Behold the cliche title - I need help.

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Over the month's post my diagnosis with Asperger's Syndrome, I have done much research as and have become dishearted. According to current research, Asperger's Syndrome is incurable. This disease that plagues me appears to be an eternal curse with which I must suffer. In light of this, I have become depressed that I cannot purge this flaw from my person, and I am hindered from achieving my multitude goals and duties that must be accomplished.

Oft I find myself entertaining thoughts of self-termination, that if I cannot fulfill my aspirations I am better off dead - so that other, more capable people can utilize the resources I was once destined to be wasted on my own life.

Nonetheless, there is still a small, persistent flicker of hope which I cling to against my better judgement. I guess I am posting this to further feed that small kindling.

Here's a roaring fire to throw your tiny kindling into.

Most psychologists don't know the first thing about the autistic spectrum. They say a thing can't be cured for no reason other than they haven't figured out how yet. (Side note, there's a huge movement of people who say they don't even want a "cure", but that's a whole 'nother issue.) In my experience, and I bet you can find a lot of others on this site who agree, there are plenty of ways to overcome, or work around, or be happy while accepting, the various limitations that come with the spectrum.

There's not a heck of a lot of research out there, and most of what's there is woefully misguided. Don't listen to what the so-called experts say - listen to what you knew and saw before you got a spectrum label pasted onto you.

What are your aspirations and how exactly does Asperger's prevent you from reaching them?

I think I can fan a little life into that kindling,
or fan up a lively row, which is evidence of life as well!



I wouldn't say that too loud near any Olympic Gold medal winning diabetics,
or hypothetically to any of the great world influencing depressives.
Or Steven Hawking.



Do check just who is imposing these duties, and why.
Nothing more stupid than performing a duty that *doesn't* need to be done.



More than one survey here has promoted the majority view that Asperger's doesn't need curing, and is not a disease. Now, yes, denial is one way of interpreting that result, but is it the only one?
Your "appears to be a curse" could equally be just that, a mere appearance. A function of spin and bias, not actuality.
You can define anything as a disease: have a look at
http://isnt.autistics.org/
which does a nice job of defining NT's as seriously ill. Could it be just a question of numbers?

And in any event, since when does having a disease inexorably lead to the conclusion that resignation from life is the appropriate response? Some may so conclude, but it would appear that the majority do not. You'd better be very sure of your ground before going out on a limb like that.

Entertain thoughts of self-termination if you like. So do I. Life is sufficiently painful that the thought is not unthinkable. But is that really the best you or I can do? Nothing else to contribute? We could spend years being a useful awful warning to others, at the least. I don't know about you, but I'm holding down a job and paying taxes:
A small patch of oil on a cog wheel in the great machine of life. That's true for most people ,AS or not. Don't blame a lack of fame or public significance on AS. It's the norm for norms too.

I don't know what your goals are that you think AS will prevent you from accomplishing, but for me it has been a matter of redefining goals and also realizing how my AS influenced what they were in the first place . . .

ditto to that!

First you have to see what your "impairments" really are before coming to the hasty conclusion that you are useless. Then what animallover said about redefining your goals according to your strengths and weaknesses...

Hmph. Well, I can kind of understand what you're saying here--having been brought up coping with my autistic brother and then realising I myself have Aspergers wasn't very pretty, especially when the relisation came that I wasn't just going to 'pop back' and be 'normal' with social skillz and all the rest.
The thing is, though, that you might consider AS to be so common within the population that it isn't a disease, just a variation on the normal.
Besides, an unacheivable aspiration isn't failure--just something that might need tweaking. Hang on in there, mate.
By the way, love the title. That made me grin