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If you could cure yourself of Asperger's, would you?

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If you could cure yourself of Asperger's Syndrome, would you?
Yes 25%  25%  [ 16 ]
No 75%  75%  [ 47 ]
Total votes : 63

The Grand Inquisitor
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16 Sep 2015, 9:07 am

Girl_Kitten wrote:
The Grand Inquisitor wrote:
izzeme wrote:
I would not. Aspergers is not something i have, it is what i am; "curing" it would be akin to suicide.


Interesting perspective, but I would disagree. It's a part of you, sure, but it doesn't define you as a person. It's still a condition.

You would be different if you didn't have it, but that doesn't necessarily mean you wouldn't still be you.


A cure would likely require physical changes to your brain. We'd likely not be ourselves in the same way that other people with physical alterations of their brains are not themselves anymore.

I would not want to cure my Autism. It might be nice to be able to ride public transportation and eat the foods that everyone else eats, but I'd have to give up my stimming, which is profoundly relaxing and enjoyable to me, and I'd have to give up my strong senses including my ability to differentiate sound and my ability to taste mild tastes. I'd rather just drive and eat my own foods and keep my sensory abilities.

I'd like to be less socially awkward and for socialization and speech to require less concentration. However, I'd have to give up my near-photographic memory, my special interests (like the law), and my Autistic-level concern for what is "fair". I wouldn't have ever gone to law school, so therefore, not only would I not have my career, but I would also not have my husband (who I met in law school) and the three children that resulted from our marriage. I'd much rather have my husband and children and have to work a bit harder to interact with the outside world.

I'll also probably never get dementia, as research suggests that Autistic people do not get dementia due to our greater neuroplasticity. My grandmother died of demetia and Parkinson's, and it was miserable for her and for my family. It hurt my grandfather most when he went to see her in the nursing home for their anniversary and she didn't even know who he was. I'd rather be socially awkward than ever hurt my husband like that.

Yes, some of my Autistic traits make many things more difficult. However, many Autistic traits are assets. My assets make me who I am more than my difficulties, and I like my Autistic assets more than I dislike my Autistic disabilities.


In your position, it seems Autism is more an asset than a burden, as you excel in your special interest and seem to have heightened senses to a degree. For anyone, I'd say there are positives and negatives to being Autistic, but I personally find it challenging. I haven't had a special interest to excel in since I was 13 (it was Pokemon back then), as a matter of fact, I have little motivation to do anything at all. Instead I've been duped with a preoccupation about not being good enough for anyone romantically, firstly blaming my social skills, then focussing on my physical unattractiveness and now, after getting contact lenses that straighten my turned eye, I've recently shifted the blame to my awkward demeanour, which seems to make the most sense as it's a common denominator between Autistics who are unable to attract members of the opposite sex.

My Asperger's Syndrome allows me to approach things logically, but at the price of overthinking everything to the finest detail, not just about relationships, but even about university assignments, often causing me to suffer from an analysis paralysis and get nothing done (not that it's easy to motivate myself to do any work in the first place). The males on my mum's side of the family have a tendency to be negative thinkers, despite being NT, and, having inherited this quality, my obsessive thought process exponentiates it. Sure, I'd bill myself pretty intelligent, but when I feel like crap for at least a portion of every day that passes by, appreciating my intelligence slides under my to-do list.

I guess what I'm getting at is everyone gets dealt a hand in life, and my hand might be good if I were playing blackjack, but I'm stuck at the poker table.



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16 Sep 2015, 10:35 am

The Grand Inquisitor wrote:
Girl_Kitten wrote:
The Grand Inquisitor wrote:
izzeme wrote:
I would not. Aspergers is not something i have, it is what i am; "curing" it would be akin to suicide.


Interesting perspective, but I would disagree. It's a part of you, sure, but it doesn't define you as a person. It's still a condition.

You would be different if you didn't have it, but that doesn't necessarily mean you wouldn't still be you.


A cure would likely require physical changes to your brain. We'd likely not be ourselves in the same way that other people with physical alterations of their brains are not themselves anymore.

I would not want to cure my Autism. It might be nice to be able to ride public transportation and eat the foods that everyone else eats, but I'd have to give up my stimming, which is profoundly relaxing and enjoyable to me, and I'd have to give up my strong senses including my ability to differentiate sound and my ability to taste mild tastes. I'd rather just drive and eat my own foods and keep my sensory abilities.

I'd like to be less socially awkward and for socialization and speech to require less concentration. However, I'd have to give up my near-photographic memory, my special interests (like the law), and my Autistic-level concern for what is "fair". I wouldn't have ever gone to law school, so therefore, not only would I not have my career, but I would also not have my husband (who I met in law school) and the three children that resulted from our marriage. I'd much rather have my husband and children and have to work a bit harder to interact with the outside world.

I'll also probably never get dementia, as research suggests that Autistic people do not get dementia due to our greater neuroplasticity. My grandmother died of demetia and Parkinson's, and it was miserable for her and for my family. It hurt my grandfather most when he went to see her in the nursing home for their anniversary and she didn't even know who he was. I'd rather be socially awkward than ever hurt my husband like that.

Yes, some of my Autistic traits make many things more difficult. However, many Autistic traits are assets. My assets make me who I am more than my difficulties, and I like my Autistic assets more than I dislike my Autistic disabilities.


In your position, it seems Autism is more an asset than a burden, as you excel in your special interest and seem to have heightened senses to a degree. For anyone, I'd say there are positives and negatives to being Autistic, but I personally find it challenging. I haven't had a special interest to excel in since I was 13 (it was Pokemon back then), as a matter of fact, I have little motivation to do anything at all. Instead I've been duped with a preoccupation about not being good enough for anyone romantically, firstly blaming my social skills, then focussing on my physical unattractiveness and now, after getting contact lenses that straighten my turned eye, I've recently shifted the blame to my awkward demeanour, which seems to make the most sense as it's a common denominator between Autistics who are unable to attract members of the opposite sex.

My Asperger's Syndrome allows me to approach things logically, but at the price of overthinking everything to the finest detail, not just about relationships, but even about university assignments, often causing me to suffer from an analysis paralysis and get nothing done (not that it's easy to motivate myself to do any work in the first place). The males on my mum's side of the family have a tendency to be negative thinkers, despite being NT, and, having inherited this quality, my obsessive thought process exponentiates it. Sure, I'd bill myself pretty intelligent, but when I feel like crap for at least a portion of every day that passes by, appreciating my intelligence slides under my to-do list.

I guess what I'm getting at is everyone gets dealt a hand in life, and my hand might be good if I were playing blackjack, but I'm stuck at the poker table.


I think that you might be being too negative about your Autism, too. How did you get into university to begin with? How much student loan debt did you have to take on to get there? What kind of schools did you go to as a child?

If I had a nice background like most of the people I went to law school with, I'd think that I was worse off than NTs. But I didn't. I grew up in a rural area, and I was the first person in my family to earn a Bachelor's degree. There were buckets in the hallway of my elementary school to catch the drips from our leaky roof. We wore down jackets in our high school because the school was too poor to afford enough heat. My state is one of the worst in the nation for college funding, and my friends growing up are strapped with intense student loan debt and making minimum wage to $40k a year in a high cost of living area.

If I compare myself to my NT law school peers, I would think that my Autism was a handicap, but I don't. I compare myself to my peers that I went to elementary school with and I am doing much, much better than they are because I am Autistic. If you look around, you certainly will see NT people who have it much easier than you, but you will also see NT people who have it much worse.

Is it possible that you are depressed? Depression is strongly correlated with Autism, in part because of rejection by NTs. It wouldn't hurt to go to a psychiatrist and describe how you are feeling and ask to be evaluated for antidepressants.



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16 Sep 2015, 10:37 am

Asperger's is a pain in the tuchus--but it is who I am.



The Grand Inquisitor
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16 Sep 2015, 10:55 am

Girl_Kitten wrote:
The Grand Inquisitor wrote:
Girl_Kitten wrote:
The Grand Inquisitor wrote:
izzeme wrote:
I would not. Aspergers is not something i have, it is what i am; "curing" it would be akin to suicide.


Interesting perspective, but I would disagree. It's a part of you, sure, but it doesn't define you as a person. It's still a condition.

You would be different if you didn't have it, but that doesn't necessarily mean you wouldn't still be you.


A cure would likely require physical changes to your brain. We'd likely not be ourselves in the same way that other people with physical alterations of their brains are not themselves anymore.

I would not want to cure my Autism. It might be nice to be able to ride public transportation and eat the foods that everyone else eats, but I'd have to give up my stimming, which is profoundly relaxing and enjoyable to me, and I'd have to give up my strong senses including my ability to differentiate sound and my ability to taste mild tastes. I'd rather just drive and eat my own foods and keep my sensory abilities.

I'd like to be less socially awkward and for socialization and speech to require less concentration. However, I'd have to give up my near-photographic memory, my special interests (like the law), and my Autistic-level concern for what is "fair". I wouldn't have ever gone to law school, so therefore, not only would I not have my career, but I would also not have my husband (who I met in law school) and the three children that resulted from our marriage. I'd much rather have my husband and children and have to work a bit harder to interact with the outside world.

I'll also probably never get dementia, as research suggests that Autistic people do not get dementia due to our greater neuroplasticity. My grandmother died of demetia and Parkinson's, and it was miserable for her and for my family. It hurt my grandfather most when he went to see her in the nursing home for their anniversary and she didn't even know who he was. I'd rather be socially awkward than ever hurt my husband like that.

Yes, some of my Autistic traits make many things more difficult. However, many Autistic traits are assets. My assets make me who I am more than my difficulties, and I like my Autistic assets more than I dislike my Autistic disabilities.


In your position, it seems Autism is more an asset than a burden, as you excel in your special interest and seem to have heightened senses to a degree. For anyone, I'd say there are positives and negatives to being Autistic, but I personally find it challenging. I haven't had a special interest to excel in since I was 13 (it was Pokemon back then), as a matter of fact, I have little motivation to do anything at all. Instead I've been duped with a preoccupation about not being good enough for anyone romantically, firstly blaming my social skills, then focussing on my physical unattractiveness and now, after getting contact lenses that straighten my turned eye, I've recently shifted the blame to my awkward demeanour, which seems to make the most sense as it's a common denominator between Autistics who are unable to attract members of the opposite sex.

My Asperger's Syndrome allows me to approach things logically, but at the price of overthinking everything to the finest detail, not just about relationships, but even about university assignments, often causing me to suffer from an analysis paralysis and get nothing done (not that it's easy to motivate myself to do any work in the first place). The males on my mum's side of the family have a tendency to be negative thinkers, despite being NT, and, having inherited this quality, my obsessive thought process exponentiates it. Sure, I'd bill myself pretty intelligent, but when I feel like crap for at least a portion of every day that passes by, appreciating my intelligence slides under my to-do list.

I guess what I'm getting at is everyone gets dealt a hand in life, and my hand might be good if I were playing blackjack, but I'm stuck at the poker table.


I think that you might be being too negative about your Autism, too. How did you get into university to begin with? How much student loan debt did you have to take on to get there? What kind of schools did you go to as a child?

If I had a nice background like most of the people I went to law school with, I'd think that I was worse off than NTs. But I didn't. I grew up in a rural area, and I was the first person in my family to earn a Bachelor's degree. There were buckets in the hallway of my elementary school to catch the drips from our leaky roof. We wore down jackets in our high school because the school was too poor to afford enough heat. My state is one of the worst in the nation for college funding, and my friends growing up are strapped with intense student loan debt and making minimum wage to $40k a year in a high cost of living area.

If I compare myself to my NT law school peers, I would think that my Autism was a handicap, but I don't. I compare myself to my peers that I went to elementary school with and I am doing much, much better than they are because I am Autistic. If you look around, you certainly will see NT people who have it much easier than you, but you will also see NT people who have it much worse.

Is it possible that you are depressed? Depression is strongly correlated with Autism, in part because of rejection by NTs. It wouldn't hurt to go to a psychiatrist and describe how you are feeling and ask to be evaluated for antidepressants.


I'm already on antidepressants, and have been for the past four years.I know I'm depressed, and I see a psychologist every 2-3 weeks about it. Progress has been made, but I'm plagued by strong doubts that I'll ever be where I want to be.

I got into my university course by the skin of my teeth, and I'll be having to pay my loan off after I start earning over 50k a year. I'm not exactly sure how much debt I'll have to pay. The schools I went to were reasonably good, but I was always the odd one out, particularly in primary school. I'm also the first person in my family to go for a bachelor's degree, but half the time I'm not even sure it's going to lead me anywhere. I still don't know what I want to do with my life.

Comparing myself to my peers is all well and good, but I'd lose romantically, and I'd be (barely) ahead of others education-wise, but I even find myself struggling with my studies. I can sit at my computer for 4 hours and still, I'm only able to concoct about 200 words. It was different in high school without the research component, but now that I have to actively seek out the information I need and appropriate it to the task, I'm finding it really hard, to the point that I've missed several due dates, so really, I'm not in front education-wise either.



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16 Sep 2015, 11:02 am

The Grand Inquisitor wrote:

I'm already on antidepressants, and have been for the past four years.I know I'm depressed, and I see a psychologist every 2-3 weeks about it. Progress has been made, but I'm plagued by strong doubts that I'll ever be where I want to be.

I got into my university course by the skin of my teeth, and I'll be having to pay my loan off after I start earning over 50k a year. I'm not exactly sure how much debt I'll have to pay. The schools I went to were reasonably good, but I was always the odd one out, particularly in primary school. I'm also the first person in my family to go for a bachelor's degree, but half the time I'm not even sure it's going to lead me anywhere. I still don't know what I want to do with my life.

Comparing myself to my peers is all well and good, but I'd lose romantically, and I'd be (barely) ahead of others education-wise, but I even find myself struggling with my studies. I can sit at my computer for 4 hours and still, I'm only able to concoct about 200 words. It was different in high school without the research component, but now that I have to actively seek out the information I need and appropriate it to the task, I'm finding it really hard, to the point that I've missed several due dates, so really, I'm not in front education-wise either.

Your description of what you struggle with in school is more closely correlated and more common to depression than Autism. Why do you blame your Autism for what is likely the result of your long-term depression?



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16 Sep 2015, 11:11 am

Girl_Kitten wrote:
The Grand Inquisitor wrote:

I'm already on antidepressants, and have been for the past four years.I know I'm depressed, and I see a psychologist every 2-3 weeks about it. Progress has been made, but I'm plagued by strong doubts that I'll ever be where I want to be.

I got into my university course by the skin of my teeth, and I'll be having to pay my loan off after I start earning over 50k a year. I'm not exactly sure how much debt I'll have to pay. The schools I went to were reasonably good, but I was always the odd one out, particularly in primary school. I'm also the first person in my family to go for a bachelor's degree, but half the time I'm not even sure it's going to lead me anywhere. I still don't know what I want to do with my life.

Comparing myself to my peers is all well and good, but I'd lose romantically, and I'd be (barely) ahead of others education-wise, but I even find myself struggling with my studies. I can sit at my computer for 4 hours and still, I'm only able to concoct about 200 words. It was different in high school without the research component, but now that I have to actively seek out the information I need and appropriate it to the task, I'm finding it really hard, to the point that I've missed several due dates, so really, I'm not in front education-wise either.

Your description of what you struggle with in school is more closely correlated and more common to depression than Autism. Why do you blame your Autism for what is likely the result of your long-term depression?


Because even when I am feeling good, on my most confident days, I'm still really awkward around other people. The vast majority of people seem to find me unattractive whether I'm feeling good about myself at the time or not, so that must either be due to my looks or the way I carry myself. Since it's mainly Aspies in the same boat as me, I'm going with the latter, but most likely it's a combination. It's not like I can never even crack a smile, but I do feel bad a lot.



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23 Sep 2015, 10:57 pm

No. I found good meds to treat the co-morbids that were bothering me. I feel Aspergers is part of who I am & not a problem in & of itself. It just makes me more unique.


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23 Sep 2015, 11:06 pm

if i could have cured myself as a teen, that would have been nice. i'd still be practicing medicine and i'd never have been vulnerable enough to be engaged for three years to a man who hit me. now that i'm 59 and learned to small talk at 50, i just pass for a quiet person. i'm okay with that.



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23 Sep 2015, 11:09 pm

Honestly, yes. And I don't believe it would make me an entirely different person. I'm not sure why I don't, but I don't.

For instance, I believe I would still be creative, still love music, still love history, still love exploring mysteries of all kinds. Those predilections are far from exclusive to ASD people.

I may be a wimp for admitting I would change this if I could. Perhaps I'm not as brave as some other people. Perhaps I'm too much of a follower and care too much what other people think. Perhaps I don't see the beauty in my own condition even if it's there. I know I have never waved the proud "I'm exactly like Bill Gates and Sir Isaac Newton!" flag. Nor do I happen to have an autistic "super-power," LOL. Sure, I have super-focus...but that hasn't really gotten me anywhere, including happy (not saying I'm unhappy, just saying I don't see it as some sort of wonderful thing). I'm not great or even good at math. I'm not a physicist and I'm not amazing at a musical instrument or any other "wow" characteristic that could be associated with autism (though I'm always shaky on such self-assessments and don't fully believe that, for example, an amazing Aspie mathematician wouldn't still have been great with math if s/he hadn't been on the spectrum).

I don't hate who I am, at all. I don't even hate autism, certainly. But the pain of never really understanding others, and them never really understanding me...that doesn't go away, even the older I get and the more accepting I get overall of my idiosyncrasies (IOW, I hide them less).



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23 Sep 2015, 11:17 pm

NowhereWoman wrote:
Honestly, yes. And I don't believe it would make me an entirely different person. I'm not sure why I don't, but I don't.

For instance, I believe I would still be creative, still love music, still love history, still love exploring mysteries of all kinds. Those predilections are far from exclusive to ASD people.

I may be a wimp for admitting I would change this if I could. Perhaps I'm not as brave as some other people. Perhaps I'm too much of a follower and care too much what other people think. Perhaps I don't see the beauty in my own condition even if it's there. I know I have never waved the proud "I'm exactly like Bill Gates and Sir Isaac Newton!" flag. Nor do I happen to have an autistic "super-power," LOL. Sure, I have super-focus...but that hasn't really gotten me anywhere, including happy (not saying I'm unhappy, just saying I don't see it as some sort of wonderful thing). I'm not great or even good at math. I'm not a physicist and I'm not amazing at a musical instrument or any other "wow" characteristic that could be associated with autism (though I'm always shaky on such self-assessments and don't fully believe that, for example, an amazing Aspie mathematician wouldn't still have been great with math if s/he hadn't been on the spectrum).

I don't hate who I am, at all. I don't even hate autism, certainly. But the pain of never really understanding others, and them never really understanding me...that doesn't go away, even the older I get and the more accepting I get overall of my idiosyncrasies (IOW, I hide them less).


That's pretty much how I feel, except I don't even have super-focus and I am unhappy a lot.



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23 Sep 2015, 11:56 pm

No, for one I think it would involve being genetically altered or major changes to the brain. Also it would be kind of pointless now since I've spent so long trying to figure out how to work with my autistic neurology to function to the level I desire....it would be quite confusing to change the way my brain functions and then try to start from the beginning getting used to it.


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23 Sep 2015, 11:58 pm

No, because I'd rather celebrate my Asperger's than kill it.


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24 Sep 2015, 12:45 am

Nope, I'd rather not be a neurotypical.



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24 Sep 2015, 12:47 am

A lot of people know me well, and I'm not sure how a change to NT would cause people to be shocked at how much I've changed. Its important to remember the butterfly effect when speculating like this.



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24 Sep 2015, 1:03 am

The Grand Inquisitor wrote:
For myself, I'd have to consider it, but ultimately, I probably would cure myself of it since I often feel like I'm on a different wave length to most other people, and my Autistic awkwardness can make certain situations challenging and embarrassing. Additionally, I feel I'm not a very approachable person, and I'd have to say at least some of that can be attributed to my AS.

So what about you? If you could cure yourself of Asperger's Syndrome, would you? Why/Why not?

I feel like this is a common question.
I do not think that this is something I would want to change. It is a very fundamental difference. I would be a different person, and although I do not like the way in which certain NT people react to me or misinterpret my intentions despite explaining myself repeatedly (spoken/written words really seem to be inconsequential!) or the reactions to stimming in public, etc.
I do not want to give up my unique perspective on the world. I like seeing the details in things. I *like* my outlook and how I process things in a more object-orientated manner.
I like my brain; I don't like the way people react to my brain.
So, I would like to change people's perceptions or fear-based gut-reactions rather than myself.



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24 Sep 2015, 1:15 am

FireyInspiration wrote:
A lot of people know me well, and I'm not sure how a change to NT would cause people to be shocked at how much I've changed. Its important to remember the butterfly effect when speculating like this.


I think I would have to agree with this perspective,I have often thought about the notion,(too much,along with many things),and even if it is one day possible,for now it is a part of me,in the end though as curious as it is to think about,I find that I tend to get lost in my head too much,and as a result can lose track of time and my surroundings,and in the end I find that it simply is not practical to spend too much time on hypothetical things,but it can still be entertaining everynow and again,so as long you as don't become consumed by it.


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