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BirdInFlight
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12 Oct 2017, 8:05 pm

He fears that with this new label, he may have to re-frame everything he believed about you and his relationship with you, even though you are still the same person you were before the moment you realized you may fit this label.

But when people feel like they must re-think and re-frame everything they thought they knew, based on new information, it's scary. He's resisting that, it's too much for him right now, so he fights back with unsupportive s**t like "it's just an excuse" -- that's a grand old chestnut, unfortunately.



Ragnahawk
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12 Oct 2017, 8:09 pm

Gela wrote:
Thanks, Ragnahawk. I read your post. My husband is an INTP. I'm a INFJ. I suppose relationships are often about reconciling expectations based on our own perceptions and personality.

You have no idea how small you are. You are one of the few that accepts that line of thinking.


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BirdInFlight
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12 Oct 2017, 8:16 pm

Yeah but relationships should NOT be about accepting someone's invalidation of you.

If "accepting that line of thinking" means making excuses for your husband's refusal to understand you, that's BULL s**t.



naturalplastic
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12 Oct 2017, 8:47 pm

Its as if you could not distinquish colors. And most folks that you were just being lazy. But then a doctor discovered that you were colorblind. But your husband preferred to think of you as lazy, and not as colorblind. So why does he have the preference in thinking?



Campin_Cat
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12 Oct 2017, 9:18 pm

IMO/E, people like in the OP always seem to be, one (or more) of the following:

-- A family member is overwhelmed by their relative's diagnosis, and doesn't know how to sort-it-out / understand it, and so-forth.

-- The person doesn't want to accept that someone else has a reason / explanation for their "weirdness", because they've never been able to figure-out a reason / explanation, for their own----and/or, they're, like, "jealous" that they don't have a reason / explanation, for their own.

-- A family member doesn't want to accept that a relative has a "problem", because they're afraid it will reflect, poorly, on themselves----like, that other people will think less of THEM, or something; sort-of like "guilt by association".

I've also gotten the idea, that the husband in the OP might be feeling a bit of a bruise to his ego, because the OP is always learning / pointing-out things to him, that he doesn't know, and maybe that makes him feel intimidated or insecure, or something.

I'm so sorry you're having to go-through this, OP----and, rest-assured that ALOT of us have had to deal with our family members not accepting our diagnoses----but, you're not TOTALLY alone; and, here's to hoping that you can ask him, straight-up, why he's being so resistant, and that he'll be able to tell you, and that y'all will be able to work-it-out.





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13 Oct 2017, 7:36 am

Gela wrote:
Thanks, Ragnahawk. I read your post. My husband is an INTP. I'm a INFJ. I suppose relationships are often about reconciling expectations based on our own perceptions and personality.

I'ma INTJ so is my father. to my knowledge. He doesn't believe in labels. Either, I believe in labels if they have positive and not negative effects on one's on perception of themselves. Now it seems everytime I take the personality test I seem to get different result.


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Last edited by Pieplup on 13 Oct 2017, 8:14 am, edited 1 time in total.

Pieplup
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13 Oct 2017, 7:39 am

BirdInFlight wrote:
Yeah but relationships should NOT be about accepting someone's invalidation of you.

If "accepting that line of thinking" means making excuses for your husband's refusal to understand you, that's BULL s**t.
But at which point is it me making excuses for peopel's refusal to understand me or me causing my refusal to understand myself in the first place?!?!?! At which point does it become something that I am bringing onto myself versus other people bringing it on to me? That's the problem with this line of thinking. I don't really believe that everyone is trying to slight me in some way but when your life experiences have taught you that is it not hard to doubt your perception that maybe your perception or fundamental views are causing the problem in the first place but then isn't that being dishonest to curve up to peer pressure? Asking questions like these lead me to doubt my sanity


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I run a discord for moderate-severely autistic people if anyone would like to join. You can also contact me on discord @Pieplup or by email at [email protected]


BirdInFlight
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13 Oct 2017, 7:51 am

Pieplup, I was responding to Ragnahawk's comment because I disagreed with that, not with anything you said.



Ragnahawk
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13 Oct 2017, 9:32 am

BirdInFlight wrote:
Yeah but relationships should NOT be about accepting someone's invalidation of you.

If "accepting that line of thinking" means making excuses for your husband's refusal to understand you, that's BULL s**t.

Your absolutely correct. That's not where I am coming from. Accepting your gifts, is a step to enlightenment, especially at someone else's disapproval. You begin to see life through your own eyes without people forcing you to conform to social standards that are trash.


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Ragnahawk
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13 Oct 2017, 9:35 am

Pieplup wrote:
Gela wrote:
Thanks, Ragnahawk. I read your post. My husband is an INTP. I'm a INFJ. I suppose relationships are often about reconciling expectations based on our own perceptions and personality.

I'ma INTJ so is my father. to my knowledge. He doesn't believe in labels. Either, I believe in labels if they have positive and not negative effects on one's on perception of themselves. Now it seems everytime I take the personality test I seem to get different result.

Self Diagnose. Tests are bad. Especially when autism is concerned. Labels are also bad, but in this case, it is merely a guideline. Not some zero sum check that says your 100% full proof this personality type. Everybody has both sides of personality traits in them. They use them for certain things. They are just childish. Undeveloped.


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I've migrated over to autismforums. PM me for anything, although I'm better contacted over at autismforums.


FerrariFan
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13 Oct 2017, 10:24 am

Gela wrote:
Thanks, Ragnahawk. I read your post. My husband is an INTP. I'm a INFJ. I suppose relationships are often about reconciling expectations based on our own perceptions and personality.



I also just learned that I am an INTP. I am still learning/figuring out what that means and how I might need to alter my own perceptions of things.



FF



jrjones9933
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13 Oct 2017, 10:30 am

Pieplup wrote:
BirdInFlight wrote:
Yeah but relationships should NOT be about accepting someone's invalidation of you.

If "accepting that line of thinking" means making excuses for your husband's refusal to understand you, that's BULL s**t.
But at which point is it me making excuses for peopel's refusal to understand me or me causing my refusal to understand myself in the first place?!?!?! At which point does it become something that I am bringing onto myself versus other people bringing it on to me? That's the problem with this line of thinking. I don't really believe that everyone is trying to slight me in some way but when your life experiences have taught you that is it not hard to doubt your perception that maybe your perception or fundamental views are causing the problem in the first place but then isn't that being dishonest to curve up to peer pressure? Asking questions like these lead me to doubt my sanity


I also find this a delicate balance. In Pie's position, it makes a lot of sense to try all kinds of things that "aspies aren't good at" and find the limits by experimenting. Then try to push those limits.

I'm 30-odd years older, and some of those years were quite odd. ;-) In my case, it makes sense to keep trying on many things, but also to just accept my limits on other things. I've really tried and failed over and over. Bear in mind, this only includes specific, individual situations with measurable outcomes; no one has a legitimate excuse to fail at everything, and thinking so suggests mental health issues.

If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. Then give up. There's no sense in being a damn fool about it." - WC Fields


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13 Oct 2017, 1:31 pm

I think your husband sees you as you than a label but to some people labels are important and want to be seen as such. But on the other hand it's bad because that is all people see so they associate anything you do or what you believe in to being autistic and that gets annoying because you then feel you are no longer you and you have become a label than someone and they also lower their expectations of you. Another possibility is he doesn't want you to self diagnose and use it to define you and doesn't want you to get it confirmed fearing you will use it as an excuse or having to lower his expectations and change how he feels about you and sees you.

In general, people expect everyone to get better, if you have a disorder, you are expected to get better and try harder and not go backwards having everyone around you suffer. Maybe that is what he fears, he fears you will get worse and try and be Asperger's than staying you he always knew. Sadly some people do use Asperger's to quit trying and they get worse and use it as an excuse to be an ass and avoid responsibility and caring about others and I have seen it. I was even harassed online by one of them who was self diagnosed and turned into a creep and a jerk and a narcissist and used Asperger's for it. I know not all self diagnosers do this but this is why they have a bad name and some diagnosed do this too but it's stereotyped that self diagnosers do it which is why they have a bad name and get called Tumblerina. When someone won't get treatment for their disorder, people tend to look down on them and see it as them using it as an excuse. My ex was a schizophrenic and I look at it as he was not capable of getting help because part of his illness was he thought he was normal and had nothing wrong with him and it was other people with the problem. My mom still views that as him being an as*hole and selfish because he expects others to just suffer around him but I don't think he was using it as a excuse, he really thought he was normal and thought everyone was the problem around him. Was it denial? My mom thinks it was but I don't think it is if he didn't know. I read lot of schizophrenics don't even know they are sick so they may refuse treatment. Not the same as being autistic I know but even some think there is nothing wrong with them and think it's other with the problem. That behavior gets looked down on. I think it's due to lack of self awareness so they don't realize how bad their issue is, not that they are using it as an excuse. People can't get better if they are not aware of their problems. Maybe your husband fears you won't try and get better after finding out about the diagnoses and just give up. Even if you won't be as good at things as NTs, he probably has a hard time accepting you will never be that good and thinks you will just give up after getting the diagnoses or putting the label on yourself.


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Gela
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13 Oct 2017, 4:15 pm

Quote:
Yeah but relationships should NOT be about accepting someone's invalidation of you.

If "accepting that line of thinking" means making excuses for your husband's refusal to understand you, that's BULL s**t.


Birdinflight, yes, I like this! A relationship should not be about accepting someone’s invalidation of you. This is a big issue in general for us, not just with the Aspie stuff. Thanks.

Quote:
But when people feel like they must re-think and re-frame everything they thought they knew, based on new information, it's scary. He's resisting that, it's too much for him right now, so he fights back with unsupportive s**t like "it's just an excuse" -- that's a grand old chestnut, unfortunately.


Birdinflight, I have never heard that phrase, ‘a grand old chestnut’. I had to look it up. I like it. I’m going to use it. I agree the excuse business was not one of his finer moments, and is not okay.



Gela
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13 Oct 2017, 4:22 pm

Quote:
IMO/E, people like in the OP always seem to be, one (or more) of the following:

-- A family member is overwhelmed by their relative's diagnosis, and doesn't know how to sort-it-out / understand it, and so-forth.

-- The person doesn't want to accept that someone else has a reason / explanation for their "weirdness", because they've never been able to figure-out a reason / explanation, for their own----and/or, they're, like, "jealous" that they don't have a reason / explanation, for their own.

-- A family member doesn't want to accept that a relative has a "problem", because they're afraid it will reflect, poorly, on themselves----like, that other people will think less of THEM, or something; sort-of like "guilt by association".

I've also gotten the idea, that the husband in the OP might be feeling a bit of a bruise to his ego, because the OP is always learning / pointing-out things to him, that he doesn't know, and maybe that makes him feel intimidated or insecure, or something.

I'm so sorry you're having to go-through this, OP----and, rest-assured that ALOT of us have had to deal with our family members not accepting our diagnoses----but, you're not TOTALLY alone; and, here's to hoping that you can ask him, straight-up, why he's being so resistant, and that he'll be able to tell you, and that y'all will be able to work-it-out.


Thanks for the kind words, CampinCat. I think he is certainly overwhelmed by everything, and me. When I research and share, my goal is to be helpful and provide information, but never once has he said, “That’s interesting” or engaged in some way. He seems irritated, but questioning him is not elucidating. He is extremely intelligent/gifted sort of genius guy whose breadth of knowledge far exceeds my own, so I don’t think the problem is the information itself, but something in me saying it. I proceed with caution and speak carefully and with reassurance that I don’t expect or need anything, just sharing, either to help or because I need to talk to someone once in awhile. But it’s always met with irritation or silence.

My favorite thing you said was the part about not accepting my reasoning and explanation for my own weirdness because he hasn’t figured out his own. That is brilliant! He generally seems as much or more aspie than me, but it could be a mix of other similar looking things. I’m not sure. He definitely has expressed that he feels different. This is a totally new perspective that I never thought of before. Great list! Thanks.



Gela
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13 Oct 2017, 4:25 pm

Quote:
I think your husband sees you as you than a label but to some people labels are important and want to be seen as such. But on the other hand it's bad because that is all people see so they associate anything you do or what you believe in to being autistic and that gets annoying because you then feel you are no longer you and you have become a label than someone and they also lower their expectations of you. Another possibility is he doesn't want you to self diagnose and use it to define you and doesn't want you to get it confirmed fearing you will use it as an excuse or having to lower his expectations and change how he feels about you and sees you.


LeagueGirl, thanks for your comments. I self-diagnosed several years ago, and I don’t think anything changed for the worse. I think everything has been so so much better, for me at least. I finally understand my whole life, and I have been able to figure out who the real me is, instead of always “pretending to look normalish”. I rarely talk about Aspergers, but when I do or when I do something that is very aspie and it seems relevant to bring it up, I do, and I just want some validation, I guess. I think it all comes back to validation.