Anyone else not identify as autistic?

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I don't really identify as autistic. I get that I was diagnosed and have some traits, it's just not a useful way to see myself. I see myself as having more OCD and ADHD traits. I think those are the traits other people notice more of. I've also had more success when people don't think of me as autistic. They seem to understand who I am better. Anyone else like this?

Yes but only because I was determined at an early age to prove I was not bound by any kind of label. I did everything in my power to "not have" autism.

It may have fooled lots of shrinks and even myself for some time but I've realized I can't run from it any longer, I was just making other problems worse by doing so.

I think it's easier to just accept that I have autism. It doesn't write your future by anymeans. But I see where your coming from... I've found that dwelling on it too much and drawing a solid line between you and the NT world will definitely make everything worse.

I think it's a balancing act really.

I don't identify with anything but being myself. Whatever mysterious being that might be.

I mean, I accept that I do have autism. If this is indeed the case. I just don't give a s**t.

I'm not going to let this define my life.

I don't think autism is something I have. I do have some traits, but I'm not going to call myself autistic or say I have autism. I did obsess about whether I'm autistic or not for a while. Hope this obsession isn't coming back. It was hell overanalyzing all of my behaviors. It's nice to just be who I am without being burdened by an unhelpful label. If only I could get over my obsession with my sexual orientation. It seems like my obsessions just replace each other and never truly go away.

I'm a person who has been "autistic," "Aspie," or whatever since I could remember.

I don't let my having a "autism spectrum disorder" define my life. I am myself, autism or no autism.

I don't identify as Aspie or autistic offline due to people including mental health experts I dealt with not knowing what it is or thinking it's a lessor form of mental retardation. Instead I tell people about my physical disabilities & my dyslexia which I had been diagnosed with sense kindergarten & went to a dyslexic school from middle of 6th through 8th grade.

It's been the opposite for a while. I identified with the label autistic for a long time. I considered it part of me and something I had. I was even into the autism pride stuff for a few years. The label was ultimately unhelpful for me. I constantly felt sorry for myself and I often limited myself. That's not piece of mind at all. I get that some people don't get slowed down by the label. I'm just not one of them.

Now I just see autism as a collection of traits and behaviors. I also see autism and other psychiatric diagnoses as labels and opinions. Not something I have. Now my story is that my parents wanted funding, I couldn't really fit into a label and one person thought I was autistic.

A lot more people don't think I'm autistic. It was just one person that did. There was a lot of people that knew about my diagnosis and didn't question it, but I don't think anyone else looked at me and suspected I'm autistic.

I suppose nearly everyone in family have traits, and get married to ppl from families with traits.
On that side there's no specific identification required, but rejection of peers/society just seems specifically adressed at some more than others.

This is exactly how I used to be. I absolutely hated the thought of being seen as autistic, or known for being that way.
Recently I've been a lot more accepting, though. I've been learning a lot more about autism as well. I really didn't have much knowledge when I was younger, since I tried so hard to ignore it.
It doesn't need to define who you are, but you shouldn't completely ignore a big part of yourself, either.

I allways hated being made "special"/"different" (no one knew anything about autism. I was just "impossible" and hard to correct). Now I like my label, because it has explained so much, - and pretending, that it isn´t there doesn´t work if autism (AS) is the fact, that have thrown you off the saddle numerous times. Aggreed, that it shouldn´t DETERMINE, what we do with our lives, but it is worth keeping in mind, when we seek our challenges.
Identifying as autistic? Maybe. At least I have found out, that communicating with likewise labelled people is often simpler: Lots of logic and no doubletalk

I identify as being autistic, a person with a disability who needs specific supports. I do this not to hinder myself or prevent myself from having a "normal' life, but to enable myself to access the services I need to give me as normal a life as possible. If I were to ignore or hide my autistic traits, to pretend I didn't have them or that they didn't impact me, I'd just be making life harder for myself.

I am diagnosed with moderate classic autism. Does that mean I do or don't identify as autistic?

My Autism diagnosis has been challenged by two psychs for a BPD diagnosis.

I agree with OP, and will admit I don't think about my mental stuff too much. It's been years, and I'm used to it at this point. With the other autistics I know, we know we are autistic, but we never go beyond shared experiences of things.

This post explains more than the original post.

Things like autism and adhd are constructed by people, drawing an imaginary line between one collection of human traits and another collection of human traits. Imagine you had a time machine, and you could travel back in time to the stone age. Now how would you explain the concept of 'dyslexia' to a stone age man?

I'm certain high functioning autism was less debilitating in the past when the majority of people were farmers and fishermen and spent a lot of their lives outdoors and with a small group of people they knew well. I talked to someone who was a child in the thirties, growing up on a farm. She said that people worked hard, but there was never the kind of stress people experience in the modern world. Clumsiness must have been a huge problem in those environments, though, but anyone can learn to feed the sheep and muck out.

I absolutely hate the idea that autistics should seclude themselves and live in their own little insular world. It would entail divorcing half of my family. I just want to limit my social interaction to the people I can handle.

I needed the diagnosis for protection, though. It helps me to stand up to people who want to force me to do things I'm not capable of.

Its hard for me to even relate to the question.

Was diagnosed so late in life that the label is like a T shirt with the Baltimore Ravens logo on it. I can put it on and take it off at whim, and at will. Wearing it when it advantages me, and putting it back in the closet when not.

And have been called so many worse things in my life that the label doesn't bother me.