Coming out as aspie?
I feel I have too and I honestly do not want to speak about having Aspergers its really noones business and I rather keep it quiet I did keep it quiet for four years but due to situations, drama and personal problems with people I thought were friends. I find that I have to speak about having Aspergers all the time I don't want to but I have too. I don't talk to strangers or some random at some bus stop or shopping centre about being Aspergers but to people I assumed to be friends, my neighbours, real estate agent, owner of the units Im in, people I work with and family members due to the fact my supposed friends and one or two neighbours are constantly putting me down all the time and calling me weird, nutter, crazy, spastic, mental, insane and I feel I have to always explain the reason for being me which I should not have too. I honestly rather not tell anyone and live a hermit life style and just disappear so noone knows who I am or that I even exist. But telling people has its disadvantages as well the fact people take advantage of you and use you because your so easily lead and kind and they tend to make fun of who you are and try and change you to suit them when all you want is a bunch of people to just accept you for who you are and to genuinely like you warts and all and like your interests, hobbies and the way you act and understand you, support you, encourage you in your interests and not put you down and try and change you to be what they want you to be which I cannot do.
I only tell people I'm very close to, so that's a grand total of one person so far. Other people have found out, my Mother tells everyone she can, just so they know she's not a sh*t parent but that I was simply screwed from birth, and those people quite often treat me like a 6 year old, which is why I'm so careful who I tell. I'm not stupid, and don't appreciate being treated that way.
My boss isn't aware. I'm still unsure (I was diagnosed in May and have been there for 15 months) whether to say something.
I remember "coming out" on Facebook and had people tell me they were sorry to hear this. One person replied with: "I work for NAS. PM me if you need any help".
I emailed a friend (bit surprised he missed the above) and asked for his advice. He told me he's not surprised that I am on the spectrum. He's said before he thinks I am.
I've found that the only people who agree with me that I may have AS are people who have a background in psychology.
One of them who is going to school for psychology asked me if I had AS, so apparently to her it was somewhat obvious. The first of my friends I asked, who used to do therapy with autistic kids, said she thought for years that I have it. Later that day
I texted one of my best friends about it and he was totally against the idea that I may have it. He said "Just because you're different doesn't mean there's anything wrong with you! I've known several aspies and I have to disagree with you wholeheartedly!"
It really hurt that he outright said BS to something that, to me, was a huge revelation about my life.
Because of his comment, one of my favorite quotes is "If you've met one aspie, you've met one aspie."
I'm currently living with him and his girlfriend who is a registered guidance counselor. I told his girlfriend about my suspicions and she said she doesn't know me very well yet, but she can see why I think I may have it.
I also emailed my mom about this about a month after I started reading about it. She agrees that I have the symptoms but from her comments, I don't think she totally agrees I have AS. She pretty much kept saying "Everyone feels like this sometimes." She did say that if I do think I have it, I should go and get tested to know for sure.
I've made some comments on Facebook regarding some social issues I have that is explained by AS but not actually saying anything about AS.
I've also made a couple vlogs on youtube talking about AS and left them public so any of my friends who are subscribed to my youtube page may see them.
I'm not really trying to hide this from anyone, but I'm not going out of my way to tell people I may be on the spectrum.
_________________
Standing on the fringes of life... offers a unique perspective. But there comes a time to see what it looks like from the dance floor.
---- Stephen Chbosky
ASD Diagnosis on 7-17-14
My Tumblr: http://jetbuilder.tumblr.com/
If he knew anything about Autism, he'd know it's a spectrum and that everyone is different,
YellowBanana
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Joined: 14 Feb 2011
Age: 51
Gender: Female
Posts: 1,032
Location: mostly, in my head.
I talked to my husband initially (well emailed ... I struggle with talking even to him!) and he thought that it could be possible and supported me through the diagnosis process.
Following diagnosis I have told several people who I trust and would probably call friends - none of whom questioned the diagnosis. Most said that they already knew there was something different about me, one said "I thought you already knew!?" and my oldest friend, who I've known since I was 3 said "I never suspected, but now it all seems so obvious ...". I told these people because they can offer me support in various situations and they have been brilliant actually.
I also disclosed at work. I had been having significant problems at work and I'm not very good at "beating around the bush" ... I always think that I have to give the whole story. One senior manager already knew as she had taken me to the doctor once, but I disclosed to my line manager and my direct team. I recently had the senior manager tell another team that we work closely with. Work has been very supportive me and I have reasonable adjustments in place which are helping.
It's not that I want to tell everyone, but if I think it'll get a positive response and that it'll me in some way if they know then I'll disclose. Occasionally when I've been in a place where I feel comfortable and relaxed and with one of the friends I have already told I do sometimes mention without thinking. Like I was with one of the friends I had disclosed to and we were with one of her friends (we'll call her Jacqui) who I also know a bit. Jacqui is one of those people that never talks straight about anything ... it's always up to you to make inferences and guess what she is talking about. Obviously something I'm not good at. She asked my opinion on something and I said I had no clue what she was talking about and if she wanted my opinion she'd have to be more straight to the point because I'm autistic and am not very good at nuance. She did explain more clearly and without any fuzziness. The comment about my autism seemed to brush off her - there was no reaction, except that later she referred to one of her traits as an "my autistic trait". I don't think she was minimising what I'd said, but I think she took it more as a joke than anything else. I don't mind, I hadn't planned to disclose to her so it didn't really matter.
I haven't disclosed to my family (parents, brother, in-laws) and don't intend to. I don't really have much to do with them so they don't need to know.
_________________
Female. Dx ASD in 2011 @ Age 38. Also Dx BPD
Webalina
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Joined: 27 Jul 2012
Age: 64
Gender: Female
Posts: 787
Location: Piney Woods of East Texas
I've been wondering about this. My mom already knows -- I told her almost immediately. She has said for years and years that she thought there was something "wrong" with me. Once I started reading her characteristics of AS, she agreed completely and said she wished she had known of this syndrome years ago. She suggested that I go get diagnosed officially and then tell her boyfriend and my brother, both of whom have some problems with me, and every problem they have can be directly traced back to AS traits. I have a friend, who is rapidly becoming more of a partner, who I will likely tell...and then I'll have him test himself as well, because I think he is as much ASPie as I am. I doubt I'll tell anyone else in the family. They will probably either have a prayer meeting to have God "cure" me, or they will mock me and say I'm exaggerating and that I'm just trying to get attention.
Hi, I've been struggling with this for a while.
I want to come-out at work. I've been working as a teaching assistent for 4 years. I was diagnosed about 2 years ago. My family and few close friends know about my AS, but even them didn't accept it 100%, my mum still thinks I'm faking it sometimes.
She's also my biggest reason not to do it. She works at the same school and I think she is somewhat afraid what would colleagues say and she persuades me not to tell. I guess some of them would accept it, but others wouldn't believe - since I manage quite well. There could also be like parents afraid to let me look after their kids and maybe see me as incompetent - which would be funny, for nothing in my work performance would change with just telling them. The reason why I want to come-out is that I feel like the best specialist on ASD they have; all-life experience versus book knowledge. I would also feel reliefed - it may lessen my tiring urge to pretend normality.
Well, this seems like a good advice.
I no longer tell people about my diagnosis because I believe my diagnosis is incorrect. Even if it is correct, it seems to confuse people more than it helps them understand me. Even people who are "educated" about autism.
_________________
Your neurodiverse (Aspie) score: 82 of 200
Your neurotypical (non-autistic) score: 124 of 200
You are very likely neurotypical
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