Are you embarrassed by some of your AS symptoms?

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Indeed, being an academic made me a drunk, and it has totally helped. I'm much better now.

Yes indeedy --

The one that probably embarrasses me the most is taking people literally when they're just kidding around. Someone will do that to me and then just laugh and laugh when I get sucked in by their little joke. I know for a fact that some people will do it on purpose because they know how I am. It's part of the reason I don't date much. The fear that I'm taken a man seriously when he may just be flirting for fun takes hold of me so tightly that I can't relax, and so turn anyone down who asks.

I've also been embarrassed by things I've said to men I was attracted to that in my head sounded cool and sexy, but out loud sounded moronic.

My clumsiness has gotten me laughed out a lot too. I fall and trip and run into things so often that family and friends don't even bother to ask if I'm alright anymore.

I'm embarrassed by the whole idea of having AS, mate. For a start I am embarrassed about my outbursts and intense mood swings. Also I am embarrassed and ashamed of my quirks, and feel worse if somebody points them out to my face (which I find rude and extremely insensitive of people). Having low self-esteem doesn't help, since I let other people's igorance get to me and make me have a poor image of myself, making me constantly worry about how I appear socially.

I also just get embarrassed of being....me. I don't always like showing myself to strangers, like if the gas man comes to my house to read the gas-meter I hate him seeing me in my own home because I'm afraid he might think, ''who's this big, ugly girl in this house? Shouldn't it be at college or work?'' Also I feel embarrassed that I struggle with making conversation or making a cup of tea, because often when the gas man comes and my mum is there she will make conversation and ask if he wants a cup of tea. I find that difficult, not really because of the social difficulties AS has given me, but more so because I have social phobia and I just find it awkward, and then I feel embarrassed that I am socially awkward so I best say nothing.

I'm embarrassed by my inappropriate statements, my inability to do eye contact, and my meltdowns.

Yes, over various factors really.

I'm embarrassed about my social awkwardness. I am embarrassed I tend to say the wrong thing and that people think I'm a weirdo. I basically come off as a socially ret*d freak half the time.

I'm also embarrassed that I technically, okay not just technically, have brain damage. There is such a stigma with that. People assume that it's impossible to sustain brain damage and not be somehow ret*d. Everyone who knows patronizes me in some form at least some of the time.

Most of all I live in shame that, having brain damage and retardation, I hide the fact and try to pass for normal, applying for and working at highly social jobs and demanding my opinions be respected just the same as everyone else's.

I get really embarrassed about my ability to completely screw up a normal conversation by saying something weird. Also when I look back on a conversation and realise I totally dominated it and could have let the other person/people speak in certain places. Then I worry what they think of me. Sometimes I just use totally the wrong word and then panic, and then forget what I'm saying, and freak out, and all the while I'm stood looking like an idiot to the other person.

I'm embarrassed to act how I want to and get really exhausted because I spend my entire life outside of the house trying to come across as "normal". I'd really like to do a lot of the things I do at home when I'm at work, but I've been so ashamed to let that side of me out that I've gotten brilliant at hiding it, social awkwardness aside.

Yes, after becoming aware of them. I'm self-aware and it's depressing how much I stand out (and tried to convince myself I didn't before).

I had a disturbing thought after seeing this guy at the grocery store that was pushing carts. He either has cerebral palsy, MS, or something like it and I thought, man, I'd rather have that than AS! at least he is working and seems happy.

It's frustrating to have to hide from the world when your disability is 'invisible' ... doesn't make sense. How can you hide something people can't see? They just see what's different about you and don't consider it a disability.

Meltdowns are the worst part for me.... I can live with my stimming, my complete involvement and obsession with World of Warcraft and Honda cars... but man, take this blasted sensory sensitivity and emotional disturbances right away, please and thank you.

I almost freaked out walking today because the wind was making my pants wrap around my legs and made my damn skin crawl... nearly ripped them off right there on the street. Oh and I can also get rid of my self-harming behaviors... I don't share those with anyone and am entirely panicked if someone catches me or draws attention to it.

I'm not at all embarrassed when I actually happen to flap or jump up and down in public, but when I just think about that most people consider flapping, bouncing, flicking and slapping in a seemingly normal person like me a scary behaviour and that they get all kinds of weird thoughts about it as if stimming is hideous and repulsive, it makes me feel really uncomfortable in a way that I can't quite explain.

I do not feel embarassed about the issues with eye-contact. I feel annoyed about that a lot of people do not take me seriously when I don't look them in the eye. I can't see what eye-contact tells about self-confidence but almost everyone seems to assume that averting or forgetting about people's eyes is because I am intimidated by them. I'm not scared of people because there's nothing special about people and emotionally, they're just like objects to me.

I don't (emotionally) care much about saying inappropriate things. I mean, it probably happens all the time. Most things I say are situational-ly inappropriate. If I say something, I mean it. If what I say happens to be socially inappropriate but not overly hurtful, then I don't care emotionally about having said something rude albeit of course, I am interested (intellectually) in trying to act as socially appropriate as I can bear.

The most embarrassing "symptoms" are the manner in which I may handle objects (usually with far too much force, causing them to break or picking up and holding objects in an unusual manner, something I believe is tied to not being able to determine precisely how to use certain muscles), urges to engage in tactile stimming (especially petting furry/fuzzy items in a store), and the odd posture I have (I've been told I always look as if I'm hiding from some invisible enemy or that I was beaten regularly as a child). In reference to discussions about AS and related issues, I only discuss it with others who have the same (or similar) condition.

Obviously embarrassed, as a self-aware autist. Unsure of my most embarrassing traits. I think I'm a bit of a starer though, which is wildly hypocritical, as someone who feels violent impulses when people return stares, or blushes and turns if it's anyone I respect. But I'm not sure what else is noticeable in me as an embarrassment. People perhaps see me as self-conscious/coy as a 13-year-old. Not sure.

I feel more than just embarrassed about my meltdowns, but the rest of my quirks, I don't feel any shame for. They're harmless after all.

Yes.

I get VERY embarrassed by my meltdowns - they're the type that are uncontrollable crying - it takes a lot for me to cry and I HATE other people seeing my cry, meltdowns are so traumatic as there's nothing you can do about them and you can't explain them. At 29 years old especially crying like a baby, especially in a work environment or over what seems to others to be nothing, is embarrassing and shows you as being weak or overly sensitive (despite you being anything but - often during metldowns in my head I am the opposite, I put people in their place and am very rational...it's just my brain won't let me function). What's worse again is trying to explain it to people, unless they're willing to listen it's hard to explain that a meltdown is FAR from just getting a little upset or being overly sensitive, even so-called professionals that work with autistic people don't seem to fully understand what a meltdown is so what chance is there to explain to others?

I can forgive myself every other little quirk, for the most part they're not that bad and I accept my awkwardness as something I can't help, but with meltdowns it's the fact they are such huge things and the people around you often aren't capable of understanding them,

No because as long as what someone is doing is not harming another living being or creature I am accepting of individual difference and do not look down on someone who has quirky or unusual personality traits.

What I do dislike is societies need to fit everyone into some kind of box labelled normal which often leads to discrimination, prejudice, emotional/mental abuse and even physical harm being carried out against those who are different.

The latter I feel is incredibly harmful....as it can destroy lives.

Being just a bit different or socially awkward on the other hand, is really quite harmless.

Plus I find social awkwardness quite endearing and attractive actually, but then I am strange myself. Shy/socially awkward men can be rather cute and sexy. Makes me want to give them a hug and get amorous with them!

yes i am..im not sure if this has to do with AS but i talk to myself alot and i find myself saying silly things in public and then i catch someone lookin at me and i immediatly walk away and i really like toys especially dolls and i always have to go to the toy section and check stuff out and everynow and then i feel embarrased cus im a 20 yr old girl looking at toys and dolls for young kids but sometimes i dont even care. And when i talk to someone i dont really make eye contact and then i start to feel awkward and make silly faces then later i feel alittle embarrased about that.

My kindred spirit....just so you know you're not alone. I also talk to myself in public, when I'm traveling on buses and by subway especially, getting myself ready for where I have to go or what I have to do next, orienting, organizing myself etc. I also have a problem with eye contact....when I try to make eye contact I look weird like I have bulgy eyes, and I make weird faces when I feel anxious/awkward also....I do this when I'm really excited sometimes as well. Finally I also like childish things, I collect plush frog stuffed animals, I watch children's cartoons, and read children's/teen's fantasy literature....and I'm a 27 year old "girl". As I said earlier yes I am embarrassed by my symptoms sometimes. Other ones I'm embarrassed by are not getting jokes , or being slow to get jokes (because they rely on context or nonverbal communication that I can't discern in time etc.)or not being able to engage in certain kinds of joking around/witty banter with friends. Also saying inappropriate things or communicating non-verbally in an inappropriate way. These things sometimes just make me look like an idiot and I hate that more than anything else.