Accepting one's autism = regressing?
I had someone in my family comment on 'since I decided to accept my condition my life is moving backward' and cited how much more outgoing and independent I was (when I had the money to do all these things) and that I had a steady business before I started 'listening to all those people online". I was dealing with my clients drying up before I began exploring "well gee, maybe I do have a condition" but in the eyes of this person it's perfectly fine for a mutually known party to have job offers mysteriously vanish for them. The bottom line is yes I do feel more symptomatic when I don't have 2 pennies to rub together.
I'd been reading Michael John Carley's book and he mentioned the difference between having a genuine pursuit of interests and having a 'set of skills that falls into your lap' - a majority of how I've been able to contribute more financially is in an area slightly out of my zone, and that has built up to the point of triggering at the thought of engaging in this offshoot and I don't see my particular focus as regaining the capacity to be sustainable for little more than personal pleasure. This family member has a pattern of lecturing me when funds are low
But again I was outwardly more 'well' when I had the luxury to go off and travel practically at will, though it's acceptable for others to sit around the house 24/7, even with my extra income so sporadic I still make an effort to be constantly doing something. How can these people not see that?
_________________
Let's go on out and take a moped ride, and all your friends will thing your brain is fried, but you can't live your life too dirty, 'cause in the the end you're born to go 30
I'd been reading Michael John Carley's book and he mentioned the difference between having a genuine pursuit of interests and having a 'set of skills that falls into your lap' - a majority of how I've been able to contribute more financially is in an area slightly out of my zone, and that has built up to the point of triggering at the thought of engaging in this offshoot and I don't see my particular focus as regaining the capacity to be sustainable for little more than personal pleasure. This family member has a pattern of lecturing me when funds are low
But again I was outwardly more 'well' when I had the luxury to go off and travel practically at will, though it's acceptable for others to sit around the house 24/7, even with my extra income so sporadic I still make an effort to be constantly doing something. How can these people not see that?
I've always hated when people (particularly my mother) try to tell me how I feel, or how I'm doing in life. Especially when I know how I feel, or how I'm doing in life. I may not express it very well, but that don't mean I don't know.
But no, I don't think acceptence means moving backward, it means you know there's nothing that will change it, and honestly anyone who doesn't accept it at some point would never truly be happy because they'll never be satisfied and will always feel down when they can't accomplish something.
Remember, acceptance doesn't mean complacency.
_________________
Writer. Author.
They may very well be noticing something which is going on with you. There is a process which happens to many ASD people when they discover they have the condition which to other people might seem like they are going backwards. This is because we begin, either consciously or subconsciously, to examine the coping strategies we have built up over the years, the things we do to hide our difficulties, and the levels of stress we put ourselves under to perform in a way others perceive as normal. We realise a lot of these things are having a negative effect on us and loosen our hold on them so we can connect with our more natural way of interacting with the world. Understanding that we have an ASD gives us a new insight into the way our minds work and with that new understanding we are able to take apart the things we learned so we could "cope" in an NT world, and better understand which of them to discard and which to continue, as well as develop new and healthier ways of interacting with the world based on our new information. This may include explaining your condition to some people in order to have more authentic and enjoyable relationships with them and so you no longer feel under constant pressure to pass as a NT person.
This is an incredibly important process and is in no way "going backwards". It is very much going forward - it is an important period of growth and increased comfort for you as a person. Because all other people see on the outside is that we seem to be passing less well as NT, it makes them uncomfortable, and they might complain about it. Ignore them, or if you care about them, try to explain what is going on in a way they can understand it. They are not you and they have no idea what is going on internally, and nor can they (assuming they are NT) offer you any useful advice about your situation.
thomas81
Veteran

Joined: 2 May 2012
Age: 44
Gender: Male
Posts: 5,147
Location: County Down, Northern Ireland
Sounds about right actually.
Acceptance, I think, can lead to a period that might look like regression to everyone but ourselves. Acceptance caused me to realize that maybe there really were certain things about myself I could not change. For a time, I kind of gave up trying. Stopped acting or faking anything. That alone will look like regression when really all I was doing was just being myself. No masks.
It's a stage I think we all have to go through. But we don't have to get stuck in it.
_________________
I'm not likely to be around much longer. As before when I first signed up here years ago, I'm finding that after a long hiatus, and after only a few days back on here, I'm spending way too much time here again already. So I'm requesting my account be locked, banned or whatever. It's just time. Until then, well, I dunno...
Correlation/causation fallacy.
Your family believes that because your independence level dropped around the same time you accepted your autism diagnosis, that the one must have caused the other. That is a fallacy.
It's like saying, "I had a car accident on Friday. Therefore, Fridays cause car accidents. Therefore, I will never drive on Fridays again."
...yeah, pretty ridiculous, no?
It's likely that the cause-effect is the other way around--the decrease in your independence made you start to search for reasons why you might be having trouble, which led to your acceptance of your diagnosis. It's easy to pretend you're not-really-disabled when things are going okay and you lucked out with a good situation where you don't need accommodations.
_________________
Reports from a Resident Alien:
http://chaoticidealism.livejournal.com
Autism Memorial:
http://autism-memorial.livejournal.com
I don't think of it as regressing.
My own view is that it's kinda like realizing you're driving down the wrong road, turning the car around to go back to the last junction, and then starting to drive towards your destination.
No longer lost - now finally heading towards where you need to be.
_________________
Diagnosed Asperger's
DING! We have a winner! ^^^
_________________
I'm not likely to be around much longer. As before when I first signed up here years ago, I'm finding that after a long hiatus, and after only a few days back on here, I'm spending way too much time here again already. So I'm requesting my account be locked, banned or whatever. It's just time. Until then, well, I dunno...
Priorities change, and self realisations impact heavily.... its good for you to put self before money [for a whiles]
Sadly, your observant friends dont value you changing
and want you the way you were
And its aspies that are supposed to dislike change!
I hope you find your destination
Sweetleaf
Veteran

Joined: 6 Jan 2011
Age: 35
Gender: Female
Posts: 35,157
Location: Somewhere in Colorado
Your family believes that because your independence level dropped around the same time you accepted your autism diagnosis, that the one must have caused the other. That is a fallacy.
It's like saying, "I had a car accident on Friday. Therefore, Fridays cause car accidents. Therefore, I will never drive on Fridays again."
...yeah, pretty ridiculous, no?
It's likely that the cause-effect is the other way around--the decrease in your independence made you start to search for reasons why you might be having trouble, which led to your acceptance of your diagnosis. It's easy to pretend you're not-really-disabled when things are going okay and you lucked out with a good situation where you don't need accommodations.
Beat me to it, that was pretty much what I was going to say but probably different wording.
_________________
Metal never dies. \m/
Sweetleaf
Veteran

Joined: 6 Jan 2011
Age: 35
Gender: Female
Posts: 35,157
Location: Somewhere in Colorado
Now, if you get diagnosed, and throw out everything you've learned about being social, and start behaving like a stereotypical rude aspergian that would be.
I wasn't aware people with AS are stereo-typically rude...I think that is a bit of an assumption especially when its a rather well known fact that sometimes what the NT's perceive as 'rudeness' from someone with AS is not actual rudeness its more a case of the person with AS not interacting normally and coming off as rather 'off'. For instance they might take lack of eye contact as rude when its just not something that works well with someone that has AS so it not lack of eye contact out of rudeness more an inability to make appropriate eye contact.
_________________
Metal never dies. \m/
This; I found myself at a place where following the formula wasn't yielding the desired result, more like the direct opposite of what's 'supposed' to happen and tying it together with certain lifelong difficulties finally helped me put my finger on it, mind you it became a bit easier for me to just let the mask fall away, having seen a few contestants and roles on TV recently that thrust AS into the public view.
Thanks all, it's a comfort to get that sort of backup that I'm where I need to be in the moment. 1 in 88 can't be wrong!
_________________
Let's go on out and take a moped ride, and all your friends will thing your brain is fried, but you can't live your life too dirty, 'cause in the the end you're born to go 30
Similar Topics | |
---|---|
The other end of the autism spectrum |
30 Apr 2025, 3:01 pm |
Autism and Hunger |
28 Jun 2025, 1:21 am |
Autism or selflessness |
02 Jun 2025, 9:58 am |
GERD and Autism |
19 Jul 2025, 1:19 am |