Do you like being autistic?

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It sucks.

I chose 'Love and Hate It' but that's only because there wasn't a "Love It but suffer a Little' option.

AS has given me some pretty neat abilities. The main huge drawback is the social ineptness but I'm not one much to socialize so that doesn't bother me that much but some situations can be downright draining and painful but enough alone time fixes that.

I like me the way I am, Asperger's and all. I'm a good honest person. Apparently that's due to AS as well. I just thought I was someone who couldn't lie.

That surprises me, EzraS. You always seem to have a great outlook and ability to adapt your feelings.

I chose "love it/hate it" because I like knowing why I do certain things, but it all turns around when people react badly to my characteristics.

I believe Ezra's mostly irritated because he fears he'll be at least somewhat dependent all of his life. He has an independent spirit. He has a good view about the nature of autism, the nature of "normality," and the people who fits those "categories."

I like the neat skills it gives me and hate my lack of relationships. I don't know which is better or worse.

Actually, I am going to weigh in on the side of it sucks. I went thru a year of being suicidal because of it. And I had to move far away from my family.

The few awesome things are that since my diagnosis, I now have friends. I also love music and have an awesome auditory memory.

Kind of like it.

Comments like this really irk me.

What do you expect in response? "I'm really sorry, AspieUtah, I won't do it again".

This is a sensitive subject with me though, as two of the most "positive" online people I knew committed suicide. I don't think Ezra is at that point, and would certainly dearly hope he is not. However, I think it's important to recognise that what you see with people isn't always what you get. You never know what they're really thinking inside - unless they choose to tell you.

I think it is important that people aren't made to feel ashamed, guilty or bad for having 'negative' feelings. Nearly all of us do. It's just that most of us learn to hide them.

I neither like(/love) it nor dislike(/hate) it, exactly, but that doesn't mean I don't care either way.

Some days I hate having trouble with things that I probably wouldn't have trouble with if I was not autistic (although I have come to think that there are no guarantees life would be any easier if I was NT -- there's also no guarantee I wouldn't be disabled in some other way, or have trouble with some of the exact same things for reasons other than being autistic).

I have gone through periods of anger and despair involving disillusionment and coming to terms with things, like realizing that hard work would not fix everything and that I was always going to struggle with things that nobody else I knew struggled with.

More often than not, though, I think I'm okay the way I am (the good, bad, and neutral) and appreciate those positive things that I might not have if I werent autistic. Even the bad/hard things often come with/result in good things that I truly value and would not want to trade away even if meant getting rid of the bad/hard stuff.

I suppose it is both a blessing and a curse. It certainly made my life far more complicated- especially when I was younger. I can understand why a more severe classic autistic might not appreciate any positive aspects. But, I think anything that gives someone a different way of looking at the world has a lot of value. Without my autism I would not know many of the things I know.

I love it and I hate it: I love my interests and my way of being interested, my own world, - but I hate the insecurity, that goes with not being able to read the subtitles and fully know what´s going on socially.
I shouldn´t care, what others think, is the usual advice,- but it actually isn´t that simple.

I would not say yes, but there are advantages. examples: being good at art, algebra(I take honors algebra currently), and not being boring. But I don't like it when people call me ret*d when my iq is higher than their iq, so that is one disadvantage.

Absolutely not. I'm genuinely angry with my parents for having me because of it.

I'll soon be starting my 7th year since I've known I have autism and been diagnosed with it. I've gone through a range of emotions about how I feel about it, sometimes jumping back and forth from extreme negativity (I hate it, I wish i could get rid of it) to blinded by optimism (autism makes me a good person and I'm gifted and talented and have super hero powers etc).

Currently I feel comfortable with being autistic. I was very relaxed on Christmas day with the family because I knew how to take care of myself and avoid meltdowns. But there were a few things that reminded me how I was different. My 9 year old nephew found it strange someone of my age (28 at the time) would want to hang around children so he rejected me. I did have a good time talking to his mother though, my sister-in-law. Then I met some people who I don't think I've met before. One kept asking if I was ok because I didn't talk to him much, then he later tells me when I speak he can barely understand what I say. That's was a real downer because I used to have a lot of frustration about how I spoke so I tried to say very little. Now I can hear how I speak again and it annoys me.

It takes me much longer to make friends with people. I'm glad I get a chance to work on making friends with them online because I can't just go up and introduce myself if we've never talked before. For the last three years I've been so obsessed with a bass player and I've gone through a million possible ways to walk up to him and say something. I did meet two members of the band he's in this year and I that feels like I've made some progress. I'm even nervous about talking to him online. I know a guitarist/singer who I had to work many years to finally be sure he was a friend. I now think of him as my mate, which I suppose is how you say close friend in Australia and possibly the UK.

Sometimes it's impossible to even talk to family members, especially when I really need to confront them about something.

Negativity aside I do like finding it so easy and natural to organise, categorise and plan for things. I'm no good without planning but once a plan is in place I'm ready to go. I'm good at creating my routines around staying productive. I have very few lazy days.
I have natural born talent for art mainly drawing and painting and have a good eye for photography. I think my close attention to detail helps me not get overwhelmed by the task and bring out an original style.

Being on the spectrum with all my difficulties has also made me more empathetic towards other people with disabilities, even the poor and those going through tough financial times.

I think it's a pretty good thing I've never given into peer pressure and that I just choose to do what I like.

I'm good with animals too. They call me the Animal Whisperer because of how I communicate and understand dogs and cats with more depth than some people. I feel I connect with animals better than people.

One drawback is it's hard to get a job. I have to try and make a career for myself which makes me really anxious. Then again, I've got GAD so pretty much everything makes me feel anxious. The fear of change thing is hard to get through too. I faced it once when I went to see a band at a venue I've never been to before but couldn't do it with another band playing at another venue I was too scared to go to.

It's a tough life being autistic, especially when few people can feel those frustrations and anxieties you have about things that are very basic everyday things for an NT but feel like a mountain to climb for those with autism, but it does make you stronger. We have to deal with so much and then when things get harder we have to face that too and when it's all over we come out even stronger. I view everyday like a challenge.

Plus, I like it because I have a story to tell that's very different than your average person's story, so people listen and actually come back for more. I've been blogging for a few years because of all the stuff on my mind weighed me down and writing about it just liberated me from that burden, and people would tell me that I helped them understand their children better. Even people with autistic kids and who aren't autistic themselves love to hear what I've got to say.

And lastly, being 29 years old and still having the same rich fantasy life like I did when I was 10 years old just feels great, so peaceful and liberating. Sometimes I love reverting back to childhood when I play video games aimed at children or even playing with paper planes like a little kid would. Or even just being hyper, rolling around on the ground, chasing animals or climbing trees.

I didn't like it when I was in Grade 9. I've grown to like being autistic over the years. I love being the spectrum now, because it gives me many differences that I can celebrate. I also enjoy my unique pea flavoured way of looking at the world.

Usually I'm not that terribly bothered by it and can even find my situations funny. But realistically it does suck to me. But it's a good situation at least that I have a really supportive family, get good care, go to a good school. So as far as that stuff goes it's pretty good. I've always been making progress and that's good. But I wouldn't mind being able to put it behind me and go onto other things. But you know, everyone's life sucks at times.



There you go and thanks.



Yes, that. Being intelligent on the inside and seeming "ret*d" to others on the outside. It's very aggravating.