How on earth do you survive with Asperger's/HFA? (Poll)

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Living off savings (also have a working partner), accumulated before I burnt myself out with the career thing. Will have to work again at some point, but not sure what as I've been out of work a while now and don't think I could cope (nor would it be wise) to do what I did before.

Work from home as a designer. Do Landscape Architecture & starting to do straight Architecture. Sounds like you need to find some likeminded people in your area.

...At first I thought you were saying you were homeless in style of living , " in the woods " , but I suppose that's a metaphor for your savings being in the equivalent of a tin can ?
Were you ever in the military ? What service/how long ?
You list a lot of posts , so I suppose (As opposed to what I thought before I noticed your # of posts) you're not oitside , as I am (Yes , I'm saying it)...What area do you live in ?

i am working full-time, and have worked at various jobs and careers (22 jobs at last count, though i think i missed a few).

i'm often underemployed (am working in a job that requires only high school education, and i am university educated).

i find that working helps me with my social skills, because it forces me to interact even though it is uncomfortable. i lose my social skills fast - one day off with no interaction and i'm already back to interrupting and blurting stuff out on a regular basis, until i get back to work again.

luckily, in my current job i am surrounded by other people with social issues, so we get along really well!

hi there ASS-P i live in a tin can out in the woods, i hope that is more clear. there are so many trees around my place i can only see a little sky. if the high winter winds and precipitation blow or wash my tin can down the road, then i will be truly homeless. but i was homeless on previous occasions, shortly before and after the military.



army, '84-'88. 4 years too long, IMHO. my recruiter saw a big "SUCKER!" invisible sticker on my forehead when i walked into his office, and got me to sign for 4 years whereas all my fellows at permanent party were obligated for only 2 or 3 years. he also got me into 4 years IRR whereas the rest of the smarter people around me got only 2 years of that. yea i am stupid. but believe me, joining the mean green machine was #1 on my list of things never to do, but homelessness has a way of changing one's mind about some things.



you are saying you are homeless and living outside? i'm sorry. hope it's not cold where you are at. it is cold and wet here, and it would be awful to be homeless in this place. but for the grace of god i am not homeless now but i realize that it is but a short step to homelessness, just one expensive illness away from it in fact. damned american non-healthcare system. if you wish to talk about your situation, please pm me. i am always here, 'cept when i'm in dreamland.
there has got to be a better way. i'm not saying join the army, don't repeat my mistakes, but you have no options left? just curious. anyways, i live in the wilds of western washington, about an hour in between the ocean and olympia. i call my burg "greater hooterville" as "lesser hooterville" is just a wide spot in the road, with a jail and a dog pound, a ubiquitous walmart, and a few other things. it has what i need for survival, i just wish i didn't have to drive the better part of an hour to reach it. my whole county [mason] doesn't have one us bank, so i have to drive to oly for my banking, which since i don't get a lot of $$$ incoming, i don't have to go to the bank too often.

...What's IRR ? Oh , and I guess you're saying that " lesser H. " is where the bank/other necessities are , and is an hour-long drive away - Correct ?
I'll " write " more later , when I have more time ...Thank you - SIR ! -

I work as a software developer and company director.

I have worked several different jobs. The high paying ones that meet my abilities (I have a MBA) don't typically last very long. As a result I am either unemployed for long periods of time or take short-term financial consulting/auditing jobs. Unfortunately, these jobs don't have health care and that has led to many challenges in coping with life's struggles.

I typically live in cheap hotels or apartments traveling to wherever I might be able to find work. When I am out of work so long I exhaust any savings, I stay in homeless shelters. It is not a fun life but my lack of social skills has presented significant challenges.

I start a new job tomorrow. It is only temporary, but I am hoping to it will last long enough to keep me out of the homeless shelters.

I live my life in the same way that everybody lives theirs, AS or NT.

affirmative, sir.



thank YOU sir
when i was in the army, a phrase spat out by indignant NCOs [Non-Commissioned Officers or Sergeants] was "SIR?! DON'T call me that! i WORK for a $%#@! living!" 'course i was never one of those, and was reminded often that i never would be.
as for having more time, a famous novelist [whose name escapes me, might've been phillip roth] said "the worst thing about being poor is that it takes up all your time."

i know you won't understand me, but i must say i hope you know just how fortunate you are. the fortunate ones just don't get the unfortunate ones, and vice-versa.

I think life is made up of fortunate ones and unfortunate ones. I do think there is room for "self-improvement", positive attitude, etc., but for the most part, people really are either lucky or not. There's only so much you can do with the cards you are dealt.

It just amazes me how different people's circumstances are. The fortunate ones generally congratulate themselves on their "positive attitude" and "hard work" without even realizing their great fortune to be capable of these in the first place.

The people dismissed as "lazy", "unambitious", etc. are at least sometimes nothing of the sort. They're just unlucky - they don't have the energy (physical, emotional and/or mental), the ability to focus, the right genes, right parents, etc.

Successful people, for the most part, were simply lucky to be born with the right personalities (happy, extroverted, optimistic, etc.). People love those kind of people, which becomes a virtuous cycle. If you're the opposite, people hate you, reject you and blame you for your problems - "he just has a bad attitude / is lazy", etc. Which makes you feel even worse about yourself. You can "think positive" all day long, but you can't change your basic personality.

Last edited by ThomasL on 02 Nov 2010, 2:58 am, edited 1 time in total.

that was very well expressed it needs to be megaphoned far and wide. in anycase it is one more reason for me to believe in reincarnation, because most folk are clueless about god's gifts and the golden rule has to be hammered into them via repeated cycles of victimization, [reaping and sowing] before the goes on.

I live by myself right now, working 30+ hours a week at Best Buy. I recently got a lateral promotion to a new store, a raise and a chance to get another promotion at the start of next year moving into another department with bonuses.

Anyway, my current situation was, before I was taking the bus. I'm 27 but don't own a car at the moment. Before I accepted the transfer I looked for a new place on the West side of town with my NT girlfriend. I found a place very close to work, and moved there. This is my third week now. I wake up in the morning, shower, eat and then start walking. It takes about twenty minutes to walk to work. Once I get to work I just kinda hang out in my department and help every customer I can. The more I move the better I look on task.

It's hard at times though. Sometimes I'll catch myself on the computer browsing forums, or checking up on game stuff. I really have tried to stop doing it as much. And, today I found some internal forums for Best Buy which are really quiet, but may interest me between customers.

As for my finances, my Dad helps out with paying my bills on time. I get all my bills here then we get together and I give him all my bills. My paychecks are direct deposited into a bank account separate from his own - but still his - which I have been authorized to direct deposit to. He helps me quite a bit with my finances, and though he can be really controlling at times, I understand he's just trying to prevent me from spending all my money. We have talked recently though, and since I'm on a really good track there is the potential that with the aid of my girlfriend I'll be finally able to take control of my own finances.

I hope it goes well. (:

Amazing that you said that about reincarnation, because I almost mentioned it myself! I can't really say I believe in it, but some general idea of karma and reincarnation would at least lend some sense of justice to this crazy world which the Middle Eastern religions (including Christianity) just don't. Without the concept of reincarnation and karma, the vastly different circumstances people are born into is just insanely unfair and depressing as all hell.

the search for a respite from hell on earth led me to belief in metaphysical concepts which put this sandbox earth into better perspective, for me.