How well are you dealing with autism/Aspergers?

Post Reply New Topic

I have been depressed for about 2 years in a period when I cound´t leave home and I´was unable to do many things (like reading that requires concentration). I was kicked from university but I plan returning to it later (to a different course too). But lately I´ve been feeling better and I am thinking that the whole thing (terrible depression) is beginning to fade away. Today I had the workout with the disability personal trainer and it was a little tough so I slept in the afternoon. It is strange because right now I´m feeling well!! !! !

I don't have a frame of reference to compare myself to.

Probably good, all things considered.

At 64, diagnosed a few years ago, married to an NT woman for 40 years, two sons, four grand children, never been unemployed for more than a month, still working and also matriculated at a "Name University', on PhD track with a joint focus, just for fun, it's hard to say with any specificity, since the phrase "dealing with" is ambiguous; appearing to entail negotiations.

Well I haven't killed myself or anyone else for that matter so I have to say pretty good. I have only known about my Aspergers since August 6th, 2010. I did not know what Aspergers was until October 2009 when I watched a tv show talking about the autism spectrum and everyone in the room and said thats you.

I am seventy four years old and I have learned to adapt my behavior to the NT world. It has taken several decades. I have lived long enough and learned enough to pass for human.

ruveyn

Before being diagnosed with Asperger's (and before becoming familiar with Asperger's) I used to think I was the only person like me in the world. I didn't mind it, but I thought I had to be pretty eccentric. After learning of Asperger's and being diagnosed with Asperger's, I was very happy. I have to say that I am extremely happy with having Asperger's. Asperger's is the reason I have my special intense interests. Asperger's is the reason I am able to play various musical instruments with no lessons and in little time.

I'm still thought of as a "weird girl" and I still have no consistent social life (college is NOT like they show on tv ), but I keep up with my interests and I learn new things a lot so, I'm doing pretty good! Plus I'm changing my major which only adds to my cheerful optimus prime mood.
Before diagnosis, I probably wouldn't have been though. I would just spend a lot of time home by myself wondering why I fail at life, work, and being liked. And then I'd watch Family Guy or something. Now, I don't put too much pressure on trying to be something that I will never ideally be; normal by standards on society. I try to do better talking to people, though that does not work out well when talking to guys ... Trying to be like other girls was the hardest thing because I'd be lost on reasons why I'm supposed to do stuff like do hair daily, apply makeup daily, wear nice clothes daily, etc. I mean seriously, why waste my time and $$ on that crap if I'm always at home and no boys are paying attention to me? I still piss other girls off by being myself though.

Well, I'm not sure if I have Asperger's or not but really I feel fine now...as long as I don't go out and do social things. I mean with groups of people who are not my close friends. In those moments I am too reminded of my social shortcomings and I get pretty down about it.

When I was a teenager and in my early 20s I was depressed constantly because I was not on the same social train as the rest of my friends. I felt really left out and sometimes like I was borderline ret*d or something.

How well am I dealing?... Moderately well. I still have a lot of problems; still can't support myself. But everyone I'm working with, especially at school, says I'm getting better and better at doing things for myself, and that I'll eventually be capable of at least part-time work, enough to support myself.

I no longer have depression; it's in full remission as of last year, and that's a great thing, though I can expect more episodes in the future just because of its recurrent nature. Thankfully I am also not too bad at detecting the beginnings of an episode, and starting meds at that point can apparently shorten one--let's hope that works.

So all in all I'm doing well. Slow going, twenty-seven and still not independent; I could have been independent much earlier if my mom had just given in and let me be diagnosed as a child, and let me get the help I needed; but that's water under the bridge, and nothing I can do about it.

I'm not so much worried about success or wealth as much as I'm worried about making a difference. I think if I died at thirty-six, like my father did, I could be satisfied with that if I knew that the world had been changed for the better--even a little--because I'd been here. That's my goal, and everything else is really just peripheral.

It goes up and down. At the moment I'm not really coping at all and have spent the last few days trying to pull myself out of a big, black hole.