how well are you adjusted?
anneurysm wrote:
OP: While it's good that you're learning to adjust yourself to the NT world and you should be proud of your accomplishments, please make sure you are not pushing yourself too hard or making yourself stressed out. Please pace yourself and don't push yourself into anything you don't feel comfortable with. It would also be a good idea to learn some self-advocacy skills so you'll know how to navigate situations where people don't understand you or when you find something too difficult.
I decided to learn neurotypical ways during my teen and early young adult years, and sometimes, it was a struggle as a lot of it involved trial and error, or learning what to do and what not to do. I have lost friendships and connections with others through this process over mistakes I had made, but now have some quality friendships that are understanding and supportive.
I am at the point where I can blend into NT society now to the point where most people I've met don't notice anything different, but I would stress that it took a lot of work to get to that point and I don't endorse or recommend it for everyone. I still have anxiety at times over social situations and often have a fear of "screwing up" and of rejection by others. I also have to meditate daily and use cognitive behavioral techniques to "unlearn" all of the negative thinking patterns that I project upon myself every day. In short, while this process was worth it for myself, you need to be the judge as to whether you think adapting to the world in this way is a good fit for you.
Also, for those of you who find it harder to adjust to the NT world than others and have struggled with doing so, it would be better to stop at this point and learn some other techniques for adapting to NT society without changing who you are. I highly recommend that everyone on the spectrum learn self-advocacy skills, as it helps you adapt to situations without trying to expend effort on things that may be unnatural for you.
I decided to learn neurotypical ways during my teen and early young adult years, and sometimes, it was a struggle as a lot of it involved trial and error, or learning what to do and what not to do. I have lost friendships and connections with others through this process over mistakes I had made, but now have some quality friendships that are understanding and supportive.
I am at the point where I can blend into NT society now to the point where most people I've met don't notice anything different, but I would stress that it took a lot of work to get to that point and I don't endorse or recommend it for everyone. I still have anxiety at times over social situations and often have a fear of "screwing up" and of rejection by others. I also have to meditate daily and use cognitive behavioral techniques to "unlearn" all of the negative thinking patterns that I project upon myself every day. In short, while this process was worth it for myself, you need to be the judge as to whether you think adapting to the world in this way is a good fit for you.
Also, for those of you who find it harder to adjust to the NT world than others and have struggled with doing so, it would be better to stop at this point and learn some other techniques for adapting to NT society without changing who you are. I highly recommend that everyone on the spectrum learn self-advocacy skills, as it helps you adapt to situations without trying to expend effort on things that may be unnatural for you.
I agree with you here, it can be quite stressful, and challenging. For me, the only way I was able to do so was in fact to change my personality altogether, and re-write who I am. I took it quite far as well, and went through some extreme changes. I'm definitely not the same person I used to be; it's been decades since I've been accused of being shy. In saying that, my life hasn't been very typical, even for someone with AS, so change was necessary for my survival. Now that I'm on the other end of doing so, I'm glad I did it; it has forced me out of my shell, and made me rather thick-skinned. I still have much to learn. I do agree though; it's not for everyone.
_________________
Hart
aka. Vanilla (Aspies Central)
"If you're not actively involved in getting what you want, you don't really want it."
- Peter MC Williams
