It's been two years since I was diagnosed as autistic and since I joined this forum.
I'd like to think I'm settling down into accepting it and working with it. I've gotten past the compulsively-tell-everyone-about-it phase and can now do it on a need-to-know basis only. I'm getting better at finding ways to work around my severe-lack-of-focus times and getting better at getting enough sleep so it happens less. I'm not embarrassed to stim anymore.
But I swear ... I still think that everyone who has the slightest little quirk must be on the spectrum, too.
I try to be aware of it and keep it to myself. It's now a running joke between me and my wife: "Did you hear what X said?" "Yeah, he's on the spectrum."
We laugh, but in the back of my mind, I'm concerned about the trend. I can't be right about everyone I think that about. So, how do I get rid of this thought pattern?
I'm guessing that, since autism is now a familiar context for me, it's easy to frame my observations of others in that context. Maybe I need to study a few other forms of neurodiversity or read up on some other common psychological topics, just to break the autism-as-first-choice reflex.
Or will this eventually settle down, too?
I'd like to think I'm settling down into accepting it and working with it. I've gotten past the compulsively-tell-everyone-about-it phase and can now do it on a need-to-know basis only. I'm getting better at finding ways to work around my severe-lack-of-focus times and getting better at getting enough sleep so it happens less. I'm not embarrassed to stim anymore.
But I swear ... I still think that everyone who has the slightest little quirk must be on the spectrum, too.
I try to be aware of it and keep it to myself. It's now a running joke between me and my wife: "Did you hear what X said?" "Yeah, he's on the spectrum."
We laugh, but in the back of my mind, I'm concerned about the trend. I can't be right about everyone I think that about. So, how do I get rid of this thought pattern?
I'm guessing that, since autism is now a familiar context for me, it's easy to frame my observations of others in that context. Maybe I need to study a few other forms of neurodiversity or read up on some other common psychological topics, just to break the autism-as-first-choice reflex.
Or will this eventually settle down, too?