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

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but who aren't miserable because of having it.


Surely I can't be the only one...?

I wouldn't say I'm miserable about it but it's caused me a lot of pain and hardship. If offered the chance to relive my life as an NT I would take it without hesitation.

Yeah, it's disabling for me, but I'm not miserable because of having it. Frustrated and annoyed sometimes, but not really miserable.

I'm extremely miserable cause of it.

More relieved than miserable, to know there's a reason for me being the way I am.

Relieved, but still miserable until I can find a way to cope with this new reality. I think once it settles in things will be fine and I won't be bothered by it anymore.

For me, yes it is a disability, and yes I am miserable, I wish I didnt have it.

I am not miserable for having Asperger's. I regard my Asperger's as a gift...a gift with challenges (but who doesn't have challenges?). I am able to play musical instruments I am fascinated with practically overnight without lessons or instruction. I am an autistic talent savant. To me that is a gift. I memorized without trying the statistics of every roller coaster in North America by the time I was in high school due to roller coasters being a special intense interest---also due to Asperger's. I am happy I was born on the autism spectrum. I have incredible fun with my special intense interests. I gladly accept my challenges.

That's me too, relieved, and not only that, I wouldn't be in line for a cure either (besides the fact that I'm too old to change anything if I were different). I could wish I'd had more friends, and if I'd known about it and the effects earlier, I just might have been able to change that. But from everything I read about it (all of which rings bells), it's so pervasive through my personality and who I am, my very basic patterns of thought, that without it I wouldn't be me. And I kind of like myself, now that I know there's nothing really repulsive about me that I can't perceive.

Definitely disabled and seek for ways to improve self but also very, very content and confident.

Autism for me is a disability, but I am not miserable for having it. Miserable yes, but not because of autism.

Disabled, yes but not miserable.

Its definitely a disability for me, but I don't want to be normal. My migraines triggered by my sensory issues make me miserable, but I don't know anyone who isn't miserable during a migraine. My AS, I see as part of me, not something that would make sense to be proud of or miserable about. I want to be me, I want to minimize my difficulties, but I want to be me.

While I was growing up I really never could understand how people thought they they were insulting me by calling me weird or different. It seems so much more pleasant to be an individual.

Disabling? Yes. Miserable? No. Being an NT sounds boring. Besides, it's not like one day I will suddenly not be Autistic. It's gonna be there my whole life. I've accepted that and moved on.

An Asperger's diagnosis is confirmation of clinically impaired social intuition - legally disabled.

OK, that's the theory.

The practice (for me) is that YES I am disabled and I feel it every day.

I am fortunate to have developed some copings skills that allow me to work, in my own business, more or less independent of 'colleagues' - I am also fortunate to have been born with an IQ that measures in the Intellectually Gifted range.

But when I DO have to 'collaborate'/work with 'colleagues' it can be a real struggle and very exhausting, processing their social tennis and all the other stuff they do to 'communicate' rather than simply exchanging information.
- I have an IQ in the top 1% and there are many, many days when I can barely keep my s**t together, if I have to deal with people 'stuff'

Miserable NO - definitely not.

My super-focus, attention to detail and ability to absorb myself totally in highly specialized and technical research are well developed in me and are what I consider my Autism gifts.

If often say to my wife, of more than 20 years, that if I had to choose intellect over social skills/friends, I would choose intellect (and be an Aspie) - but..... it would probably be nice to have both

I guess a lot of people are content having AS because they are introverted and like to potter around with their interests etc. I am not really so happy because I am not introverted, and my personality type is completely at odds with my AS personality traits, to the point where I feel both take off in completely different directions.

On one hand there is the party girl who loves clothes and trashy novels and on the other hand there is the bookish nerd who spouts facts and anecdotes. It is hard to be that social party girl when you open your mouth and stuff about insects comes out, baffling the NTs. And it is hard to be the person researching on the computer when you long to be out with friends.

Also I am finding the stress of the last 10 years is culminating in some noticeable problems with my neurological setup right now. And on top of the other problems I have it is hard to handle it all.