Reasonably speaking, is there any hope for a cure?

[tducey]

For me Autism is who I am, I choose to celebrate it rather than wanting it to be cured.

 

[Pats]

And yet, now that I wear the badge of autism,

You know - maybe you're not autistic. Doctors do make mistakes. If you enjoyed life and being around people and laughing and making other people laugh and all those things that life has to give - then drop the badge and go back to being what you were before. You're still that person and if people liked you before you started hating yourself, they will like you now.

 

[StopDiagnosingPeople]

Let me just go back to my central point: If you can be on the spectrum and somehow find meaning or happiness in your life, more power to you and to each their own. That's great. I'm glad you can.


Some of us only manage to get through the day knowing there's a chance this might change. Not you? Great. Just great And if the cure comes, I would never force it on you.

 

[Pats]

I don't know if autistics, myself included, can feel love. I feel something that seems like love, but I can't really ever be sure that it's not just some kind of learned cognition. There are different things autism effects in different people. Hence, I can't say if any one person can feel love, but it's worth being concerned about.

Yes, people with autism can love. I'm a mom. Trust me. No one can love any more than the love a parent has for their child. Everyone in the world is looking for love and no one really knows exactly what it is.

 

[StopDiagnosingPeople]

This person would not be neurotypical, they would just be very unautistic.

Neurotypical is a horrible word. There's really no such thing as fully typical neuropathy. People with parkinson's sure are not neurotypical. I also find it kind of insulting to autistics.

There is little evidence to say that autism is caused by nephropathy that is inherently atypical to any degree greater than all kinds of other things.

Put an autistic, someone with Parkinson's, a person with advanced Alzheimers in a room and guess who has the most "typical" neuropathy.

Autistic brains behave very much like anyone elses, with some small differences, but they're not massive macroscopic differences. So much so that even an FMRI can't diagnose autism with absolute 100% certainty.

Neurotypical is just the worst word.

 

[Ylva]

Neurotypical is a horrible word. There's really no such thing as fully typical neuropathy. People with parkinson's sure are not neurotypical. I also find it kind of insulting to autistics.

There is little evidence to say that autism is caused by nephropathy that is inherently atypical to any degree greater than all kinds of other things.

Put an autistic, someone with Parkinson's, a person with advanced Alzheimers in a room and guess who has the most "typical" neuropathy.

Autistic brains behave very much like anyone elses, with some small differences, but they're not massive macroscopic differences. So much so that even an FMRI can't diagnose autism with absolute 100% certainty.

Neurotypical is just the worst word.

Oh, now you suddenly care what's insulting to autistics?

I'm starting to think that autism is not what you have.

 

[BrokenBoy]

A cure is impossible, for the reasons people have already stated in this thread, but nevertheless I relate to how you feel and I wish I could stop being autistic as well.

 

[StopDiagnosingPeople]

A cure is impossible, for the reasons people have already stated in this thread, but nevertheless I relate to how you feel and I wish I could stop being autistic as well.

Nobody gave any reason why it is impossible. If it takes disassembling the brain down to its neurons ndbuilding them back completely, then that's what it takes.

There's no reason you could not replace whole parts of the brain with stem cell cultures.

Hence, a cure is at least theoretically possible.


If it makes you a different person... GOOD. I'd want to retain most of my life memories and some of my traits, but only the ones not related to autism.

If you can put a microbe in there or start shifting cells round or using nanothreads to change how the brain connects you can do anything.


But none the less, if you feel that it is simply impossible, that is fatalism. That is giving up and then what? JUst a life you hate and never get to be who you want to be?

Any idea to cure it, no matter how far out is hope exists. It's not death sentence.

 

[Progster]

Neurotically did not make the world for them. The world just is. The world has many parts created by nature and most things were not built becaue some NT said "Lets build this building for neurotically" they built it because it was the most efficient way to put a structure together.

The world, including (sadly) most of nature, is dominated by human activity, and most of the buildings and facilities - the cities, supermarkets, transport and workplaces, cultural and social institutions (schools, churches, etc.), which we all need to use at some point as human beings - were not built with people with specific sensory needs in mind. Facilities designed and built by a majority for a majority. People with physical disabilities, until recent history, also had a lot difficulties navigating buildings and workplaces (and they still do).

ANd that's not what I want. I love people. I love to socialize. I want to make new friends. I love to see others laugh and make jokes that are seen as funny and I get credit for. I love parties. I love to dance. I am perfectly happy in Times Square.

Autism is not a barrier to these things. Some autistic people are hyposensitive and seek out sensory experiences of one kind or another. Some autistic people are extroverted, loving socialising and talking to people, have friends and a lot of sound and lights, etc. If you want to do these things, then do them. If you don't want to be judged for being autistic, then simply don't tell people. People might think that you're a bit different or strange, but they won't necessarily think you are autistic.

Autism robs you of a life. Yes. your heart keeps pumping blood, but you're already dead. You lack the full function of what a concious, feeling, connected, loving, aware being is. It's like you died the day you were born but your body has not gotten the message yet.

That's not how I feel about it, and it that is your attitude, that's how you feel, then yes you really did die the moment you were born. It's your attitude that is robbing you of life, not your autism. I hope that some day you will find peace with yourself. You don't need to love yourself as the cliche goes, just hate yourself a little less, enough for you to allow yourself to start living again.

 

[StopDiagnosingPeople]

Oh, now you suddenly care what's insulting to autistics?

I'm starting to think that autism is not what you have.

I am stating how I perceive it in my self and how much I hate it and can't live with it.

AS I have repeatedly saidL If you somehow can be the person you can accept and still have autism, more power to you.

If you have autism and don't see it as a curse that has ruined your life, I envy you. If you can keep it and be happy, please do that.

It is simply incompatible with who and what I seek to be. Incompatible with hope or happiness... but maybe not for you and others.

 

[StopDiagnosingPeople]

The world, including (sadly) most of nature, is dominated by human activity, and most of the buildings and facilities - the cities, supermarkets, transport and workplaces, cultural and social institutions (schools, churches, etc.), which we all need to use at some point as human beings - were not built with people with specific sensory needs in mind. Facilities designed and built by a majority for a majority. People with physical disabilities, until recent history, also had a lot difficulties navigating buildings and workplaces (and they still do).

Granted that's a problem for some people. Hardly relevant here. I've never had any navigation problems. I can drive to anywhere in the Northeast withouta map. I've never been lost in a building. I don't mind supermarkets or schools at all.

So I mean, yes, I am sorry for those who do. But that's just how buildings are. And if we spent huge amounts of money to give every building dim lighting, sound barriers and explicit arrows to point people around, that would just be extraordinary effort plasced on buildings that are structurally sound without that.

So yeah, I'm sorry for those who cann't deal with that. But that is not relevant to me. I can get myself from Grand Central Station to Downtown LAs Vegas via the subway, airtrain, airports, shuttles and then I can go past all the slot machines and calmly walk to my room.

Sensory has never been an issue. Sorry if it has for you.

 

[Progster]

Another thing that I would like to point out is that every person, whether autistic or not, has to accept some form of flaw or weakness in themself, has had failures or setbacks and has to mentally deal with these. Neurotypical people don't exaclty have perfect lives either, they have problems - often very serious problems such as depression or other mental health issues. Every person needs to deal with these - find peace/closure, accept that which happened and that these things are a part of life, and move on.

 

[Progster]

So I mean, yes, I am sorry for those who do. But that's just how buildings are. And if we spent huge amounts of money to give every building dim lighting, sound barriers and explicit arrows to point people around, that would just be extraordinary effort plasced on buildings that are structurally sound without that.

Builings don't necessarily have to be redesigned as they were for the physically disabled in many cases - that would be a big ask, I agree. What would work is if people were more accepting of the coping mechanisms that auitistic people often employ, such as wearing ear defenders, sunglasses or earplugs in the workplace, and not frown on them for being socially deviant. Or place autistic workers in an office in the corner, where there are fewer people to disturb/distract, etc. The biggest problem is not really the autism, but other people's attitude to social deviation.

So yeah, I'm sorry for those who cann't deal with that. But that is not relevant to me. I can get myself from Grand Central Station to Downtown LAs Vegas via the subway, airtrain, airports, shuttles and then I can go past all the slot machines and calmly walk to my room.

I can do these things too... with earplugs or with headphones, sunglasses and music. Autism is not a barrier to me, as I have ways of avoiding sensory overload when travelling. If I have a problem with something, I will find a way to fix it. Autism is not the problem, it's other people's attitude towards my coping mechanisms. Autism isn't what stops me doing things, but social anxiety/general anxiety and depression.

Sensory has never been an issue. Sorry if it has for you.

I'm genuinely pleased for you that you don't have these sensory issues.

 

[Kevin1968]

In life you have to play the hand you were dealt.

But it's more like Top Trumps than Poker, sure some people get all the good cards and some get really bad ones but most of us get an average hand which if played well will allow most us to be reasonably successful (definition of success varies too of course).

Concentrate on your strengths, and where you can use them to overcome your weaknesses.

For example, my brain allowed me to coast through maths in school, it also on reflection made English difficult. Others breezed through English but struggled with maths. At the time I didn't understand why and perhaps if I had I would have made more of effort studying the stuff I didn't like.

 

[Ylva]

AS I have repeatedly saidL If you somehow can be the person you can accept and still have autism, more power to you

Rings hollow after your ableist declarations about autistics.

 

[anacrusis]

I'm uncertain as to whether you're blaming autism itself, or having a diagnosis of autism. Autism comes with pros and cons, just as neurotypical-ness does - there would be very few in life who only had negative character traits and abilities, just as there will be very few who only have positive ones. I can't think of any in either category...

Calling your brain a "filthy autistic" one is troubling. You link autism with filth, and in doing that, label all of the rest of us in the same way, which is offensive and untrue. Autism does give us some difficulties in a predominantly neurotypical world, but most of that is to do with the way our society is structured, and the main effort I think we need to make is to educate that society, explain our differences and difficulties and ask for some understanding, rather than to rail against the autism. There will be a reason why our species has evolved so that some individuals have autistic traits and if we can ensure our environment is mostly set up so that we can make the best of those, we'll contribute and get some satisfaction from life.

If you're blaming having the diagnosis rather than the autism itself - and you have listed a whole lot of traits which are more neurotypical (though also ones we can learn and use to mask) - then using such language about autism is also not useful, you need to look again at the diagnosis.

Seeking to "get rid" of whatever the autistic side of your brain contains wouldn't automatically mean that you'd then be wired to function normally, it doesn't work like that - you'd just have some missing bits. And tinkering with genetics is perilously dangerous: the mere fact that there are as many of us as there are suggests that there may well be some genetic advantage to the autistic way of thinking. I stop short of calling it a gift or a superpower, I don't think it's either, but it's not all negative and the best use of your energy and anger would be in trying to work with it rather than ranting against it.

So yes, please go and get some help, and if you're really concerned that the diagnosis isn't the right one, ask for a review of that.

 

[Wolfnox]

Let me phrase it this way. It is possible to live a full life with autism. I hear what you are saying. But those things. Those feelings can be overcome or heightened. So you can experience every emotion and event at levels others can only dream of. You didnt choose to be born with it. But neither did i. Yes there are things we cant do. I can never be a pilot. No matter how much i want to fly. I can never be a soldier. No matter how much i love my country. But i can and will live out this life with autism. Because i refuse to accept because i have autism life is over. You need to think about what you really want. Dont complain overcome and build up to these things.

 

[AuBurney Tuckerson]

When you say i could not understand or deal with being an NT, you're just plain wrong. My autism is very mild an I am very adaptable.

When one says there's no hope of that anyway, then what is the point of continuing to live? What s the point of going on? If there is no hope, all potential for ever accepting myelf and not despising who I am with every fiber of my being is gone.

Eliminate the autism or I spend my life craving the day I die and loathing my filthy autistic mind.


So yeah... adapting to perception changes is preferable to that.

I had a lot of self-hatred before I got my autism diagnosis. In fact, the diagnosis made learn to love myself a bit more and hate myself LESS than than before. At least, with being autistic, I learned that I'm not a defect. I just have a different neurotype. If you get rid of autism, you WON'T learn to love yourself cause you won't BE yourself. I have trouble loving myself, too, but it's for entirely different reasons.

 

[LetsGo]

There is a cure. ASD is caused by a freeze response during prenatal development. I'm not a professional and I just read up on it but I'll try my best to explain.

I'm sure you've heard of something called the "fight or flight response". This is just one of the three states of your autonomic nervous system. Another state being well known as "rest and digest". But there is a third state that's not commonly known, which is called the freeze state. This response is actually well documented but not referred to directly, survivors of trauma such as rape/domestic abuse often report that they didn't feel anything during the act. They went numb, as if they/their mind had disconnected from the body. The freeze response occurs when the autonomic nervous system senses a serious threat to life. There's actually a specific nerve that's responsible for this response. It's called the dorsal vagus nerve. And this nerve happens to be fully formed and functioning by 3-4 months of pregnancy IIRC. This response is what happens during prenatal development in people with ASD. I haven't read these books, but if you want more information I suggest the books, "The Polyvagal Theory", and "Nurturing Resilience".

I don't think any book will directly tell how to cure ASD, so I'll give my theory on it.
If the freeze response disconnects your mind from your body, and ASD is a prenatal freeze response, then ASD is simply complete mind-body disconnection, or disembodiment. So the theory is that if you can fix the disembodiment, you can cure ASD. So you need to do things to reconnect with the body/engage in embodiment therapies. It sounds ridiculous, but the cure for ASD is doing things like yoga, stretching, getting a massage(an effective massage like Thai massage or Chinese Acupressure not Swedish massage). There's also somatic experiencing, cranial sacral therapy, and chiropractor sessions. I believe that 3-5 years of working with reconnecting with the body will cure ASD.

I hope that you found something useful from my reply to your post.

 

[Tokyo Shemp]

I doubt a real Aspie would downplay the sensory part. It's most of the problem to go with perseveration. The FBI would certainly like to spin us as unempathetic potential domestic terrorists. The greatest thinkers, writers, you name it, have had Asperger's. This is a gift, no doubt. One just has to work around the sensory issues that the commentator says isn't a problem for himself.