How do u feel about being Autistic?

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Getting a diagnosis made it easier to accept that I did not and do not fit in. And that I did not and do not belong .

Getting older made it easier to accept that I am different

Living somewhere more liberal and diverse made it easier to accept that I am different from precious lil "most people".

With the exception of UCSD students, La Jolla contained a disproportionate number of rich white scrawny materialistic extroverted homophobic materialistic judgmental arrogant Republicans.

Where I live is much more favorable in that way

I don't know any different.

I suppose I'd like to try life without it, but I'd probably be an as*hole.

I don't blame you on the bullying part (I've had that in junior high & high school, it sucked), & wow I'm very sorry about what happened to you in college. How did you get peer pressure? What happened?

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Freshman year roommates had the nerve to peer pressure me into sleeping with the door closed

They gossiped a lot about me behind my back

And I did not say anything

Because if I did maybe they would have gossiped about me elsewhere

They complained that I woke up too early and woke them up. 7am too early? Lately I get up at 5 sometimes
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Peer pressure to change religion

Peer pressure to eat In N Out

Peer pressure to not crossdresser

Being diagnosed with ASD was a huge relief. I'm 41 now and since i was 15 I've been diagnosed at different hospitals with borderline personality disorder, major depression, residual schizophrenia, and personality disorder not otherwise specified. Reading up on these various diagnoses left me wondering if that's how i really was and i just didn't realize it. August 2 of this year i was diagnosed with ASD and it explained so many things I've experienced and continue to experience. I now take an rx for anxiety and am slowly learning to embrace my traits formerly known as symptoms. Now if i could just get my brother to stop asking me how many tooth picks haha.

I'm fairly sanguine about it. I think being diagnosed when I was 8 years old probably helped as I've had plenty of time to understand how it affects me in my daily life. I could do without the anxiety and other co-morbids such as OCD (which can be really hard to control sometimes) but I've come to accept that being autistic is part of who I am and I can't do anything to change that. I just have to get on with life the best that I can.

Things I like about it:

Special interests (I don't think I would have cared who Denis Istomin is without it and certainly wouldn't have developed an appreciation for his accomplishments against great odds)

I was fortunate that I did well academically, although I was not great socially.

Finally being able to function well enough to actually use my interests as a way of developing socially.

Things I don't like:

Anxiety/panic attacks
A co-existing medical condition (fortunately under control, but it is a source of shame for me)
Feeling too far behind to ever catch up to where I should be at my age, even though I have made great progress over the past five years.
Remembering that time, about five years ago, when I seriously considered ending my life. I'm glad I didn't follow through.

I'm glad you didn't end your life either, IstominFan.

You are a lot like Denis Istomin . You have overcome so much in spite of great odds. It can be extremely hard living with any disorder, neurological or physical, so I am very glad you have worked hard to be where you are now. I'm sure you have made great progress !

Yep, Ms. Istomin!

I'm glad you're still around, too.

To enjoy at least 30 years of continued learning, and continue pleasure.

It feels like a blessing and a curse at times, but I kinda like being autistic due to my above average intelligence. But social skills are still need to be worked with.

I only received a diagnosis about 1.5 months ago, so it's still fairly new. I keep going between relief, fear, and disbelief (am I really on the spectrum? I do have an official diagnosis though so it is probably accurate) I finally told the rest of my family, and they all said things like "I'm not surprised" and "That explains a lot." I also found out that my uncle is also diagnosed with Aspergers, and that my sister, like myself, had been thinking that my Dad is on the spectrum too. Which explains why I've always gotten along well with my Dad's side of the family more than my Mom's.

I think mostly though it is nice to know that there is a reason for the ways that I am different and for the things that I have difficulty with. I'm still the same person I've always been, still have the same strengths, and still struggle with the same things as I did before I knew. The only difference is that now I know why and it's a huge relief. I'm hoping to be able to meet others on the spectrum in my area now that I know for sure.

It's me, it's my life

Shrouded by it, it's like looking into a canopy for a tint of a torrent, it retreats and instigates slyly between the wind edges! It's always on my mind and as I have discovered what 'it' is and has always been frolicking within me and outside of me, I guess I feel fine enough about it.

...I'm...not sure .

It's like asking how I feel about being male... or heterosexual... or a mammal. It's what I am and how I've always been, and I really can't imagine being any other way.

That said, I wish I'd understand what this is earlier in my life, and that the world had understood too. I'd probably have made some smarter choices in life if I'd understood myself better.