7 even alone until it became voilent and not enjoyable) its just ignorance and i myself am also ignorant for the most part.i did try forcing my family to understand lol..but yeah in the end they accepted it when i got the informal diagnosis.discrimination is still prevalent sadly.i personally think the more introverted you are,the more traits you have.but! It doesnt mean you are actually autistic.but again i have not spoken to an expert in autism just yet.maybe they will have a difference of opinion and educate me on the reality of it.google is useful but not a great teacher all the same,which is why i am so interested in speaking to fellow aspies or autists lol..whatever the affectionate term is.i am as ignorant as a child as socrates was wont to say haha again i would love to hear your opinions in great detail..might change my view?

 

[aladdinsane]

@madisen622

I have heard that phrase before “everyone has Autism”

And when it is mentioned to me , I ask them can explain to me what Autism is ?
Well they can’t , so I ask how can you claim every single person has something you can’t even explain .
And I try to explain just because one has an opinion it does not make it fact or true.

I have no clue how or why that misinformation phrase came to be

So we are alien to everyone else? Feels lonely to think of it that way.but i am ignorant of the facts and willing to listen all the same

 

[madisen622]

@madisen622

I have heard that phrase before “everyone has Autism”

And when it is mentioned to me , I ask them can explain to me what Autism is ?
Well they can’t , so I ask how can you claim every single person has something you can’t even explain .
And I try to explain just because one has an opinion it does not make it fact or true.

I have no clue how or why that misinformation phrase came to be

oh goodness, people are so uneducated about autism it baffles me.
why say something you can't back up the reasoning with, at a logical standpoint it makes zero sense.

i have no clue how it formed either, i wish instead of people using it to invalidate our struggles they took the time to research and understand what autism is and how it affects the specific individual. it makes me so irritated.

 

[aladdinsane]

oh goodness, people are so uneducated about autism it baffles me.
why say something you can't back up the reasoning with, at a logical standpoint it makes zero sense.

i have no clue how it formed either, i wish instead of people using it to invalidate our struggles they took the time to research and understand what autism is and how it affects the specific individual. it makes

oh goodness, people are so uneducated about autism it baffles me.
why say something you can't back up the reasoning with, at a logical standpoint it makes zero sense.

i have no clue how it formed either, i wish instead of people using it to invalidate our struggles they took the time to research and understand what autism is and how it affects the specific individual. it makes me so irritated.

Ive alot to learn

 

[aladdinsane]

Did you all know the facts before discovering the truth if it? I am very confused.and feel a bit foolish.

 

[aladdinsane]

Can anyone link me good articles on what autism is and isnt.the ones i used were mainly surface level stuff and obviously alot of opinion pieces.ive been mislead it would seem