Are you proud of having Asperger's?

Post Reply New Topic

Okay, I've noticed that a portion of users here say that they are proud of having Asperger's and some even think that "there mind is even better than an NT mind".

Well, I don't feel that way at all. I'm not proud of having Asperger's because I HATE hving Asperger's in every sense of the word. Asperger's hinders EVERY aspect of my life and in many ways just gets worse the older I get. I am not at all ashamed of having Asperger's because I did not ask for it. What sane person would ask for Asperger's? I also have a stuttering problem which I don't like, I'm not proud of it, but I am not the least bit ashamed of it because I didn't ask for it at all. Even though I do not understand why almost everyone is content in our unfair, and chaotic world, I think I would it make life much easier t be able to focus and concentrate during a 1-hour class period, have the same interests as everyone else my age, and have average coordination. I can't speak for everyone who has Asperger's but I for one, have a difficult time just sitting to watch a 1/2 hour show. Focus is almost impossible for me. I once read a horse has an average attention span of 6 seconds. (Who know's maybe I have some horse genes!) Talking is almost impossible for me, it's a struggle for me to even say my own name which 99% of people take for granted. Whenver I am forced to give a speech in class, it takes me 20 minutes to say what it takes most people 5-10 minutes. And it sure would be a lot less lonely to have at least 1 friend and not get stared at for being all alone at break and lunch. Also what I don't understand is that my IQ has been tested to be 122, yet learning is almost impossible for me.I am just glad I was able to learn to read and write, even that was difficult for me. But yeah, other people can sit through a class and learn at least half of what the teacher is saying. Usually I comprehend nothing or sometimes just one detail. I don't know, maybe I have been misdiagnosed with Asperger's maybe there's some unknown glitch in my brain that causes my stuttering, lack of interest in life, inability to concentrate, inability to learn, inability to pick up social cues, and inability to play sports.

Anyway, If I do in fact have Asperger's and other Aspies' are kind of like me, please try to explain to me how you feel proud of your condition. I am very interested to know. Sorry if I sound short and harsh, (typically I am a go-with the flow type of person who hides how he really feels) but around the New Year for some reason every year I become more depressed than usual.

No. I am sure I would be even more capable without it. However, I might find it useful to mention my fit to the profile as a way to dispel another person's concern and provide assurance that it isn't something worse.

oh dear blaine. it is hard when you are 17. but for me it has improved a lot and i have learned to like my AS and to accept it.
I think for me, the years of my adolescence and early adulthood were the worst for me.

i have found that i have been able to turn my special interest into my career and that has made my life not just bearable but enjoyable at times. really enjoyable.

i also feel proud of some of the individualised ways my mind works.
but , i also get really badly depressed, and i do not want to present to you that my life is nice and rosy. the journey has been a tough one. But it is the only one i have, so i have learned to celebrate it and change the way i think about my life.

do you have any special interests? when i get really down and feel at a loss, i do this thing....i write a list of the things i am grateful for, and i remeind myself of the things that are actually good in my life. it works for me, sometimes....

good luck and hope you can fee ok again soon.

oh dear blaine. it is hard when you are 17. but for me it has improved a lot and i have learned to like my AS and to accept it.
I think for me, the years of my adolescence and early adulthood were the worst for me.

i have found that i have been able to turn my special interest into my career and that has made my life not just bearable but enjoyable at times. really enjoyable.

i also feel proud of some of the individualised ways my mind works.
but , i also get really badly depressed, and i do not want to present to you that my life is nice and rosy. the journey has been a tough one. But it is the only one i have, so i have learned to celebrate it and change the way i think about my life.

do you have any special interests? when i get really down and feel at a loss, i do this thing....i write a list of the things i am grateful for, and i remeind myself of the things that are actually good in my life. it works for me, sometimes....

good luck and hope you can fee ok again soon.

Not proud at all. Autism seriously ruins my quality of life. I'm so socially ret*d, the only reason I passed the interview and got my job is because my mom works there... And nothing was more humiliating than being in a special ed class in high school.

Blaine209, what you posted could have been a diary entry of mine. I'm relating lots actually! I still have yet to get a diagnosis, but if it did happen to be HFA or AS, i wouldn't be proud OF it, but i'd still try be proud at all times in being who i am and of myself, if that makes sense. Basically all i know for now is i have ADD upon definite learning disabilities.

I used to have the same attitude as you. I thought why would people be proud to have AS? Do they like suffering? Do they like how they are treated by people? Do they like their difficulties? Are they proud of it because they use it as an excuse to be rude and nasty? Are they proud of it because they think people have to cater them? This is what was going on through my head in high school.

I also have an IQ of 127 but I have doubt my own IQ as well. If I am so smart, then why didn't I do above grade level school work? Why did I struggle in school? Why did I need extra help with my school work. I have reading comprehension problems. I suck at tests. I cannot sit and listen to a teacher talk for long periods of time. I zone out.

I was told by everyone in school I was very smart but were they just very nice or basing it on my obsessions and trivia? I do sound smart when it comes to movies and my obsessions but when it comes to things I am not interested in, I appear not so smart. I wouldn't be surprised if kids thought I was faking my problems and I was just too lazy to listen and do my school work so I was in special ed for it. That would explain their meanness and ignorance. The freshman treated me better when I was a senior. Most of them knew my brothers and were friends with them. They probably told them I have AS so they probably made all those assumptions about me by thinking anything I have problems with or do different is AS. I never asked so I could be wrong but at least they treated me good.

Kids are pretty ignorant so they might think if you can learn lines from movies and act them out, know trivia and know about your interests, you can do your school work without help and listen to the teachers talk.
They also think if someone can do everything they can do, they can use the bathroom, so they make fun of the incontinent child. If they are in a wheelchair or crutches, then kids don't make fun of them because they can see why they can't go to the bathroom. Stupid thinking but kids don't know any better when they think that way.

i am not, i wish i were normal regular and Nt, so
i wouldn't have to worry about a lot of things

Not especially. It's just one of many attributes which combine to form me.

I have rather mild aspergers, so I get the best of both worlds. While having AS hindered me in some areas, I find that having it is rather useful. I do not believe I'm better than NT's.

I don't feel pride.

Yes, I'm proud to have a mind of my own.

Impaired concentration on tasks that do interest you is somewhat atypical for AS.

If you would not be interested in something, then it would be typically AS to be unable to concentrate on that thing.

But if you just cannot concentrate, it might mean that you have an attention deficit on top.

Maybe look into it?