Hey there, everyone! I'm a 19 year old, male, living in Vancouver with a lot of experience working with people on the Spectrum. I used to be an ABA therapist, my little sister has Autism, and 5 years ago, I learned that I had borderline Aspergers Syndrome. When I learned it, I had a horrible time coping with it because the few kids with AS were the 'ret*d'
kids of the school... Bloody elitists >=\
I lost the diagnosis last summer, and have realized that its not that I lost all the respective 'quirks' that made me an Aspie, but rather, I self-taught myself the correct time and place for different actions. I still have similar gripes and quircks of an Aspie, but I seldom show it and therefore, few people can tell I'm an ex-Aspie.
I decided to sign up here, because I've never really talked with an Aspie about Aspergers and how its affected us. I've had trouble with depression every now and then, because I have a bad tendancy to ruminate on things that have negatively affected me. To be honest, I used that method to teach myself what was and wasn't appropriate to do in a social interaction. I'd reflect on what I didn't like and changed my actions so that I wouldn't find myself in such a position.
Unfortunately enough, that led to a bad habit of me being at the beck and call of other peoples reactions. I try my best not to do that anymore, but I continuously find myself as a people-pleaser. Now insert me into a relationship with another Aspie who has suicidal depression, and felt it was appropriate to criticize special things I would do to try and make her happy. That lasted for a year and a half, and now I find myself at a loss for relationships because I was so emotionally exhausted in by the end of it.
I have my gripes with the social "standard" because people do things that are entirely unneccesary just to satisfy those who look upon them. Bleh... I've gotten so off topic.
Anyways, I'm looking to become more involved in this community and maybe to chat with you all more about some topics/issues.
Lookin' forward to it!
-Jackson
08 Dec 2011, 2:20 pm
