I NEED AN ANSWER ONCE AND FOR ALL

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Like I want to know the literal difference. Are Autistics basically brain dead? please dont lay down the savant speech Ive heard it 100 times.
Im trying 2 figure out if IM autistic or not, its been almost a year, its been a battle, 2 adults who say they have had experience in Autism and autistic people say I dont have Aspergers or Autism, one being a doctor, I dont do much talking, going out, or socializing, i've never accomplished anything in my life, academically or for the town or for society, Im not good with people at all really, not with women, and not with men, im 23 years old. I was quiet for most of my school although I had a group of loser friends and when drugged up on MJ i get loud and rambly. When I read about AS i started reading alot about it 2 the point of sucide, Stoped trying to talk to people for the most part. one doctor and one social worker say i dont have it from their perspective, I just want to know what is the all tell tale sign that u have it so I can finally stop researching it and coming to this site. Another thing about me is my face is emotionless pretty much unless on drugs, I do make facial changes but before I was told many times of my DeadPan -lifeless-miserable look.

I don't understand the brain dead comment.

I don't understand the brain dead thing either. That's an entirely different problem. You are starting your question with an assumption that we're going to respond with statements about savants. I don't follow your logic. Clearly, if one is brain dead, being autistic is irrelevant.

There aren't any "once and for all" answers really - people are still figuring out all the details of the spectrum. For more definitive information I'd recommend you read up on it. Start with any books by Grandin or Attwood. Attwood is mildly more academic and Grandin's writing is more for the layperson.

well , you can add taking things literally to your list people in vegetative states don't post online.

hehe - yeah. Really, autism is not about being brain dead. He might have meant something else because being brain dead means you're on life support and unable to open your eyes, communicate, move, etc.

Its possible you are just a quiet guy, AND this is much better than actually having a disorder. . if you dont be glad that you dont, its not a good thing

There is no tell-tale sign. The certainty you are looking for does not exist. Deal with it.

Autistics brain-dead? that's just... I'm as confused as I'd be if you'd asked me, "So is football basically a kind of bird-watching?" 'Cause not only is there obviously no connection, I can't even conceive of where in the world you got that idea.

I would loosen up and have some fun, comparing yourself to NT is just doing your head in. Aspies could easily be classified as gifted, science and art relies on autistic traits.

Be happy with who you are and enjoy the ride (it can be as good as NT sometimes!) you might surprise yourself, instead of getting off on winding us up.

I can guess that you got the brain-dead idea from the stereotype of an LFA. It's inaccurate. Autistics are not basically brain-dead.

Dunno what MJ is. What you describe could be autism. Seems likely. However, I suspect that your bigger problem may be depression; I think you'll do better once that's under control. It seems likely that you've given up on acting NT, for some reason; it may be depression or hopelessness, or you may be giving yourself permission to not keep doing things that were always beyond what you could truly sustain. The course of action will be different for each, but they share rough similarities.

For either, you will need to attempt to evaluate (this will be more difficult if you're depressed) what you want in life and what you're capable of. Stuff like, do you want friends? If so, how many? Do you think you'll ever be able to mimic NT facial expressions? If so, is it worth doing?

If you're depressed, you need to treat the depression, and you need to look for a way to achieve what you want to achieve with the abilities you have, which may change as your depression lessens-- you may become able to do more difficult things as you gain more energy, and less able to do some other things due to side-effects of any drugs you decide to take, if you take any. So you'll want to re-evaluate two or three months into recovery and adjust your plan of action if necessary.

Whereas if you've simply let go of things that were always too much, you need to evaluate which if any you think you really, really want back, and decide what you'll sacrifice to regain them, because that's what it comes down to. If this is the situation, you'll never be able to juggle that much again, and were only doing so by dint of superhuman willpower and "borrowing against tomorrow" (using strength you intend to regain later, sort of like taking out a loan, but in this case you have no income and you'll never be able to pay it back). Good job, I guess, if this is the case. You'll have to think carefully about precisely what you want, and why you want it; beware especially of things you think you want, but actually don't. And you evaluate what you can actually sustain; it'll be less than previously. And figure out how to get what you want with what you have. Basically, if this is it, the way it works is kind of like when you run really far, and you're really exhausted, but you can keep going until you stop, at which point you can't start up again.

If it's both, the good news is, you're in better shape than if it's the latter alone. The bad news is, you have to re-evaluate your life and yourself, AND you need to get your depression treated.

Stop trying to turn us inside out, and celebrate your differences, like I celebrate mine. I also have a very lively brain, so it's not dead.

DandelionFireworks wrote:

I bet if I spent one whole entire day observing you without you noticing it I can determine by the end of the day whether or not you may have AS or an autistic spectrum disorder. It's actually not as difficult as people make it out to be to spot it. I actually find it easier than reading off a person's list of flaws.