Is It Better To Receive/ Not To Receive An Autism Diagnosis

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Aspinator
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03 Feb 2023, 11:29 am

I was raised in an era where varying levels of autism were not known. If you were not like the rest of people you were labeled as a ret*d (please refrain on a lecture; this was the word used in the 1960s) My father who I suspect was also an Aspie had it even worse being born in 1911. It sort of reminds me of the song "A Boy Named Sue" You had to get tough or die. The people diagnosed today have more resources available to them but I feel use it as a crutch not to achieve anything. Do you feel it is better to know you are autistic?



klanka
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03 Feb 2023, 11:43 am

It's a lot more difficult to get a job these days.

While I was in my early 20's I had jobs but lost them due to being mostly mute.
I didn't know how to reverse it.

I liked the idea of working and making money but just couldn't.

I didn't know what autism was. If I had been diagnosed and given support I may have been able to work.
I still don't have a diagnosis and don't see any companies helping.
except in the UK its supposed to guarantee an interview sometimes...which hasn't actually ever happened.
interviews tend to be an excuse to sniff out autism and discriminate against it.



Silence23
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03 Feb 2023, 11:51 am

I already didn't achieve anything long before I got the diagnosis. I had no aspirations to achieve anything. Wasn't really interested in money, only in being independent from other people, so I'd be left alone. Maybe 100 years ago I'd have simply left society to live in the forest or something (though that's illegal in Germany).

For me it was better to receive the diagnosis (about 8-9 years ago). Before I got that diagnosis I thought I simply had schizoid personality disorder. So I was still frustrated because of not being able to adapt. I did not understand what a poison stress is to my mind, felt bad for avoiding stress, felt bad for "involuntarily" ghosting friends, etc. The diagnosis helped me to understand myself better. So I'm more content with my life. I mean my life still sucks. Obviously a diagnosis wouldn't change that. But it made it easier to accept, and then I started improving little things in my life, to improve life quality. Instead of just not giving a s**t. I made more use of my ability to learn a large amount of information in little time, because I understood that's one of the things which makes me different from other people.


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jimmy m
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03 Feb 2023, 12:18 pm

People who have Asperger's Syndrome are very unique individuals. Unfortunately many of them follow the route that the schools seem to recommend. Many take various forms of drugs that remove our strengths, our unique qualifications that allow us to see the world as it really is. Others grow up and get involved in illegal drugs that destroy us.

We are different. This difference is very important. Aspies need to learn how to utilize and grow their unique differences. Believe in your exceptional skills. Many of us are loners, but when you begin to combine us into groups, we carry great power.


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Double Retired
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03 Feb 2023, 1:14 pm

I think whether it is better, or not, to receive an Autism Diagnosis can vary from individual to individual.

Someone needing medical intervention or formal accommodations needs a formal diagnosis.

Milder cases, however, might be better off getting a diagnosis later in life, after they have accumulated some academic and professional credentials. Someone who has not accumulated credentials will likely be stereotyped if they get a diagnosis and this could close off some opportunities and choices (for instance: Tory Ridgeway and Andrew36). If someone has a successful track record, however, then the diagnosis is less likely to cause them problems.

However, I would think anyone with Autism would eventually be glad to get the diagnosis. Many on WP have noted how wonderful it was to get the diagnosis because it explained so much.


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Dengashinobi
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03 Feb 2023, 2:44 pm

If I knew that I have ASD since a child I wouldn't have tried all this things that I did. It was an adventure getting to know the world. On the other hand, it would have helped me understand myself from an early age and maybe adjust my expectations and strategies in order to achieve more.



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04 Feb 2023, 4:00 am

Double Retired wrote:
I think whether it is better, or not, to receive an Autism Diagnosis can vary from individual to individual.

^^^^
This
For those of us posting in this thread so far it was better we did not get a diagnosis telling us what we could not do until we were mature enough to handle it. For us baby boomer autistic survivors we did not know and could not know is how many of our peers were not sitting next to us in class because they were in an institution. We don’t know how many of our undiagnosed peers died early due to drug and alcohol abuse, overeating or suicide that started as an effort to ease the mental anguish and illnesses brought on by knowing that they were not living up to expectations of others and themselves. We don’t know how many of our peers died of physical illnesses brought by the stress.

For Gen Z autistics this question is probably moot because they are diagnosed or at least have good idea they are autistic. The circumstances are different but the results still vary by individual. For every Greta Thunberg and wonderful vlogging advocates there are those whose life is horrible because are convinced their autism dooms them to failure. Others are the stereotypical entitled snowflakes. Those who are going through rigorous ABA have the worst of both worlds having it constantly drilled into the that there natural ways are wrong and that they must be dependent on others for approval. But not every ABA victim, some will overcome.


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autisticelders
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04 Feb 2023, 10:43 am

learning of my autism was one of the best things that ever happened to me. It explained so many of the "whys" of the hurtful and anxiety causing things from my past, allowed me to heal and forgive myself as well as others. Nobody knew, all those years ago! Now everything makes better sense, I can self adjust a lot of the things that used to cause me so many struggles by finding other ways to "do life". If you don't need medical/clinical/ official diagnosis to gain accommodations or government support through disability or other programs, you might choose to explore how autism affects you and decide you can make changes on your own, adjust your life according to the struggles you have, and never go for the "official" version. Each of us is different, so we have to find our own way to self understanding and self help. Mostly an autism diagnosis is a "do it yourself" thing since there are few therapists or even competent diagnosing professionals "out there". I am happier knowing everything in my painful past was not "all my fault" as I had been raised and punished repeatedly for and took that belief to heart with complete hopelessness in knowing I was never going to meet expectations. Now I can forgive myself for my multiple continual failures and see how my autism is behind it all. It may not change my neurology, but I understand how and why my miserable life unfolded as it did, and I can make adjustments for myself now, knowing how my own brand of autism neurology works in me. I think knowing I am autistic is one of the best things I discovered. Diagnosed at age 68, no regrets , for me it has been positive and life changing.


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04 Feb 2023, 11:18 am

I have no idea how being dx'd as a child would have actually changed my life for better or worse. Looking back now, I can think about things like how hard high school was for me. The chaos of class changing was hell to me. I did fine in first hour, but after that, I'd barely be recovered from the bell, the rushing, the people, the new class... before the bell would ring again and I'd have to do it all over again. I think I would have benefitted from being in a special ed type class and had a chance in hell of graduating from traditional high school.

I think I would have benefitted from knowing that I'm not 'wired' like others and been able to learn and employ coping skills. I believe this would have saved me from many burnouts over life, including the big one I never recovered from. I really thought everyone felt this way and that I needed to shut up, suck it up, and keep pushing. I had no idea the long term consequences from doing that. Pushing myself as a young person did me no favors. In fact, I believe it did me the opposite. I pushed too hard for too long and I will never be the person I was again.

I think I would have saved myself years of being misdiagnosed and trying medication after medication to get some help that never came. Not only did I have terrible side effects to meds, but I was being treated for crap I don't have anyway. I wasted a good five years of my life on that useless med roller coaster from hell.

I can think of a lot of ways it would have been better for me to be dx'd as a kid. Are they realistic? Who knows. I didn't live that reality. I can't know for sure. Maybe I'd be so much worse off now and in ways I cannot imagine. Not a clue. But sitting here now, I can't really think of any ways it would have done me harm to me dx'd early.



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04 Feb 2023, 11:31 am

So many different disorders can be mistaken for autism these days, or each autism symptom seems to be a disorder on its own. That's why I wish the autism spectrum was still kept to the minimal standards of non/limited-verbal, socially clueless people, rather than people who had no speech delays and are just as socially-orientated as NTs but just can be socially awkward or eccentric and quirky.

Because of how enormous the autism spectrum is nowadays and the fact that I have more symptoms of anxiety disorder, ADHD, RSD and depression than I ever have autism despite being diagnosed with Asperger's in 1999, I feel dysphoric and confused about who I am.


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04 Feb 2023, 11:43 am

Aspinator wrote:
I was raised in an era where varying levels of autism were not known. If you were not like the rest of people you were labeled as a ret*d (please refrain on a lecture; this was the word used in the 1960s) My father who I suspect was also an Aspie had it even worse being born in 1911. It sort of reminds me of the song "A Boy Named Sue" You had to get tough or die. The people diagnosed today have more resources available to them but I feel use it as a crutch not to achieve anything. Do you feel it is better to know you are autistic?


I was raised in the same era 1970s and I believe my dad and his ancestors were all autistic. Funny but he loved the song "A Boy Named Sue" and it reminds me of him. :P I was dx in 2018 but I don't feel I have any special resources available which NT couldn't access as well. Anyone can pay for OT or sensory products although I guess the content of the OT work might differ. Anyone can pay for a psychologist if they want one, too.

How do people use it as a crutch, exactly?

I like knowing everything about myself, or as much as I can. It's hard to figure things out on my own because I have a hard time seeing patterns in myself. Knowing helps me to arrange my life in a better way so I won't be triggered by sensory problems etc., and I will feel more peaceful overall.



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04 Feb 2023, 11:58 am

I always knew I had “something.”

I didn’t know I was diagnosed with autism at age about 3—until I was an adult.

I did know I was “brain-injured” from the time I was about 6.

I benefited from knowing there was something “different” about me, though I was scorned and bullied because of it. Subconsciously, it made sense to me as to why I behaved abnormally, and was bad at sports and making friends.

I also benefited from not being treated as disabled by my parents and schools, though I didn’t feel either cared about me that much.

I knew I was “different,” so I knew I had to do things differently from most people in order to achieve success. This knowledge was to my benefit. I kept a clerical job for 42 years, and now am receiving a pension. I wish I could have become a professional—but, in my heart, I sort of knew I did okay as a lifelong clerk.



Last edited by kraftiekortie on 04 Feb 2023, 12:04 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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04 Feb 2023, 12:03 pm

While I am glad I was not diagnosed when I was young because I was not mature enough to handle it, I am sure glad the diagnostic criteria is not what it was back then. Without my diagnosis I believe I would be dead or insane by now. With my career collapsed no way with no self esteem I would not have handled having a mild stroke and not mild tongue cancer. I would not have understood sensory hell and hyper-focus on special interests to mitigate it. Not good in hospital and rehab facility settings.


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04 Feb 2023, 12:14 pm

kraftiekortie wrote:
I always knew I had “something.”

I didn’t know I was diagnosed with autism at age about 3—until I was an adult.

I did know I was “brain-injured” from the time I was about 6.

I benefited from knowing there was something “different” about me, though I was scorned and bullied because of it. Subconsciously, it made sense to me as to why I behaved abnormally, and was bad at sports and making friends.

I also benefited from not being treated as disabled by my parents and schools, though I didn’t feel either cared about me that much.

I knew I was “different,” so I knew I had to do things differently from most people in order to achieve success. This knowledge was to my benefit. I kept a clerical job for 42 years, and now am receiving a pension. I wish I could have become a professional—but, in my heart, I sort of knew I did okay as a lifelong clerk.


I think that you did great Kraftie. For us it's a challenging world out there. I hope I'll be able to be as successful as you have been.



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04 Feb 2023, 12:26 pm

I probably would have been fine without a stupid Asperger's diagnosis. Although I wouldn't have got one-to-one support at school had I not been diagnosed, I still would have been on the special ed table because I wasn't very bright in class and needed help with math, science and other complicated subjects.

I had/have a big family and so I would have had them to support me, especially my mother who I was very close to and she helped me an awful lot with different things. All the support I got from social services stopped when I was 18 anyway, apart from the odd therapy/counseling sessions I've had on and off over the years but they were aimed for any mental health disorders and weren't autism-specific.

Now as an adult the only support I am eligible for is ADHD, since I got diagnosed with it a couple of years ago. Otherwise I'm under no autism-specific/disability support and I don't need it anyway. I have a job and a partner, I have no communication deficits, and I am "of sound mind". So the state doesn't need to waste support on me. I'd rather it go to people who need it more.


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04 Feb 2023, 12:43 pm

A brief anecdote on my father. He was in WW2 and was part of the invasion of Italy. His company always wondered why he was so calm with the constant threat of being killed. His response: Fxxk it, if it happens it happens.