Autism is a disease

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If autism shortens our life expectancy then that makes it a disease.

Ahhhh...

So we all have intellectual disability, autoimmune diseases that do not come from any parents, learning disabilities, a bunch of comorbidities ADHD especially due to impulsivity and poor executive functions, clumsiness causing accident prone behaviors like drowning, depressive and suicidal, or plain unhealthy because of some gaslighting over food, congenital disorders that had nothing to do with behaviors, or just plain bullied and abused and then blame the victim.


You know what?
These past few days are all rather strange days for me. Like a shift in the air.
Nothing to do with what I or someone did or did not do.

But it could be hormones. Could be the weather. Could be what I just ate.
Or maybe the planets aligned ​and the fact the first day of the next month is coming.

It's just one of these weird days...
Like suddenly remembering dreams for few days after several weeks of nothing.

Or the fact my body temperature is warmer than usual. Or perhaps having more urge to roll my eyes than usual.
Or having a rather a more ravenous yet contradictory appetite.

Or thinking of different things that suddenly pops out of nowhere, contrary to the choice of focus. Like suddenly binging on TV.

Or just plain feeling weird -- too cold and too hot, seemingly sicker when not ill, craving but not hungry, having a lot of plans but did virtually nothing.


You know...
It's similar to seasonal depression. Or allergies. Or it's just one of those days in the month.
Something reoccurring over and over...


Of course it's not limited to myself.
Mom got a bit well but also sick, boss got happier but also angrier, drivers got cheaper yet more impatient...

You feel something similar?
Is this one of these days for you?

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Autism is not a disease. It doesn't shorten life expectancy on its own. And it doesn't alter a person's physical appearance by itself.

The "lower life expectancy" is primarily caused by genetic or chromosomal conditions which occur with the autism. And, perhaps, depression and other mental health conditions, which might cause one to neglect one's health.

It may be. Disease. Disorder. But, This thread. Definitely. Depressing.

I consider it a brain & gut disorder (not a disease by current, western, medical categories).

But it is contagious in a social sense - Autistic thoughts and conversations are socially reinforced.

It's just endless, looping around an actual issue instead of crashing into an issue head on (that's how my Autistic brain works) - luckily I was somewhat of an NT-ish Autistic as a child, but then regressed in adolescence....

An easy example is my Autistic brain immediately wondering how to build a football stadium instead of playing football - but then I realise football is a lot more enjoyable etc.

While I agree with the Wikipedia definition, I would also (imho) add “contagious or transmissible”, such as a viral or bacterial infection — maybe even genetic.

But I am not a doctor, so my authority on the subject is inherently limited.

^ Complications from a lifetime of being misunderstood and abused.

It's a disability that I hate living with, and I'm tired of pretending that it's not.

People who tell me that I should be happy to be the way I am piss me off because they don't understand the pain that I go through, and the ones who claim to understand but tell me to be happy anyway are lying through their goddamn teeth about their supposed understanding.

I agree that autism can be aggravating, irritating, and demoralizing.

But to be "ashamed" of it runs counter to my beliefs. Unless one has done something to be ashamed of, one should not be ashamed of any aspect of themselves.

I hate the fact that there are people on the spectrum that can mask it better compared to people like me who have to face prejudice cause its obvious.

I was diagnosed with autism as a child as well.