People for whom their ASD is clearly a disability...

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I don't think anyone should feel obligated to not be miserable. If you're not getting what you want out of life, it's pretty insensitive to say "suck it up" or whatever.

For me, it's more that I view autism as the part of the explanation as well as part of the cause, and not having an explanation for so long, it's a relief to know.

Most humans are prone to black n white thinking. Those of us with AS are more prone to black n white thinking than the average population.

For me AS is a disability and gift. Perhaps because I am more philosophically minded I am more able to hold the two and live well within that context.

Just because we have one aspect our nature does not mean it cancels out or minimizes the other.

The autistic mind loves to cut out and analyze. If this way of thinking is at the expense of our interconnectedness to all things it can be very disabling indeed.

Disability is not a bad thing or a good thing. It's neutral. It's a normal part of my life.

I guess if you were to become disabled suddenly, it would be a very hard adjustment to make. But for me there was no adjustment. This has always been my life. I don't think it's the disability that frightens people so much; it's the thought of how they would cope if they suddenly had it, because they have built their lives around the fact of not being disabled. But that was never part of my life. Even for people who do become disabled after having not been, things go back to normal after they figure things out, and within a year they tend to judge their lives to be similarly happy as a non-disabled people do.

Living with a disability is neither worse nor better than any other sort of life. I don't think I am any more courageous or tough than anybody else, because everybody has problems. I think it is probably just as hard for an NT to go through a breakup with a boyfriend as it is to be an autistic person going through autistic burnout.

Maybe it's just the unfamiliarity that scares people. They don't know how they would cope, so they assume that they couldn't, and they think you are "inspirational" because you do. In reality, of course, they would figure things out and muddle through it. They can't think that a life so different from theirs could ever be just as good... they have difficulty seeing things from such a different perspective.

I cringe everytime I hear some schmuck call it a gift. I was not born with a photographic memory, I am not good at math, I am not some great artist, and I only have rudimentory computer skills. I have all the bad traits and none of the good ones. People hate me for no reason I don't have to say a word or do anything for them to despise me. My brother asked several people when we were in high school why they hated me and not one of them could come up with a reason. When I was smaller than everyone I was a target of hate but once I got bigger and meaner people did not respect me but they learned to fear me and that was enough to make the persecution to stop.

Just changing my work area around and my routine was enough to trigger a near fatal congestive heart failure for me. The stress and anxiety caused my already high blood pressure to constantly spike throughout the day. Having to endure this for several months nearly killed me. I was in ICU for five days. I fear starting a new job due to the anxiety I will run into having to get use to new people, a new work environment, and waiting for the first shoe to drop when the other emplyees discover I am weird and start to do or say things to drive me out like on everyother job I ever have worked in the 18 years I have worked.

I'm happy with who I am. I am glad that I know what was wrong with me and that it gave me a piece of mind to know that everythings ok.

It utterly destroyed me.

yeah I dislike having aspergers, I do wish I could relive my life as an NT. Its very self-isolating at times, I worry about every new social situation I encounter because people might dislike me. I often find ways to mess it up but things are getting better. Its almost always, I want friends but I have trouble making them.

I'd say I'm mostly ok with it except for two things.

1. I need an income but don't know how to get one. When I do move my rent will go up a lot (I'm kind of rent controlled in a way, my landlord doesn't raise rent unless you move out and new people move in) and money will be tighter than ever, plus what will I do when my mother isn't here to support me any more? I seriously have no idea on how to make money and collecting cans won't get you much and there is competition for that in my area. Anything I've tried online failed.

2. It would be nice if I had something to take when I have a panic attack, like half a valium or a whole valium. I got to try those a few times and it really helped.

It's disabling for me and I'm very miserable about it.

If I met someone who opened their mouth and facts about insects came out, I would likely open my mouth and start asking questions about insects.

I seriously find people like that interesting. They're walking textbooks. Where else can you get a totally free lecture by a specialist? Just find yourself a Spectrum person and get them going.

Find the off button first

I genuinely like myself, and have fun with people. I'm not without problems with other people, but approach it like Bill Hicks.

It is their problem not mine.

I am authentic to myself, others can come next, I do not want to be like you