How badly is autism affecting your life?

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I'm completely disabled at the moment, but not directly from autism. More because of the combination of Asperger's, OCD, ADD, bipolar, anxiety and chronic PTSD.

[Edit] Sorry. I tried to add the final option: "I R AWSOME" but I didn't quite understand how adding polls worked. Too late now.

I am both completely disabled and doing better than the average NT.

I'm not disabled and I don't feel affected. I can work and live on my own and I have a bf and am going to get married.

I don't think being disabled is the same as suffering. I think these are 2 things that can occur together but need not.

I have no idea what option to pick too. How do you measure disability except by label? AS can get you an 80 or 80 to 100 at disability in my country. Classical autism 100 or 80 to 100. AD(H)D often 30, sometimes up to 50.

Yeah. And my NT neighbor who's going through a divorce is definitely suffering a lot more than I am.

I'm fairly ok, but it's affecting my ability to get ahead. As long as I can hold where I am, I'll be ok.

I'm suffering but surviving.

For the moment I seem to be near completely disabled... my hope is that this will be temporary.

I was completely disabled, but am more or less suffering and surviving now. Next step - do something about the suffering...

None of the above. I'm not disabled, I'm not suffering, I'm not (in my opinion) doing better than the average NT, but that doesn't mean I'm unaffected.

For some reason your post cheered me up. I think it's great that you are/will get married.
I wish I could meet a guy that wants to get married/ doesn't freak out about having kids.

As for me I'm suffering. I don't work, struggle with social situations, and I haven't left my house for days. But I'm trying to get better at these things.

I'm in marriage counseling soooo, I think that sums up my suffering concisely.

I guess that depends on what measure you use.

From my perspective, the last month has been the best month of my life. 2 months ago I was living at home with a narcissistic mother and living off my last 3 grand in cash. I really couldnt afford anything beyond food and gas. But since then I have gotten a job and moved out, and for the first time in my life, I am living in a stress free environment without somebody attacking me everyday. I make enough money that I can actually buy things now like cable TV, a new computer, etc. I have a wonderful apartment, with a nice job, and my stress levels are much lower now then they have ever been. I am watching my bank account go up, and I have no debt, which a wonderful feeling after having such little money for so long.

When I compare that to the 'average NT' who has a load of credit card debt, car debt, mortgage, and is constantly worried about his family, then I happen to think I am doing better then he is. From my point of view, my life right now is doing wonderfully, it is most definitely the best time of my life.

However, if you look at it from a NT standpoint, you might see things differently. I dont have a girlfriend (never have), I dont have any friends in town, and I haven't left my apartment for anything but job and food for a month. I dont socialize with anybody, and I haven't done any 'fun' activities like going out to a party. A NT person might look at my life, compared to his and say, "well, he may be well off financially, but he must be very lonely and depressed. He doesnt know the joy of having a family, and he has no friends to spend time with. I'm better off then he is".

So to say that I am doing better then the average NT depends on how you look at it.

Also, as for the 'feeling rather unaffected' option. I can tell you that I do feel affected, but it doesnt mean that its a problem, just part of who I am. So, I'm not sure what to chose for an option.

I am suffering but it has nothing to do with being under the spectrum. I'm dealing with some health issues at the moment..

Most of the time I feel like I'm bashing my head against a brick wall trying to get anywhere, but despite the frustration, I'm happy, and I seem to be surviving.

The lack of ability to form/keep connections has shaped my life more and more throughout the years. So "suffering but surviving" describes me well.