Does anybody here want to get better?

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and if so, what are the new theses and treatment approaches being tried?
Best wishes
JC

no, i would not like to have my autism removed. life with autism is hard but it is my experiences with autism that have made me who i am. i am content with who i am.

Get better at what exactly? There are some things I would like to improve upon, and other things about myself that I like the way they are.

Like others, I'm not sure what "getting better" entails. My main issue has been with knowing how to pursue and handle romantic relationships. I'm working on being comfortable in my own skin before trying to "cure" myself of anything... see if there is anything about me that desperately needs changing before getting all drugged up (I'm also quite wary of drugs and of shrinks, so this is also an excuse I suppose).

I'm fine the way that I am. I don't need to "Get better".

"Getting better" = improving real world coping mechanisms.

I think what many people fail to understand is that Autism is not a sickness, it is an alternative neurological brain structure. Sort of like, say, a different species that is perhaps less well adapted to survive in its current environment than the majority species (people without autism). I honestly believe that to actually "get better" from Autism would either require either brain damaging yourself, or killing yourself (both resulting in a no-longer-autistic brain).

I am not sure I define Aspergers as a disease that you need to get better from!

I think society should be more accepting of difference instead of taking over and insisting that everyone be the same or fit some kind of 'norm'. I think it is very arrogant of NTs for example to expect everyone to want to be like them!

Also, don't get me wrong, I'm a firm believer in treating your dysfunctional Autism traits (like any neurological brain structure (such as a "neurotypical" brain), autism has both its strengths and deficits). This entails better adapting yourself to the environment you live in, learning the local language and social customs, learning coping-mechanisms for environmental hazards. Effective treatment can result in a very high functioning person, who may blend in so well with others people are unable to even initially tell that that person is Autistic at all.

our Asperger systemising means we still suffer from a lot of social pain and discomfort, and cause a lot of pain to our partners.

If we could get to normal NT social functioning (e.g. perhaps to use our mirror neurones to intuitively, without effort, imagine how other people are thinking and feeling, and use those insights to inform our social actions, as NT's do), we might have a lot more social fun.

- and we might well still have all the logic, problem-solving, creative perspective etc features that we like about ourselves.

that would be great

I wanna get better, but I don't know if it'd exactly be fair if I was better. I got NVLD, and sorta mild Aspergers/PDD-NOS, so I occasionally get meltdowns and stuff. Alot of the social problems are sorta sorted out now, but if I was in public school in elementary school, I think I definitely would have been diagnosed AS as a child. Now I go through seemingly random periods of introversion and extroversion, too. But, I made it 17 years without a diagnosis, and I didn't even try (actually I tried to act as normal as possible in the diagnostic area) to get a diagnosis, and got NVLD and schizoid PD. Later another psychiatrist said I was likely an HFA, and almost everyone disagreed with the schizoid diagnosis, as I was 17 at the time, so I and a few psychs seemed to come to the Aspergers conclusion. Oddly, I don't very much think of the "Aspergers" part of my diagnosis. I could almost care less about it. It's more the NVLD that I don't like.

My NVLD, the way it affects me, it's a "right brain" issue. My verbal IQ is like 130, but my nonverbal is like 80 or so. So, I'm half a genius, half not, though. So, if being better meant the nonverbal, especially visual spatial awareness got smarter, I'd be all for it. As it is now, I don't think I got a "bad hand" in life really. I mean there's some disadvantages to the way I am, but there's probably more advantages. Just it's hard, as I'm seemingly smarter than my actual capability. But like, I'm half a genius and fairly good looking, so I think God gave me a good hand in the game of life. If God gave me better cards than I got now, I'd be like, a superhuman really. Or it's entirely possible, without my NVLD, if both sides were just as smart, I'd not research things enough, or I'd be very cocky, or something like that. But, I try to improve myself the best I can through whatever means I can that are safe, so obviously I wish I could fix my visual spatial and nonverbal "smartness" but if I can't, I can't.

I want to get better at welding. Right now, my joins look like Space Octopus fried by plasma blast weapons. Not pretty.

Those who don't want to get better should remember that they are posting in a forum called "wrong planet"which means that they suffer and that there are looking for some way to cope with this suffering eg betting better. Thinking that you don't have to get better means that that you are already pretty bad. And that worth not just for aspies but for everybody.

well said Wingman

I don't believe in ''Autism makes me who I am'', because it doesn't. I feel I am NT underneath. I am a high-functioning Aspie, I only need some support in doing things like finding employment because my anxieties and low self-esteem get in the way. If my anxiety wasn't there, I would be able to function without any help at all. The anxiety has practically made me who I am because I am a born pessimistic-thinker, and people see more as an anxious person than a socially awkward person.

I knew a proffessional psychiatric nurse who knew all about Autism and other psychological conditions, and I worked with her too (she was just doing voluntary work with me for a few weeks), and she noticed and commented on my anxieties very well, and she even mentioned to some other people that I get very anxious, even though I've never told her. She just made an excellent guess, and I suppose she would because my anxiety disorder shows on the surface more. But when I said I am on the Autism spectrum, she was very surprised and didn't know I was Aspie at all. I was quite chuffed really.

Also there is something that I can't relate to other Autistics with, and that is about having friends. I am shy and timid and unconfident, but at the same time I want friends. I like having friends. I enjoy meeting people and making small talk. I like it better when someone in a group gives me a lot of friendly eye contact because then that makes me want to join in better. I can read body language and all of that sort of thing, and I just somehow think that having friends is important, and I hate being different so (although it is HARD) I put myself out to conform so that I don't stand out. And other Aspies here argue that I should be myself and just face it that I'm different and not worry what others think, but I can't help it. I just don't want to stand out, and only NTs understand this, so it must be an NT trait I have, or the NT inside me coming out. So that is why I don't always say that my Autism is ''who I am''. I would be a lot happier without it, really. And if I was just born NT, I wouldn't know any better, would I? I wouldn't be spending my whole life sitting there thinking, ''aww, I'm not who I am because I'm not born Aspie!'' No, I just wouldn't be thinking that.

Yes, I do want to get better. I hate having a cold! I'm treating it with fluids, chicken soup, and light activity.

I'm confused by "get better', this isn't a disease. Also, I recently learned my entire life struggles were due to having Asperger's; so in that light, it's been a Godsend, explaining so much and enabling me to seek the correct support.