If you could remove one fragment of Asd what would it be?

[The Penguin]

Nothing. Instead, I would prefer people to be more accepting me for who I'm.

 

[Ambi]

I want to cheat and list 2 things - executive functioning issues AND social issues. But.....if I had to choose, the executive functioning issues. I have tried to address the social things however I can, but the exhaustion and stress from being overwhelmed by executive functioning issues prevent me from being able to utilize what social skills I've developed very successfully. I'm just either not pleasant to be around or I'm spacey - I'm not myself, and that also keeps me from giving an authentic impression and forming authentic conversations/bonds, etc. It would be really nice to know what work I can do and really be able to do it too - the employment issues are serious.

 

[Streetwise]

I want to cheat and list 2 things - executive functioning issues AND social issues. But.....if I had to choose, the executive functioning issues. I have tried to address the social things however I can, but the exhaustion and stress from being overwhelmed by executive functioning issues prevent me from being able to utilize what social skills I've developed very successfully. I'm just either not pleasant to be around or I'm spacey - I'm not myself, and that also keeps me from giving an authentic impression and forming authentic conversations/bonds, etc. It would be really nice to know what work I can do and really be able to do it too - the employment issues are serious.

I'D SAY WHAT YOU FIND YOU ARE NATURALLY VERY GOOD AT AND DONT PRETEND TO BE NEUROTYPICAL
I TRIED FOR YEARS AND IM ALMOST A HERMIT NOW
HAVE THE COURAGE TO STICK AT WHAT YOU WANT TO DO !THERE ARE VERY FAMOUS PEOPLE WHO HAVE PAID THE PRICE FOR DUTY OR MAYBE COWARDICE .

I WAS ONE OF THEM IT CRUSHED MY PRIDE A LITTLE .

ESPECIALLY IF NTs STRESS YOU EASILY

 

[Ambi]

I'D SAY WHAT YOU FIND YOU ARE NATURALLY VERY GOOD AT AND DONT PRETEND TO BE NEUROTYPICAL
I TRIED FOR YEARS AND IM ALMOST A HERMIT NOW
HAVE THE COURAGE TO STICK AT WHAT YOU WANT TO DO !THERE ARE VERY FAMOUS PEOPLE WHO HAVE PAID THE PRICE FOR DUTY OR MAYBE COWARDICE .

I WAS ONE OF THEM IT CRUSHED MY PRIDE A LITTLE .

ESPECIALLY IF NTs STRESS YOU EASILY

Thank you for your advice, I highly value it! I've been trying very hard to be NT, and I have finally burned out - to a concerning degree, though I have started feeling somewhat better. But I wonder if I'd be more balanced now if I hadn't worn myself out before trying to be NT. I'm going to keep your advice in mind particularly now, as I've got some serious job choices to make.

 

[Streetwise]

Very much so, yes. It makes me feel like I'm just lazy. No professional has ever really told me if what I experience in that regard is an autistic feature or not. I just feel like what some people say about me is true. That I am just lazy. Or even worse I'm trying to use a symptom of autism to cover up the fact I'm lazy. It's hard. It's just hard.



Nice idea but I'm not always going to have the money to afford to do that sort of thing. Besides it would feel like I'm a failure at carrying out things that makes someone an adult.

does anyone help you with the things you find difficult
I now understand why my mother was always stressed.
Try not doing one escapist thing and do something else
you have learning difficulties it's just typical of autism
I can guarantee you won't be lovely if you're autistic

 

[Streetwise]

does anyone help you with the things you find difficult
I now understand why my mother was always stressed.
Try not doing one escapist thing and do something else
you have learning difficulties it's just typical of autism
I can guarantee you won't be lovely if you're autistic

God I hate my phone I meant Lizzy instead of lovely

 

[Streetwise]

God I hate my phone I meant Lizzy instead of lovely

I really hate my phone i meant lazy

 

[Ambi]

I'D SAY WHAT YOU FIND YOU ARE NATURALLY VERY GOOD AT AND DONT PRETEND TO BE NEUROTYPICAL
I TRIED FOR YEARS AND IM ALMOST A HERMIT NOW
HAVE THE COURAGE TO STICK AT WHAT YOU WANT TO DO !THERE ARE VERY FAMOUS PEOPLE WHO HAVE PAID THE PRICE FOR DUTY OR MAYBE COWARDICE .

I WAS ONE OF THEM IT CRUSHED MY PRIDE A LITTLE .

ESPECIALLY IF NTs STRESS YOU EASILY

Actually, I've been thinking about this....and I think I had it wrong, possible (though it's kind of like which can first, the chicken or the egg), but I actually had limited executive function issues the less I had to confront the social aspect - as I wound up having to deal with and attempting to address more and more complex social issues, that's when my executive functioning seemed to be more severely affected. So....that's something for me to keep in mind as well, as far as not faking it goes.

 

[shinkansen]

the ADD [inattentive subtype ADHD] part of my AS.

I agree with you there. I have ADHD (combined type). Often been aware of poor attention, hyperactiveness and impulsive behaviour.

But it was my ADHD doctor who also spotted the autism symptoms. He referred me to his colleagues and I was later diagnosed with ASD.

I think my ADHD can be more noticeable, though prescribed slow release methylphenidate helps. ADHD feels like something which I have to keep under control. ASD is my inner logical, ordered self. It does need to be controlled. It's just there.

 

[jbalka]

I don't know if this is ASD related, but the inability to handle stress/emotions. It seems like I can't easily tease apart what's bothering me, so I just crash and cry and lash out at everyone. I suppose also, the inability to handle change well. The two things together are a bit of problem right now, as my husband's postdoc contract is up and he's looking for a new job, but we have no idea when/where we'll be moving! I know that's stressful for lots of people, but I seem to be crashing and burning from it....

 

[umbrellabeach]

It'd be nice to not have auditory processing problems. Aside from it making work just plain difficult, sometimes I get teased for it too.

 

[abby normal]

I agree with you there. I have ADHD (combined type). Often been aware of poor attention, hyperactiveness and impulsive behaviour.

But it was my ADHD doctor who also spotted the autism symptoms. He referred me to his colleagues and I was later diagnosed with ASD.

I think my ADHD can be more noticeable, though prescribed slow release methylphenidate helps. ADHD feels like something which I have to keep under control. ASD is my inner logical, ordered self. It does need to be controlled. It's just there.

in my experience, a medium dose of Strattera seemed to hit the sweet spot, at least while joe insurance was willing to cover the expensive [$20/capsule] drug- for the first time in my life I felt subjectively "normal" in terms of being both relaxed, deliberative and alert, above all alert while still relaxed. that was novel.

 

[FreakyZettairyouiki]

Not sure if it's possible. One thing influences the other...

Agreed. Even if I didn't have ASD, the environment or other conditions I grew up with didn't exactly help me or my sister develop the best self esteem. In a perfect world, my area, or even my life, would've been so different.

 

[WereBear]

We feel everything more, and that includes stress.

But if someone came to me and said, "We're going to turn down the volume on your feelings" I would feel like someone who had their heart amputated... I suffered with grief for months when I was widowed and the only way I got through it was by waking up my frozen emotions.

I can't live like that. It's torment.

 

[Grenade]

I just got diagnosed five days ago! The diagnosis I'll keep. It explains so much! I'll also keep my writing skills and ceramic clay skills. I could give up my sensory overload times. I seriously cannot do more than one thing at a time and get so easily frustrated and frantic all of the time! I don't mind the clumsiness so much or even my total lack of sense of direction. But I could give up the overload.

 

[Grenade]

. for me I missed a lot of grade school this effected my ability of putting paragraphs together. And not being able to put paragraphs together, effected my ability to but a thesis together in high school. I think if I work on what I missed growing up, then maybe speaking in public would be easier for me. I never really communicated when I was younger and my mother never expressed her feelings for me nor did she speak to me too much growing up. This I feel effected my speech and social skills. Not that I am blaming my mom entirely, because she may of did her best, and that I was probably just autistic from birth.[/QUOTE]

I have a BA in English and I find it difficult to communicate verbally. I'm much better on paper (or computer). Having time to process is what makes it easier for me to communicate by writing.

 

[Misery]

The bit where I tend to be scared of and/or paranoid about basically everything.

There are some fears that I've somewhat gotten over (storms, mostly) but there's a bazillion others to replace that.

And then there's the bits that dont make sense, where it's something that seems like it should somehow be scary, but it isnt.

Creepy/spooky stuff/places, for instance? Tend to be pretty comfortable around/in such things. Attracted to it rather than scared away.

Or driving, which is just about the most dangerous thing that people do on a day-by-day basis.... totally good with that. It's the thing that perhaps SHOULD be scary, but isnt. Sometimes I drive around a bunch for the heck of it. Even in hazardous conditions (sometimes REALLY hazardous, though I never go out in that on purpose) I tend to not be bothered. Worst time was when I went home from the lake house to the main house, normally a 2 hour trip.... and got caught in the single worst blizzard I've ever seen. I was the only thing on the road... which is to say, there were plenty of others that had shot OFF of the road, I passed by so many cars that were wedged in snow and such (these are broken-down country roads, you see, and they were covered in ice and snow). Also bounced off of guard railings a couple of times, and it would have been utterly impossible to turn around and go back... so I just went and did it. It took freaking forever, but I got home and was pretty pleased with myself, and I didnt get scared or overwhelmed. All of this even though I've been in a couple of crashes (one of which pretty much destroyed the car I had at the time, though I wasnt hurt, but that car sure was freaking dead). But that never kept me away either.

I'm totally fine with exploring new places, too, as long as it's not in an urban setting.

But then there's all the stuff that IS scary. Needles, for instance. Dentistry (yeah, good luck getting me to go to a dentist at all), phone calls, heavy objects (no I dont know why), overly crowded areas, new foods, anything health related even if it's exceedingly minor, urban areas of any sort, and alot of stuff that most people would never consider scary for any reason. It can be a bit embarrassing and also tends to just not make a bit of sense, but I cant control that fear of stuff really. It also means that sheer paranoia will often keep me from participating in activities with anyone (and people then dont understand why, because they cant see anything scary about it). I hate it. Really wish the fear/paranoia could be gotten rid of, but I know it aint happening.