Suffering: I really don't understand

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Saying you "suffer" from Asperger's Syndrome is NOT TRUE. Asperger's is not a disease, if anything you could call it a disorder. It basically just changes your perception of life to make you different from normal people. You don't suffer from Asperger's.



In theory, definitely. If what you're interested in takes over from your studying/work/job, then perhaps you need to worry and tame your interests, but you are still free to pursue them as long as they don't harm anything or anyone else.



Some Aspies do develop meaningful relationships with people and it's great that you've been able to discuss your interests with someone and get on with them because of it. I'd say you are very lucky in that aspect, some people with Asperger's and Autism are not able to/don't want to communicate with the outside world AT ALL. It is NOT IN ANY WAY suffering.



What do you mean, "Look at that" rather than "How are you?" As for analysing and studying beautiful details, KEEP ON. Most boring uninterested NTs care nothing for the world and the environment. IT IS VERY GOOD that you are like that.



In what context? If it's something do with nature or the world around you, then GREAT!!



Too true, I pretty much agree with your words. Where do you live? In the UK there is a radio channel called BBC Radio 4 in which people discuss news, books, people and sometimes music and great depth and detail. It sounds like just the sort of thing for you.



You are very very observant. NTs can be very predictable and disgusting in that aspect.



You just said you had helped, that you do find the world full of meaning? I guess most people don't create much meaning in the world, but I guess you can just read books, look at nature and follow advice from great people like the Dalai Lama? There are many options for you, so it seems. Don't give up hope, there's a lot that's worth it in this world.

It might just be a coincidence. I had very low functioning autism when I was little and I'm sure many doctors would have said I "suffered" from it. I just needed a hell of a lot of help do at least communicate with people, that's all. Asperger's and Autism are basically like big learning blocks, blocking some people from the NTness of life.

If this was Facebook I would like that status. I would LOVE it and kiss it and hug it.

I don't tend to think that I suffer from AS; I like to think of it as a gift. I get to think differently from other people and I like it.
Although, when I try to tell people that I have AS they look at me like I'm stupid because they tend to think that AS = Autism.

I understand what you mean about the world not having depth. However, I don't think you mean the world but rather people. The world has many things to learn and do, and, quite frankly, I find it bothersome that regular people don't see the joy in what is around them. Caught up in their drama and whatnot. I'm glad I don't understand that kind of stuff; It gets to me when I think "what if I was caught up in all that crap" I wouldn't have enough time to just learn about stuff.

I do stop to think, what if people stopped worrying about mundane issues and concentrate on bigger issues; we could be exploring space.

Space exploration is very time consuming and challenging. How are we supposed to travel out of our own solar system and into another when everything is so far apart? Most of the planets are, most likely, inhospitable to anything but the most primitive micro organisms. It isn't because people are mundane that we haven't explored. It's because it's nearly impossible.

The Attwood quote is accurate.

Some people (usually NT's) expect that what they know everyone knows and everyone percieves external things based on that knowledge. People who know other things and percieve the world through that knowledge can contridict these people just by being and thus can offend the 'some people'. The 'some people' react as they would if slighted/offended and hurt the percieved offender.

You're right that you can't send these people to a doctor. Community spirit is nothing to do with pill popping but it's hard to find good people sometimes, jerks are more verbal (usually) and are really easy to find because they're looking for a target that isn't them. Good people do exist in real life, they aren't a myth.

How can I possibly be suffering from being myself? I am not a sufferer.

That's how I was in school. I was a bright kid who had problems learning, so some people didn't consider me to be that bright. I would call myself learning disabled.

So you're going on the belief that you're "suffering" based on what others are telling you?

There are so many different directions I could honestly take this response, but because of the length of time it would take, for now I'll just say this: I don't see you as suffering at all. I see a lot of people trying to project their own unhappiness onto you.

They want you to be more like them so that everything around them makes more sense; they see someone like you who doesn't do things the way society always deems to be the "right way", and you're enjoying doing it, and their minds can't comprehend it. They're afraid of what they don't understand.

This confuses them...and I mean a lot. It's one of the reasons I take issue with society's lip service words of encouragement "be yourself". I fully believe that, but I don't honestly believe they do.

Well I didn't mean across the galaxy, at least colonize the moon or mars. Or at least stop wars or something.

Yesterday I was in an environment with people. They were being perfectly nice to me. Nonetheless, I was in a fair bit of physical pain by the end of the day.
I'm pretty sure it was my AS that caused that, just as I'm pretty sure it caused me to end up shaking with exhaustion at the end of another day recently because my brain freaked out at a minor change of routine.
I get really sick of hearing "The only problem with AS is people's lack of tolerance!". It's not true.

I don't suffer from other people; hell, I just don't suffer! If you go in expecting virtually nothing from most everybody else, yer not gonna be all that disappointed. I learn how they operate, and stay one step ahead accordingly.

I don't even bother learning to "do things as they do them"; I just be the best me I can be, and know what to expect on their end.

"Suffering" only happens if someone is in marked distress over their conditions, whatever they are. Just because you have AS, doesn't mean that you're suffering. Some people with AS may experience grief or depression and may suffer in that aspect, but a lot of people oin the spectrum are happy with their differences.

In all the newspaper articles that I read, it always describes the person as an "Aspergers Sufferer". It also describes people who aren't "team players" or "brainstormers" as "defective". This is complete junk, I can thoroughly research a topic, become an expert on that topic then report back to one person. This isn't allowed though. I suffered from enforced "groupwork" or basically cliquing people off. I don't clique off very well. I associate with everyone in the room to some degree. Some of my old Christmas card lists were huge.

It's socialising without a safety net. But again, going round the room helping individuals one to one is frowned upon, yet it's a gift I seem to have. I got no marks for helping people like this. The marks were allocated to group projects. Some say that I might "miss the big picture". Actually I get the huge, detailed, fragmented, global picture. If some piece of equipment wasn't set up properly, I'd be the first person to spot it. No marks for that either.

This is what makes me depressed.

I get told that I'm not joining in.
Actually I'm overwhelmed that my mind is joining in with the physical/emotional details.
My mind is joining in, it sometimes takes a while for my mouth to catch up.

I was always happy being me.
The problem was that some people weren't happy with me at all or wanted me to socialise work in ways that didn't feel natural or comfortable.

I got great joy out of talking about my interests.
This upset people though.
When I upset other people unintentionally I became upset too.
I care deeply about others.

I suffered from other people's superficiality and drunkeness.
They suffered from drunkeness.
I felt their pain.

Don't let it make you depressed; that's something you can control that they can't.

BTW, for all those who say "there's no I in team", well "you can't spell team without me".