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Autism or Affectation?

Started by Dashenka, August 30, 2013, 10:30:40 AM

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mookestink

I was curious if there was a link between autism and suicide.  I dunno if one exists.

Chrystal

Reading back over that, simply highlights the fact that people need to be more careful in what they say!

I read the whole sequence fresh and while looking at it in total it is obvious what Mookestink meant, taking each post in isolation it is also easy to see where the misconception came from!

In fact, a quick google search reveals this:
http://www.autism-help.org/family-suicide-depression-autism.htm

Autism can lead to depression, which can in turn lead to thoughts of suicide.  I have no idea what the statistic is, I have notr read that article nor have I done more research. However, there clearly is a causal link.

Please check out my latest A/A post.
I would rather watch a movie then have dinner than have dinner then watch a movie!

Dashenka

Quote from: Chrystal on October 23, 2014, 02:54:22 PM

Autism can lead to depression, which can in turn lead to thoughts of suicide.  I have no idea what the statistic is, I have notr read that article nor have I done more research. However, there clearly is a causal link.

Well then the way I see it, depression can lead to suicide. Autism can lead to depression so autism can lead to suicide but that's not a direct link or connecting. People get depressed over many things.
Out here in the fields, I fight for my meals and I get my back into my living.

I don't need to fight to prove I'm right and I don't need to be forgiven.

Chrystal

Quote from: Dashenka on October 23, 2014, 03:01:47 PM
Well then the way I see it, depression can lead to suicide. Autism can lead to depression so autism can lead to suicide but that's not a direct link or connecting. People get depressed over many things.

Dasha, that's like saying there is no direct link between guns and death... Guns can be used to shoot people and being shot can result in death...

Just because people also get killed in car crashes, doesn't mean that guns don't cause death!

The fact that autism can cause suicide is a link, however tenuous.

How many autistic people commit suicide is something I don't know. I would imagine that the number is quite small, because people with severe autism are monitored and medicated anyway, and those of us with mild symptoms would generally be able to recognise the signs of depression and do something about it... At least in so far as anyone would.

I think the issue here is not whether there is a link, but whether there is a quantifiable link? As with the link between smoking and cancer, there needs to be a sufficiently large population study of people with Autism and people who commit suicide to see if there is any reasonable correlation or whether the autism was merely a factor in the suicide.

As an interesting aside, there was a doctor in the UK a while back published a study he had done that claimed a link between the MMR vaccine and autism, resulting in a measles epidemic. The study was in fact proved to be false. He had checked how many children with autism had received the MMR jab and found a positive correlation of 100%! He then did a limited test in one small section of the population to see how many of those who had recieved the MMR jab had developed autism. His sample was deliberately small, and all those positives had actually developed autism from other causes, which he chose to disregard.

My point is that for there to be a quantifiable link, there needs to be a sufficiently large data sample.

Please check out my latest A/A post.
I would rather watch a movie then have dinner than have dinner then watch a movie!

Lustful Bride

I have Autism as well (high functioning) and Aspergers. *shrugs* it doesn't bother me. I am a very quiet person with my nose in a book a lot. I also spend a lot of time doing ritual behaviors. If I tap on something with my right hand more then once I have to do it with me left hand as well. And vice versa....my god It can eb a pain sometimes when It happens while I am typing. >_>

Still I do my best to manage myself and be a productive member of society.  :P

So never fear, just because you have something doesn't mean it defines you.

Caehlim

My older brother has been diagnosed with Aspergers, I used to go with him to a lot of the Autism Association social activities and I've met a lot of people on the Autism spectrum. I have no idea whether I would be diagnosed with it myself or not, since I do seem to share a lot of the typical traits myself although it seems to cause a little less difficulty for myself than for my brother which is why I've never bothered to see a psychologist.
My home is not a place, it is people.
View my Ons and Offs page.

View my (new)Apologies and Absences thread or my Ideas thread.

Sabby

Having a strange problem... I haven't changed my medication, so I'm not sure what could have prompted this. I'm mostly the same, still very cold to peoples feelings, but I'm finding that extreme displays of emotion kick my empathy into over drive :/ It's like a I have an empathy threshold and won't feel a thing up until a certain point.

I just saw a cartoon where a bulldog thought a kitten had died. The crying was ridiculously overacted, so it wasn't supposed to illicit a real reaction, but for some reason the excess just did something to me. I don't like it.

Dashenka

Hello my fellow Elliquiyans,

yesterday, 2 April, 2015, was World Autism Day.


Now I don't want to sound bitter or anything but when it's world ALS day, people throw buckets over their heads and on Cancer or Heart day, people run marathons or something but Autism day seems to have passed reasonably quiet.

I feel that autism in general it's still overlooked and ignored mostly, especially to those who are not 'visibly' autistic. Whatever the hell that means.

Which bothers me cause I'm getting worse and worse with it and I seem to be unable to break out of my daily rhythm and the harder I try, the more nervous I get, so I just stick to it. Which results in a lot of disagreement with other people who say I should stop being a wuss and man up. Which pisses me off even more and makes me even more nervous, which isn't doing any good at all to my already limited communication skills.

Speaking of a downward spiral.

Oh well.

*rant ends*

And a happy belated world autism day people. We deserve it and we know it. I guess.
Out here in the fields, I fight for my meals and I get my back into my living.

I don't need to fight to prove I'm right and I don't need to be forgiven.

Dimir

I admit that I have high-functioning autism and didn't realize that yesterday was World Autism Day. :(
My PM Box is always open for those who wish to chat with someone.
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Ephiral

Was away so missed this; wasn't aware of the day either. On a brighter note, we've still got Autistic Pride Day coming up in nine days (which I also just discovered). Seems more worth celebrating, really.

Dashenka

Happy 8th annual world autism awareness day to us all!
Out here in the fields, I fight for my meals and I get my back into my living.

I don't need to fight to prove I'm right and I don't need to be forgiven.

AmberStarfire

#186
I've taken online tests before and showed up as being a couple of points outside the spectrum, so if they have any kind of accuracy, I'm kind of borderline on the spectrum. There are a lot of behaviours I identify with, but it's not really something I think about or discuss that much. I can live my life and no one would know, more than likely. It's mainly just the social stuff that's been bugging me lately. I tend toward being a hermit.





Lustful Bride

Quote from: AmberStarfire on April 02, 2016, 09:40:31 AM
I've taken online tests before and showed up as being a couple of points outside the spectrum, so if they have any kind of accuracy, I'm kind of borderline on the spectrum. There are a lot of behaviours I identify with, but it's not really something I think about or discuss that much. I can live my life and no one would know, more than likely. It's mainly just the social stuff that's been bugging me lately. I tend toward being a hermit.

I wouldn't put my faith 100% in an online test, id recommend seeing an actual doctor trained and who studied up on the subject. And even they don't get it right all of the time.

AmberStarfire

If I see one for another reason I might, but I don't see it as problematic enough to warrant it.

If I want to be more social, I can go out and do that, but I just don't feel much inclination to be (and it's not depression because I'm actually quite happy). I know it's good for me to get out a bit though so I do every so often.


Atropus

I can offer some advice, although I fear I might have missed the bulk of the discussion, and I suspect our experiences (I'd been diagnosed when I was seven) might have been radically different (I was, apparently 'high' on the spectrum). While now (I'm in my early twenties) I don't initially show as many signs of the condition I displayed when I was much longer, I tend to explain it as a rather genuine effort on my part to 'improve'. While you might initially have had difficulties, observation and effort eventually leave you with enough coping strategies to get on in regular life fairly well, even if in my own case I still come off as 'extremely eccentric'. Condensing that down, it tends to be easier to explain it as 'solid work' on your own part, although it can depend on severity, and how you coped in the earl-... I'm rambling, apologies.

In short? I imagine you worked hard to cope with your condition, or to avoid it disrupting you when possible. Aside from that, I've pointed out my inability to do certain things, such as eat, when it'd be sudden and distracting from a current task, which tends to startle and, in essence, gives any would be questioners an example of how Aspergers is different from simply being indecisive. Again, sorry if this seems...rambling, I've always had trouble putting the condition into precise words even after growing up with it.

Also, 'Hi'... I should have started with that shouldn't I?

Hunter

Asperger's Syndrome can be a very tough to identify correctly.   I know this from personal experience and even then it took a very skilled psychologist several years to figure out that this was part of the issues that I've been dealing with every day since I was about 8.   Asperger's, like any other form of Autism, is typically stacked with more than one symptom.   It's not usual (such as in my case) that Asperger's will also include other mental conditions (again in my case I have Bipolar Depression stacked on top of it).  I've been fully disabled due to the cocktail I have since the middle of 2010 (after being forced to live on the streets for a while) so what I've found helps the most is to have a support structure.

For most people, that's family and/or friends to lean upon.   Autism doesn't make you weak, though other people may think you that way.   What it does is give you a different perspective on things, even if you really can't socialize for more than a few hours at a time.

The key, I think, is to accept then learn and then adjust.     You're young enough, and it sounds like you have a family that still cares about you.    So, don't give up!

Dashenka

*kicks the dead horse back to life*


I just feel like I have to share something. Call it a revelation, call it something else.

This is something that I experience myself. It doesn't mean that it's something that everybody with autism should or can relate to but...

.. one of the things that are characteristic for autism, is a very active brain. For me that means that I cannot 'do nothing'. I have to keep busy or my brain starts running wild. For example, when I'm gaming, I get enough stimulation to focus on what I'm doing. While watching TV though, I can't and I constantly get up, do other stuff and get back to watching tv.

Very recently I was on my honeymoon in Israel and we visited the Sea of Galilei and what we experienced there was complete silence. Almost overwhelming but I loved it. I looked around, moved to tears and then that stupid brain of mine began rambling again. It's a two hour drive back to the hotel and it will be around 7 when we get back, what do we eat, where do we eat. Should I take a shower before going for dinner...

I wanted to saviour and enjoy the moment of being there in that utterly beautiful place with my wife but I couldn't because my brain wouldn't let me.

And because it kept on rambling and asking those questions, I had to answer them so I asked my wife, after five minutes of total silence and enjoying it. "What do we have for dinner tonight." She knows me, respects me and answered the question, putting my brain at ease (at least for another minute) but it had completely ruined the moment, not just for me, but to Ava as well.

Because of this hyper active brain, I find it extremely difficult to focus on anything. I'm hyper sensitive to sounds but when it is finally quiet, my brain starts running wild with thoughts and ideas and worries and whatnot.
It's also causing an issue or two here on Elliquiy. I have an idea, post it and the next morning I'm like... why did I post that? That's the worst post in the world...

I've been offered a mindfulness training now, especially developed for people with autism. I'm hoping it helps because I'm getting really quite tired of my own brain :)
Out here in the fields, I fight for my meals and I get my back into my living.

I don't need to fight to prove I'm right and I don't need to be forgiven.

Tolvo

When I was in a psych ward being evaluated I was diagnosed with ASD, OCD, and Schizophrenia. It was honestly a bit of a surprise, all three do run in my family. OCD I was fairly certain I had since a lot of my symptoms were stronger and more obvious. It was surprising since often the image of an Autistic person is someone is someone who has difficulty communicating, expressing, and understanding others. It can definitely impair the abilities to do those things depending on the form. As I talked with my doctors and they evaluated me they noticed that essentially I was as they termed "High function" but that it was because of my analytical nature and drive to recognize patterns and imitate other people. That I actually had severe impairment in these things but was excelling at communication and my social life by analyzing and researching human behavior and studying those around me while others could merely pick up on the subtleties in an instant. They noted it was especially apparent since if someone did something illogical or that didn't make sense with a thought process that could not be understood I lacked any ability to communicate or understand them. It was also the co-morbid mixture of ASD, OCD, and Schizophrenia, that made things extra hard. I have extreme empathy, I over empathize with others and they noted I spend so much time focusing on understanding and respecting the emotions of others I don't do it for myself when I need to. I often don't have any care for my self or my own feelings and focus almost exclusively on helping others and making them happy, which they told me was very unhealthy and was self destructive. Some things though I'm not sure I can ever change, like all of the ticks I have. It's a constant battle against myself and many parts of my brain that work against me and make my thought processes different from people who are neurotypical. While I don't think anyone else should have to be typical, or that being neuroatypical is a bad thing, for myself I feel like it makes me lesser and will only hinder me and make life harder for everyone around me.

Dashenka

There are things in your story that I can relate to.

What helped me always is saying to myself that I have an austism disorder but I am not an autism disorder.

I am who I am and people love me for who I am and I am certain that there are people who love you for who you are. You don't have to change who you are, you just have to accept who you are and find a way to deal with who you are. That can be for others to help you and to maybe go the extra mile when they are around you.

Everybody who knows me, knows that I don't like big crowds. So when we were planning the wedding, at first we wanted a big wedding, lots of friends and all but my wife then said no, we're not going to do that. Because you can't deal with that.

So it's really important when you don't know your own limits or boundaries that somebody close to you can set them for you.


As for 'being normal', my therapist called those without autism or any mental disorder 'muggles'. So now everybody who is 'normal' to me is a muggle :)
Out here in the fields, I fight for my meals and I get my back into my living.

I don't need to fight to prove I'm right and I don't need to be forgiven.

Tolvo

There's a reason I use typical over normal. While what is most common is what is considered normal, normal also has more connotations of things being accepted, good, what should be. Typical is more about frequency. My brain is atypical, that is a fact. Mental illnesses and disorders are rather common yet it is still an atypical variant. However what is typical and what is atypical is not good or bad. This is why many of the communities for those with mental illnesses or disorders of the brain prefer these terms, as well as the term neurodivergence. There is no shame in having different neural pathways and thought processes and brain chemistry than others. The shame I feel comes both from the disorders themselves effecting my thoughts and from a culture that treats being neuroatypical as shameful when it's not something that should bring about shame. 

Dashenka

You guys,

I know there's more people out there who, like me, are struggling with the situation regarding corona.

Shut down countries, empty shelves at the shop and a big 'I have no idea what's going on'.

To me, they cause serious unrest in my head. Combined with anxiety, anger and a lot of misguided information, even if I was allowed to work, I simply couldn't because of all the unrest in my head. I'm sure this is not just a thing for ASS and ADHD but for a lot of others as well.

Shit's changing and it's changing fast and we all have to deal with it.


Just know that it's okay to feel any or all of the above and then some. Accept that you struggle a bit more than maybe your neighbour or your partner or whoever. It's hard to do and it's going to be even harder as things continue to be uncertain and changing. But acceptance is the first step.

If you ever feel like talking/typing about it, know that I'll listen. Here or in PM or on Discord or whatever. I'm experiencing the struggles myself so I know first hand how hard these times can be.

If you know somebody who is struggling, with anything, don't hesitate to help them. Please. We need each other in these absolutely crazy times.
Out here in the fields, I fight for my meals and I get my back into my living.

I don't need to fight to prove I'm right and I don't need to be forgiven.

Foxydemon911

I also have Aspergers
Let’s be friends?

I didn’t draw this

Asriel346

Quote from: Dashenka on August 30, 2013, 10:30:40 AM
Not too long ago I was diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome, which is an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). To come to this diagnose, I've had to take some tests, mostly oral and a lot of questions on how I was when I was younger. I've always felt a sort of blockage that limited me from doing certain things but I never thought of autism until now. Now having the diagnose fo me doesn't change anything. I anything, it's a relief because finally after all these years I now know what it is.

People around me, who don't know me think it's nothing and claim my psychologist has given the diagnose way too easily. When they ask me what I have that is autism related I always tell them the compulsive and ritualistic behaviour I have. I sort everything (when I was at the psychologist, I had to sort the pens on his desk from big to small, which made his job diagnosing me a lot easier ) and need a fixed schedule to do things. I cannot do things spontaneously. When I tell them that, a lot of people tell me they must have autism as well because they have the same thing, not understanding that it's just a few things of the Asperger syndrome.

Because I'm 27 and only been given the diagnose now, a lot of people talk down the autism, saying it's just a trend and that people are given the diagnose too easily. Before this I never took much notice to autism but now that I have it, I found I need to be careful who I say it too, because of the negativity that seems to hang around the whole thing. Personally I think most people think of autistic people as people who never go out, never make eye contact or can hardly talk, which is one of the three forms of ASD. The other two, Asperger and PDD-NOS, are not that common or not as visible.

I'm running my own business and I got some friends so I don't fit into the 'classic' view people have of autism and because of that, I often get the comment it's just affectation, rather than me actually having a real problem.

Does anybody have experiences with this or something similar and how do you handle with these people who don't seem to understand that Asperger is a real condition and that it can really block or limit people in their day to day living.

Hello there,

I'll let you decide if our experiences are related. It might sound like I'm talking about me here, but the intention is to share my experience of those I've met with ASD from my perspective, because I have a pretty positive view of people with ASD.  I haven't figured out why exactly, but I tend to get on really well with people with ASD. I was diagnosed with ADHD in my 20s. In contrast to what you said I'm impulsive and get bored quickly if things are too repetitive or 'samey'. And I mean anything, from TV shows, to schoolwork and even relationships. Before I was diagnosed, I thought organising anything was a waste of time better spent doing something more active. I'm also irritatingly extroverted. By that I mean, I love being around people, but I don't always realise when people are busy, or just not in the mood to talk. Occasionally I say something really, really dumb too.

If I had to guess why we tend to click, it may be because I tend to wear my heart on my sleeve, so I'm very easy to read. Once I learned that friends with ASDs actually liked it when I explained how I was feeling, we really hit it off. In my experience, people with ASD are usually happy to tell me if I did something they didn't like too, so I don't get the worry I get with some people that I'm saying something stupid without realising. There's some interesting between our conditions too, as well as differences. If I really enjoy something, I literally (not figuratively) can't get enough of it. The biggest one for me is psychology, as it happens. It can be a huge benefit, but I have to be careful I'm not ignoring other, more important or time-sensitive things. This may not apply to you, but those I know with ASD often ask questions that could be interpreted as rude, but I love it. I don't really have a filter and understand they're not being intentionally rude. In my case, I often understand exactly what social rule I broke as soon as I've said something wrong, but the impulse to say it was just too strong to resist.There's something really compelling to me about people that aren't afraid to call me out on things. For example, a friend with ASD once asked me "You say 'I know what you mean' a lot, but do you really know what I mean?". It was clear they were frustrated with me about it, and it could have sounded rude, but I loved it. One of the best questions I've ever been asked in fact. I agreed that I do say it a lot, and though I've never really thought about it, I guessed the purpose was to show solidarity. To make it clear I understood why they felt the way they did. The epiphany though, was that I realised that it can also sound a little patronising. I didn't personally go through the things they did, so how could I know exactly how they felt? So I learned to say "I can't imagine how you must feel right now" sometimes too.

I also talk too much, I'll try and make the rest a little more succinct. People have said very similar things to me about my condition too. Some understood when I explained that there's what the media say about ADHD, and what science says and those have very little in common. People repeat "facts" they've heard, but forget where they heard them. We're all guilty of talking about thing we don't understand sometimes. I try and remind myself that I didn't have a clue about ADHD until I was diagnosed either. In your case, your existence proves that ASD isn't diagnosed too early, or over diagnosed. As does mine for ADHD. But there will always be people who will never understand, even if the truth is staring them in the face.  Some think they're doing you a favour, by 'freeing' you of a label. We all like to believe we're in complete control of our own mind, and our own thoughts. Even though no one is, at least not all the time. Tell someone who just lost someone close to them that they will feel better soon. Does the fact that it's true make them any less upset right now?

In some cases, people aren't just misinformed, they are wilfully ignorant. I think the simplest explanation for why they refuse to understand is because they don't have to. They don't have to deal with it so they have no idea what it's like. I imagine it makes them feel brave for saying something controversial (although it's anything but). I think if they were honest with themselves, they'd realise they accuse people with conditions like ASD and ADHD of 'faking' because it makes them feel good about themselves. In their mind, they could "fake" problems too and have an "easy life" but they're stronger than we are because they don't do that. They worry about the effects of putting labels on children, because they have no idea how much worse the effects of not labelling it can be, when it's the one that fits. To them, the risk of one misdiagnosis is enough to justify ignoring ASD as a condition entirely.  To us, the risk of anyone living their lives not knowing justifies occasional mistakes which can easily be rectified. And refusing to accept they exist means that's one less thing about the world they have to understand and care about. It makes the gap between them and the mentally ill that much wider than reality. In my experience, some of the people who claimed "everyone is a little ADHD" almost certainly had ADHD, and not just a little.  We all accept that everyone gets a cold sometimes, but others have asthma and need an inhalor. But I think as a species we haven't quite accepted that we all get a little mentally ill sometimes too, but others have chronic conditions that they have to live with. I know that makes them sound like terrible people, but I don't think they realise that's why they do it. They think they are acting logically and based on facts. A lot of the worst things people do are like that. How often do any of us stop and ask ourselves tough questions like "you say you know what I mean a lot, but do you really know what I mean?". Ignorance is bliss, I suppose.

To (finally) answer your question though, the simple answer is to leave them to their ignorance, and remind yourself that anyone you really want in your life that knows you well would never believe things like that and never would. Their ignorance doesn't change what is true. Maybe read that sentence again, to make sure it sinks in. Ask yourself, what effect does them believing that have on the world, or on your life? What is the worst thing that could happen? Is it likely that it will, when you think it through? If the answer is yes, then what could you do about it?

Even if most people believed ASD wasn't real, would that make them any less wrong? Look at the people we elect. Look at the music in the charts. The Minions movie made $1.159 billion at the box office. Transformers: Age of Extinction made $1.104 billion. Does the fact that so many people paid money to see them mean they are good movies? The reviews for both were about as cutting and derogatory as reviews get, yet people kept going to see them for weeks anyway. That should tell you something about how stubborn and oblivious we can all be.  I know that's easier said than done though, especially for people with ASD in my experience. Another thing us ADHD folk share with you is low frustration tolerance. I wouldn't have written all this if it didn't get to me too. It's harder than usual right now with everything going on in the world. Harder to take your mind off all the madness, because it feels like it's everywhere. But it will pass. Nothing lasts forever. The only solution I've found is to just close my ears to it, and when it gets really bad, I ask myself questions like the ones above. But you're not alone. Feel better soon.

Dashenka

Thanks for reading it and welcome to Elliquiy :)

Hope your approval process goes smoothly.

When I posted this topic, I was a lot younger and didn't have the information and experience I have now.

Quote from: Asriel346 on July 16, 2020, 01:25:21 PM
There's something really compelling to me about people that aren't afraid to call me out on things. For example, a friend with ASD once asked me "You say 'I know what you mean' a lot, but do you really know what I mean?". It was clear they were frustrated with me about it, and it could have sounded rude, but I loved it. One of the best questions I've ever been asked in fact. I agreed that I do say it a lot, and though I've never really thought about it, I guessed the purpose was to show solidarity. To make it clear I understood why they felt the way they did. The epiphany though, was that I realised that it can also sound a little patronising. I didn't personally go through the things they did, so how could I know exactly how they felt? So I learned to say "I can't imagine how you must feel right now" sometimes too.

I (and I think a lot of people with any form of autism) cannot pretend. If you ask me what I think of your shoes, I will give you dead honest answer. If I think you're an imbecile, I will let you know. Which is what offends a lot of people. They don't want to hear the truth, they want to be given a compliment. Never ever ask an Aspy for a compliment. Similar to what you mentioned, there's this introductionary greeting: Hello. How are you?

It isn't meant as a question. It's meant as an extention to the hello. But I, and again I'm pretty sure I'm not alone in this, hear a question, so we answer it. Honestly. Which often leads to really awkward situations where somebody who's just trying to be polite gets a whole load of negativity poured out over them because the person they asked 'How are you' to, is actually going through a rough patch.

I know now what people mean with it, but I still haven't figured out what to say to that. When I say, 'Yeah, I'm alright' (which is what they want to hear) I feel like Im not being honest and that just feels wrong.

Quote from: Asriel346 on July 16, 2020, 01:25:21 PMIn some cases, people aren't just misinformed, they are wilfully ignorant. I think the simplest explanation for why they refuse to understand is because they don't have to. They don't have to deal with it so they have no idea what it's like. I imagine it makes them feel brave for saying something controversial (although it's anything but). I think if they were honest with themselves, they'd realise they accuse people with conditions like ASD and ADHD of 'faking' because it makes them feel good about themselves. In their mind, they could "fake" problems too and have an "easy life" but they're stronger than we are because they don't do that. They worry about the effects of putting labels on children, because they have no idea how much worse the effects of not labelling it can be, when it's the one that fits. To them, the risk of one misdiagnosis is enough to justify ignoring ASD as a condition entirely.  To us, the risk of anyone living their lives not knowing justifies occasional mistakes which can easily be rectified. And refusing to accept they exist means that's one less thing about the world they have to understand and care about. It makes the gap between them and the mentally ill that much wider than reality. In my experience, some of the people who claimed "everyone is a little ADHD" almost certainly had ADHD, and not just a little.  We all accept that everyone gets a cold sometimes, but others have asthma and need an inhalor. But I think as a species we haven't quite accepted that we all get a little mentally ill sometimes too, but others have chronic conditions that they have to live with. I know that makes them sound like terrible people, but I don't think they realise that's why they do it. They think they are acting logically and based on facts. A lot of the worst things people do are like that. How often do any of us stop and ask ourselves tough questions like "you say you know what I mean a lot, but do you really know what I mean?". Ignorance is bliss, I suppose.

This is the part I meant with the affectation.

"What do you have then? What does autism mean?"

Then, when I answer them, I often get what you get as well.

"Oh but I don't like busy places either and I don't have autism."

Comments like that exactly made me often feel like I was being a wuss. I felt I had to suck it up and deal with it, because that's what everybody else did and does. It took me a while to accept what I have and what that makes me.
At the same time, I don't really blame people anymore for not understanding. It's as you said. Not everybody is interested in it, so they didn't research it, so they know very little about it. It's normal.

I've really come to terms with who I am and what I can and cannot do and I'm now helping others to try and achieve the same things.
Out here in the fields, I fight for my meals and I get my back into my living.

I don't need to fight to prove I'm right and I don't need to be forgiven.

SINless

Quote from: Dashenka on July 16, 2020, 01:48:31 PM


"Oh but I don't like busy places either and I don't have autism."



"I sneeze a lot too, but I don't have hayfever"

"I get headaches, but I don't have migraines"

"I get winded easily but I don't have COPD"


See how silly it sounds when it's physical conditions, but when it's a mental issue, we all accept statements like that

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0B5nfkaeplc