what are some things you CANNOT do because of your ASD?

Post Reply New Topic

More than you can imagine. I too have wondered why reality seems to pursue me so relentlessly and mercilessly, while I watch others dance away from it, laughing.

I'm sorry, karathrace, for throwing quotes at you, but they're coming to mind and they seem apt. Carl Jung had a remarkable perspective on human awareness, and I think he might have the closest thing to an answer on this: "Neurosis is always a substitute for legitimate suffering."

So, people can twist themselves into pretzels in order to avoid seeing what they don't want to see, but reality is unmoved, and it abides. It will still be waiting there for them when they can no longer hold the pose. And note: he describes suffering (by which he means facing reality) as legitimate. Which is exactly what you're saying, too.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

--- either my cable provider or this web site's host system seem to become pumpkins at midnight. Whenever I'm on through that time, things crash; it's taken me three tries (and a browser switch) to get this posted. At this point my eyes are starting to cross, so I'll be checking out; but I hope this helps. Don't doubt yourself or sell yourself short; you're seeing what's there.

I agree with you, Esmerelda, that reality does pursue me relentlessly as well, truth and reality are intertwined very much so. When it comes to determining what NTs are really trying to say then that has always eluded me so it has always become my obsession to uncover the truth. Because NTs never say what they really mean and it is utterly and completely frustrating, unnerving and can cause me to become unglued altogether. Whether it be from NTs or something you might read on the news etc etc.

But for myself I appear to have a dubious relationship with truth and reality. As a journalist for 3 years I pursued it relentlessly but my special interest is computer games of which I hope to forget reality all together, and truth, and simply lose myself in a fantasy world.

I suppose I'm a typical Autistic, all in or all out. The switch is on or the switch is off and I go big or I go home. *sigh*

Is that from the Answer to Job? I got into Jung very much in college, and find it interesting that many others here have found him at different points in their lives. Interesting, for people who are supposedly just literalistic and concrete. He and some of his followers have certainly been a help to me in trying to see myself as myself, and not as a poor distortion of normalcy.

Hi Xatrix - same here with that on/off thing. I get stuck on the Earnest setting. It's a real treat when I can find my playfulness and enjoy it in safety (thank god for the play and sharing threads here, and the people on them!)

You're right about NT communication. When I can detach, I can tell myself that NTs don't say what they mean primarily because they don't know, themselves. True, and makes it easier to take blame out of it (when appropriate). To some extent isn't it true of all of us? I see folks here dealing with alexithymia, various agnosias, sensory processing issues, low empathy, hyperempathy, mood disorders, somatic issues - that has been mindblowing and very humbling. We've all got something standing in the way.

So you like gaming - why not? When this universe hurts, why not vacation in another one, where the rules are more explicit and accessible, and others don't seem to move the goalposts when our backs are turned? Just make sure you can come back from Pandora.

Good almost-afternoon I stumbled across Jung when I was overseas and had both time to read, and people to talk with in realspace about it . (How lucky I was and how little I knew it!)

This quote is actually from Psychology and Religion (Had to look that up. I'd forgotten!). I too find Jung comforting. His understanding of the nature of consciousness, of thought, of human mental/spiritual growth, seems to be spot on, and really helped me at a crucial time. He's wonderfully ecumenical, and the only author I've found who really gets to the core of Christian theodicy (your ref., Answer to Job).

When I was rummaging around on the Net (discovering that original sources are being shoved behind paywalls, ugh) I found this article by George K. Simon, Ph.D., whom I've talked up elsewhere a lot . He provided the attribution for the quote! If you don't already know his work, he has helped some ASD folks and he's very much a seeker after truth. I hope you'll find it (a) worth a read and (b) comforting, uplifting, your adjective of choice. [Mandala by Gil at aetherforce.com]

I cannot form meaningful bonds with anyone.

I think we're in agreement all that we Aspies do not do deference. Most NT's seem to have trouble distinguishing between what people say they do and what THEY ACTUALLY DO. So, nobody who I do not like is going to get deferred to, no matter what rank or status they have or think they have.

Thank you! I will check that out this evening.

What immediately comes to mind is the inability to observe and copy social skills myself and live on my own without assistance..