Being treated as less than human

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I am not happy. I am here so grudgingly that acceptance comes in microns. I was finally diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome against my will.

I don't mind the differences. I mind that there is no connecting in society because of them, a symptom of society rather than this syndrome I have.

At one time, it was perfectly fine to be very eccentric and have no social skills. Now it's a disorder. I have many symptoms, like sensory and auditory difficulties. That aside, the other major reason I despise this diagnosis is because of the subtle and not-so-subtle changes that occur when you are considered mentally disabled.

I am talked about as if I'm not there. "She" this and that. When I speak up, I'm assumed to be exhibiting a lack of social awareness.... It's considered completely normal to talk about a disabled person as if they're a dog. No one thinks about it.

Or, if you have a diagnosis of AS/autism, even simple things like walking a little too far ahead of someone gets interpreted as an "Aspergers moment". That actually happened to me. Or if you disagree with something or want to make a decision, you're treated as if everyone else has a better idea of what's best for you. Your legal freedom could even be threatened. I've had that threat over me, too. Being treated as less than human, essentially.

Like you are a problem that needs to be fixed instead of a human wired very differently than other humans. A rose by any other name is still a rose. No one needs to approach these things as if they are subhuman problems. Even if someone has a comparatively low mental age. I've seen children get treated with more respect and understanding.

Just because someone treats me badly, it does not necessarily mean that they're treating me as "less than human".

It just means that he or she is a jerk.

I've moved out 5 years ago, because my dad was treating me like I was less than human. He tried treating me like I was less than human when he was on the phone, yesterday. I was reaching into my pill box for my daily stress relief pill that I forgot to take with my lunch. My dad had the nerve to ask me if that was my pill box or my mum's as though I was not human enough to tell the difference. That really ticked me off and I said in a very gruff and angry voice, "It's my box!" than I went back into the spare bedroom where all my stuff was, let out a big grunt that was more like a deep growl than that ignorant noise that kids use to harass disabled people these days, and I closed the door half way so he couldn't see me when he walked through the hallway.

I'm happy that I've been back at my place since the early morning. I don't think that I could be living that way, day after day. Moving into my apartment, 5 years ago was the best thing that I've ever done for myself.

i get this s**t all the time. what i'm scared of is people using us as cash cows or manipulation.

On a daily basis.

unfortunately this is what happens when people with differences [whether it be disability,race,sexuality etc] meet people who have got f-all experience with the group and use stereotypes and other peoples prejudices besides their own to judge them with.

some people are truly disablist bigots though,and have major issues with disabled people being seen as equals.

quite simply,f- them.they are the one who acts sub human not us.


being severely autistic,have never not had incidents of been treated as sub human, very few people have not done this,have also lived a decade in institutional and residential care where had been treated subhuman,and was called a burden on other residents/staff/society many times,was even given blades and encouraged by one staff to attempt suicide,luckily did not know what to do as she had stormed out the room in disgust at this burden,stupid b***h.
even some members on here were rabidly disablist against those of us categorised under low functioning autism, can remember one old regular,who without one hint of trolling said we ['low functioning' autists] shoud be put on an island and left to rot because of the burden we are on society.

am greatful for living in the residential centre am in now because have never experienced that attitude off anyone and we are treated as we shoud be,had had such a low opinion of self because of growing up being taught to think like that.