Are you a positive person? Or is your child a cheerful soul?

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I'm positive in general. My life is good at the moment, and nobody ever got anywhere wallowing in misery.

I have a tendency towards clinical depression, but it's controlled well with meds. I wouldn't call myself positive or negative, but realistic. My son, who is PDD-NOS, is a cheerful, peaceful child (age 13). He's brave, bright, and wears a neverending smile. His teachers love him and he has friends at school. I wish I could capture just a bit of his sunshine for myself, and leave him the lion's share of it.

Before the age of five,I think I was mostly happy even though I had negative things happen:My bio family was split up and I was put in fostercare,I lived with abusive alcoholics temporarily,I was physically punished at fostercare with soap in my mouth,locked in dark room,hit with belt and switchs.I only have one memory of that time when a person was really nice to me.Yet,I would seem to recharge my optimism with a walk in nature.

After 5,I remember nothing but anxiety and depression because my adopted family seemed yo either ignore me or punish me.They just didnt like me and seemed constantly disappointed in me.I dont recall feeling depressed about not having friends,just not feeling like I fit in anywhere.I wanted to go back to my home planet,where people liked me.(maybe latent memories of bio family).

At sixteen the depression was so bad that I gave up on the aliens and just dreamed about dying.Every where I looked I saw absurdity,cruelty and stupidity.The more I learned about peoples inhumainity,the more depressed I became.I couldnt see the moon for the clouds.

I stayed this way until 26,when I quite drinking and had RET therepy.I think being homeless helped me appreciate the small things in life again...a hot bath or cup of coffee.The world didnt get any less cruel or stupid(Iraq,Sudan),but my focus changed.Now I think about my cats,bunnies and boyfriends love,
(the Effexor helps ,also).The biggest step was excepting myself as I am instead of feeling bad that I dont "fit" into an NT world.

From 2005 through 2009, I became a negative person, and the depression started low, then gradually began to build up. Until a couple or so weeks ago, when I read about how to be picked as an extra in the "Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Show Spectacular" at Disney's Hollywood Studios, I got my hopes up for it, and getting my hopes up made my self-esteem shoot through the roof. My family and I are going to Disney this summer, and I have my hopes up high for being in that Indiana Jones Stunt Show.


Of course, up to the age of 5, I didn't show very much emotions at all, so I guess I was kind of docile back then.

I really commend you for the spirit of this thread. I think it's important to focus on the positive.

I'm undiagnosed AS. I am not a cheerful person. I do not have high self-esteem.
Yet I am generally happy. It just doesn't usually show.
This is part character trait and part environment.
If I could improve a number of things about my living situation, I would probably seem happier and could develop higher self-esteem.

Fundamentally, I am a positive person. I am never hopeless or overly depressed, even when things are really bad. I am always able to take a step back and see things in a universal perspective, and it all drops away and seems like a farce.

My young son, who I am essentially positive isn't on the spectrum at all, is an irrepressibly happy soul. And he encourages me and my lifts spirits.