moving on from an adult diagnosis

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Realised I was on the spectrum in April 2012 got official diagnosis in March 2013.

Last two months or so my obsession with Autism has ended.

This is aimed at all board users.

We can over analyse every little thing we do forgetting that we are just people.

Life can pass us by analysing and obsessing over ourselves and our image of ourselves.

We should enjoy life when we can tomorrow is promised to nobody.

Watch a movie go for a swim read a funny story have a nice meal whatever.

Being on the spectrum does not make us better or worse then any other people.

This board and the support it offers can be a great help but too much of anything is not good.

I am first and foremost an individual person and so are the rest of you.

So my message to everyone here is do something you enjoy a bit more often as a person.

I'll drink to that!

Last edited by DeepHour on 09 Oct 2014, 5:43 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Good message and excellent reminder. You're right of course. Thank you.

I agree completely.

Yeah, top post!

Thank you for posting this. It's something I needed to be reminded of.

Agreed. I was thinking of that the other day. I'm obsessed with autism professionally because I work and do research in the field.

I do find it relaxing to go into myself and ponder the meaning of mine and other people's behaviours. Yet I do enjoy other things. I think there's nothing wrong with an obsession as long as it doesn't interfere with you attaining your full happiness.

I don't know why you think that analyzing and obsessing over oneself would exclude enjoying oneself. I for one am introspective and preoccupied with who I and what I am and analyzing myself. Doing so is part of my personality, part of who I am and have always been. it's not a problem, nor does it keep me from pursuing my interests. I watch what I like on TV and YouTube, I read books almost every day, I often play video games and I frequently surf the net. How much I do of each daily will have natural variations. No amount of preoccupation over my diagnosis has made me stop doing any of that. Or at least not for long. At some point I'll just gravitate towards doing my stuff again if I haven't felt like it for a little while.
And just a few hours ago I made my fave meal; tikka masala!


Obsessions are part of happiness...

What is tikka masala?

A very delicious Indian meal. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicken_tikka_masala

This one to be exact

We add rather finely cut grilled chicken (not too much) and heat it in the sauce, make a lot of rice as a side dish, and then it's complete.

They can be. However, there are obsessions that are mentally depleting and take away from happiness in the long run, like alcoholism, drugs, gambling, excessive overeating, excessive gaming...

I would call the first 4 addictions, not obsessions, and I don't see any happiness coming from any of those. They waste money, dignity and health and are always unhealthy.

Excessive gaming can be either addiction or obsession, and may or may not make someone happy.

There have been times I have been so hooked on a game that I have played it for hours daily until I have finished it (or tired of it). To some that would be excessive gaming (despite that I only play like that occasionally with a few types of games, and have gone for as long as months without playing any game at all) but to me that is no different from my spending hours daily reading books, which I have done nearly daily since I learned how to read 30 years ago, and I've never regretted times spent reading a good book.
I assume though that you are referring to the ones who play most of their waking hours daily, and would skip everything else (work/school, family, chores) in order to play.

To the OP: Excellently said.

Thanks.

I wish I had those realizations when I first got dx'd. I actually got a dx right around when you did. The people who I considered "Friends" used it as a way to put me down, especially my best friend's mother. I realized then that I was no different than before, and this was just a part of who I was, but now with a name. Before, I etched out an existence despite my differences, what makes me any different? And then I realized - nothing. I got away from those people and I'm far better than I was 2 years ago.

I guess everyone has to shed their fears though. It took me time, but I'm much better now. It's nice to see that I'm not alone in this experience.