False accusations of "drug use" and "are you high"

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One thing that pissed me off to no end during my earlier years with undiagnosed Aspergers (now ASD/HFA) in the '90s, in my youth (late teens to early twenties) was that once in a while I'd get mocking or heavy-handed insinuations that I was taking drugs. I believe it's something primal in neurotypical brains that causes them to act in a hostile or heavy-handed manner towards those perceived as "the unwashed" or the stigmatized, which consists of those with mental disorders or drug addicts, those deemed to be on the margins of society. So we got subconsciously lumped in with "all that bunch of rejects" or what-have-you

But this is the thing: b/c my Aspie emotional intelligence impairments, I couldn't always tell whether they were being sarcastic about the drug/high remarks, or if it was serious. Like when dealing with bouncers in clubs, or peers, or even police or authorities on a couple of occasions... it might be a mix of the social predator in them emerging, or some perverse sense of duty to "protect society from an aberration"

Indeed, it was arguably those same emotional impairments that led to such accusations, i.e. I'd feel overwhelmed by my thoughts inside, or I'd use analytical thought processes to piece together parts of a situation for it to make sense rather than intuitively "getting the gist of it", so of course it led to a decline in thought clarity due to the flood of negative emotions (and, of course, the authority figure wondering why I appear angry which "isn't normal").

I came across a clip on YouTube from 2014, where a young man (19 yrs old) is confronted by a police officer who asks him to do a sobriety test, and it shows him saying to his dispatcher as the young man moves, "no....no...this is not normal...his movements are "off", he's not moving the way a sober person would expect to move, I'm taking him in"

Again, just like police heavy-handedness with coloured people as we've seen in the news, they quickly conjure up some image of the deranged violent loner weirdo who might come at you with a knife (like the homeless druggie schizo or some silly archetype) so they act in a heavy-handed way - or because police are former bullies who were "cocky jock" types in their youth and they still see us, the weird kids, as their prey...because lord knows that police can't maintain a professional demeanour and invoke their own personal bias

I have been unfairly treated by three bouncers at clubs in my youth, and I can recall one time at age 19 when I came back to the airport from overseas with my dad and stepmom, and the customs guards took me aside saying "excuse me sir, we'd like to have a few words with you" - this was in the 90s well before 9/11 (! !) and my dad had to intervene, after they asked to search my pockets and my bags, this was pre-diagnosis but he knew something was up, I'd still manifested anxiety and autistic-like symptoms, the former from years of bullying. They let met go, and said "ok, that's all, have a nice day sir" (I should mention at this juncture MANY people called me sir even though I didn't look that old for my age, they could've just called me "dude" or "fella" or "buddy" and I wouldn't have taken any offense, but in hindsight again it was some sort of silly image that latched on to about me appearing overly rigid (again, from mild-moderate PTSD and nonverbal learning deficits) that they arguably called me "sir").

Suspicion or accusation? If you act like you're on drugs, people will suspect you might be using drugs.

interesting...

This topic hit so close to home for me, it's the eternal struggle. My bullying started with older family members and sometimes teachers growing up "What's wrong with you?" "Are you on dope?" "You're too smart to act that stupid." etc. As for police, again, totally 100% in agreement. I believe that many become police officers and security agents to make use of and/or justify the aforementioned "predatory" behaviour. I've known two or three people in my time who hated being in policing because of that attitude among their coworkers. I actually have an old friend who left the Nashville police office for that reason, he's now head of security at a WalMart supercenter and making twice as much as he did as a street officer in Nashville, plus a lot more relaxed and happy in his work. The benefit of being in a small town where I was targeted by police for over a decade is that now they all know me by name, know that I'm autistic, and know that I don't do anything that they'd be interested in anyhow. It makes getting through DWI roadblocks a lot easier now.

In 8th grade I was in gym class and everybody was lined up and then for no apparent reason to me the gym teacher asked me to come with him to his office. Everyone was still lined up to go outside. He accused me of being smoking weed. Never touched the stuff, never was around the stuff, wasn't really interested in it.

I didn't understand.

All that accomplished was to make me more interested in marijuana.

The first time I smoked marijuana was when I was 16. Smoked it for a few days while staying at my cousin's house.

Being accused and treated like a drug addict doesn't prevent that behaviour.

Then after I started college at 17 I got into it again. At one point I'd smoke it every day for a couple of weeks. After that it was only a once in a while thing. Then I started to hate the effects.

Turns out I have really bad side effects from indica strains. Sativa for me.

Now I have my medical card for PTSD.

#420blazeit
#legalizeit

Congrats on scoring your medical card ...... handy item .
Although the stuff can be a nusciance if your trying to get some types of things done.

I've had people ask me if I was high a lot in my life. I've been told by people that it might be because I'm not a reactionary type of person, I'm beyond mellow. I've also been told there's something about my eyes that make me look high. I don't get it, but enough people have said it, I figure there must be something to it.

I haven't had people in stores follow me for that. I get followed because I have sensory issues so I do things like wear a hoodie pulled up to help with the overhead lights, and I make crappy eye contact. Store security are warned about people who look/act like me in public. I don't like it, but I'm used to it. I told the greeter at a local store that I'm not a thief, I'm autistic. I don think get followed there anymore.

I'm glad I haven't had a run in with the police. That might actually get a reaction out of me and not end well. I don't like the police.