I notice that many of the newly diagnosed people under the age of 40 are disappointed and feel their life is worse after or because of the diagnosis.
It pains me to see this, because I feel being diagnosed as autistic should not be seen as a bad thing. In fact, I think it should just be an acknowledgment or confirmation, but not a “diagnosis”. Diagnosis is a bad term typically defining a disease. That does not mean I think autism is a “good” thing or that autistic people has “superpowers”, but I do believe that looking down on autistics as “defective” is an insulting prejudice. I believe that society has a very unfortunate negative view of anything or anyone that is perceived as “different”. That is also called bigotry. Yes, autism does have its problems. I certainly have suffered my share of autism difficulties. Most of my life has teetered on the edge of suicidal depression. However, in the midst of all the depressing parts of my life, there have also been a lot of good and really good parts. It’s just that when depressed, I can’t see any of the good parts – even when they are right in front of my face.
For most of my life, I have hated being different. I guess that is a case of self-hate. Later in life, however, I eventually learned to be proud of being different. Even considering the society-defined bad differences. Much, if not all, of my life successes are due to my autistic traits that are defined as “bad” such as hyper sensitivity, hyper and obsessive focus, etc. I have learned that being great is NOT being normal. Clearly, being autistic is not being “defective”. If it is, then the world has benefited greatly from many “defective” people, such as Albert Einstein, Nikola Tesla, Sir Isaac Newton, Michelangelo, Bill Gates, Elon Musk, Jerry Seinfeld, Dan Aykroyd, Daryl Hannah, Anthony Hopkins and many, many, many more. If you have been diagnosed with autism, you can consider yourself in some very good company. And there is no reason you can’t be on that list. Also, do not think for a second that anyone of those on that list has had an easy go of life. Life is not easy, but that doesn't mean we are defeated.
It is all a matter of Definition, Identity, and Perspective.
Definition:
Autism is almost always defined as a defect; something dreaded, as if it were a debilitating disease. I often feel that way, but then, when I look at other peoples lives – people who are not at all autistic, I see they also suffer life difficulties that are directly due to their personalities, life choices, etc. As I look back over my 69 years, I see that in spite of my chronic depression and autism, my life has turned out quite well. Yet, at any point during any of those years, I never see it that way. Most often I see it through a depression lens that distorts reality. And when I look at the lives of non-autistics around me, I see that their lives have not turned out any better than mine.
Identity:
I have learned that autism is simply a list of personal traits that are different from the majority. Yes, there are difficulties such as hyper sensitivity among many others, but I see that as just a personal trait. I see autism as a part of identity. It is not a disease. I have diseases. I have type-1 diabetes, I have Celiac disease and I have Crohn’s disease. All of those are diseases. They are conditions I have to deal with, but they do not define me. They are not a part of who I am. Autism, however, is a part of me. It is a part of my personality and who I am. There are Asian people, African people, tall people, short people, etc. but you don’t say there is a person who has Asian. For better and worse, I am an autistic person. Not a person with autism. It is an integral part of who I am. Mocking or bullying me for my autistic mannerisms is insulting. Likewise, a medical professional diagnosing autism as a defect is equally insulting.
Perspective:
Type-1 diabetes is almost always perceived as a tragic disease. And generally it it, but it doesn’t have to be. In my case, I believe I was saved by my autistic level of terror and loss of confidence in my doctor and medical staff prompting me to frantically study metabolic biology. The end result; I developed a non-traditional (non-institutional) control method that out performs the non-diabetic metabolic system – making me a non-diabetic diabetic. Upon diagnosis I was devastated, believing my life was ruined. My perspective was absolutely negative. But, that was a false perspective. The reality is that the type-1 diabetes resulted in an intense study that not only has made me healthier than most non-diabetics in my age group, but it also has made me survive the Celiac and Crohn's diseases with practically no issues.
So, if you have been recently diagnosed and feel devastated or even disappointed, please rethink and realize that you are not “defective”; you are just you, just as you have already been. You may be different from the majority, but that is OK and that you are in very good company. You are a great person and if anyone around you don’t think so then they are the ones at a loss.
It pains me to see this, because I feel being diagnosed as autistic should not be seen as a bad thing. In fact, I think it should just be an acknowledgment or confirmation, but not a “diagnosis”. Diagnosis is a bad term typically defining a disease. That does not mean I think autism is a “good” thing or that autistic people has “superpowers”, but I do believe that looking down on autistics as “defective” is an insulting prejudice. I believe that society has a very unfortunate negative view of anything or anyone that is perceived as “different”. That is also called bigotry. Yes, autism does have its problems. I certainly have suffered my share of autism difficulties. Most of my life has teetered on the edge of suicidal depression. However, in the midst of all the depressing parts of my life, there have also been a lot of good and really good parts. It’s just that when depressed, I can’t see any of the good parts – even when they are right in front of my face.
For most of my life, I have hated being different. I guess that is a case of self-hate. Later in life, however, I eventually learned to be proud of being different. Even considering the society-defined bad differences. Much, if not all, of my life successes are due to my autistic traits that are defined as “bad” such as hyper sensitivity, hyper and obsessive focus, etc. I have learned that being great is NOT being normal. Clearly, being autistic is not being “defective”. If it is, then the world has benefited greatly from many “defective” people, such as Albert Einstein, Nikola Tesla, Sir Isaac Newton, Michelangelo, Bill Gates, Elon Musk, Jerry Seinfeld, Dan Aykroyd, Daryl Hannah, Anthony Hopkins and many, many, many more. If you have been diagnosed with autism, you can consider yourself in some very good company. And there is no reason you can’t be on that list. Also, do not think for a second that anyone of those on that list has had an easy go of life. Life is not easy, but that doesn't mean we are defeated.
It is all a matter of Definition, Identity, and Perspective.
Definition:
Autism is almost always defined as a defect; something dreaded, as if it were a debilitating disease. I often feel that way, but then, when I look at other peoples lives – people who are not at all autistic, I see they also suffer life difficulties that are directly due to their personalities, life choices, etc. As I look back over my 69 years, I see that in spite of my chronic depression and autism, my life has turned out quite well. Yet, at any point during any of those years, I never see it that way. Most often I see it through a depression lens that distorts reality. And when I look at the lives of non-autistics around me, I see that their lives have not turned out any better than mine.
Identity:
I have learned that autism is simply a list of personal traits that are different from the majority. Yes, there are difficulties such as hyper sensitivity among many others, but I see that as just a personal trait. I see autism as a part of identity. It is not a disease. I have diseases. I have type-1 diabetes, I have Celiac disease and I have Crohn’s disease. All of those are diseases. They are conditions I have to deal with, but they do not define me. They are not a part of who I am. Autism, however, is a part of me. It is a part of my personality and who I am. There are Asian people, African people, tall people, short people, etc. but you don’t say there is a person who has Asian. For better and worse, I am an autistic person. Not a person with autism. It is an integral part of who I am. Mocking or bullying me for my autistic mannerisms is insulting. Likewise, a medical professional diagnosing autism as a defect is equally insulting.
Perspective:
Type-1 diabetes is almost always perceived as a tragic disease. And generally it it, but it doesn’t have to be. In my case, I believe I was saved by my autistic level of terror and loss of confidence in my doctor and medical staff prompting me to frantically study metabolic biology. The end result; I developed a non-traditional (non-institutional) control method that out performs the non-diabetic metabolic system – making me a non-diabetic diabetic. Upon diagnosis I was devastated, believing my life was ruined. My perspective was absolutely negative. But, that was a false perspective. The reality is that the type-1 diabetes resulted in an intense study that not only has made me healthier than most non-diabetics in my age group, but it also has made me survive the Celiac and Crohn's diseases with practically no issues.
So, if you have been recently diagnosed and feel devastated or even disappointed, please rethink and realize that you are not “defective”; you are just you, just as you have already been. You may be different from the majority, but that is OK and that you are in very good company. You are a great person and if anyone around you don’t think so then they are the ones at a loss.
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