Aspergers a good thing?

Post Reply New Topic

Who here had found that Aspergers has helped them in their lives and how?

I'm new to the realm of AS... only recently discovering it and finding that, oh my god, THAT is what has been going on my whole life... and not yet formally diagnosed. But....

I can see how traits of AS have provided me with skills and knowledge that could have brought me success, had I been aware of what it really meant at the time, and been able to capitalize on it.

My overt fascination is plants and everything about them. I've got the greenest thumb in the whole damn world. Now, if I had been aware of that in my more formative years... before going to college and such... that would have been quite an asset. I could be a botanist, own a nursery, run a botanical garden, or something or other with plants. Give me something plant-related, and I delve into it with a tenacity and totality that ends up excluding other important parts of my life. Yet I find it very difficult to muster the energy to do that with most other things.

When I was growing up, I (and those around me) always considered my interests to be be merely hobbies or curiosities, all while I forced myself down a path of both expectations and people that I could not fully meet.
Thus, I proceeded to pile up a heap of academic, social, and professional failures, enter into a career that has brought out some of the worst in me, and to generally be miserable.

My late realization has cost me considerably in terms of those "good things". I'm playing catch up, but I see the potential. Asperger's answers a big WHY question. Understanding that about myself allows me to see how I work in relation to the world. Seeing that enables me to do the best that I can while in this world.

on my way to more good things....

Aspergers a good thing?
Hell yes, just I hate its drawbacks of social deficits and anxieties.
and those things in them selves makes me at times wish I was normal,
it sucks always being alone in life and feeling a total f**kup when it comes to socializing and relationships,
think god I have a son now to walk with me for a while in life and to care for.

If it wasn't for my AS I don't think I'd be as creative or be able to come up with a lot of ideas.
When I think of my NT friends I think of people that work because they have to do that to live on their own. Then on the weekend they see friends to talk about nothing important while getting drunk.
I sometimes do that but I can spend a long time on my own to come up with ideas for photography and I consider myself a bit of a storyteller. Since finding out about AS I've wanted to increase my knowledge more too.
I could be wrong about my NT friends but I think their only creative outlet would be through music or graphic design.

It's given me a natural ability to concentrate deeply. And obsess endlessly. Pursue my interests. Not be distracted by social norms. Be happy within myself. It is as if God custom-made my wiring to be able to meditate and follow a strict yoga path and find Him. So I have a very satisfying and positive relationship with God and my Guru, and that has been my goal in life, and it is achieved which brings me tremendous joy.

I recently began researching Aspergers and am continually blown away by how exactly some aspects fit. This new knowledge will help me gear my life to the direction I want it to go. Learning is empowering. I plan to leverage the many benefits to the hilt and enjoy life fully. The knowledge has opened the doors to flower to full potential.

I'm not diagnosed Aspie, but it's a very probable thing. Anyway, judging from my characteristics that match what autistic websites say about it and what people on this forum say about it...

Yes and No

My work itself has always exceeded people's expectations. Unfortunately, that same work also intimidates people. Since I'm the social butterfly that I am , I never seem to get anywhere. I feel like i'm the only one who appreciates my own efforts.

The world is a popularity contest. So, it doesn't matter what I'm good at.

As far as my life outside of a career, I will say that the Aspie traits has saved my children's lives. That in of itself is pretty freaking awesome if you ask me. I'm hoping someday I can help my nephew cope with his life since he is diagnosed AS. That's why my name here is Tanty Bi, because that's what he called me when he was two (instead of Aunt Michelle). I also hope and pray that I'm a better mom because of it all.

I just thought of another one, but I can't really mention it in fear it may incriminate against me. However, I will say my anger at one point from being fired for being different actually helped society as a result of my revenge.

Really don't know if my AS has done more good than bad.......but I wouldn't prefer to be NT if I got the chance.

Sure, I'll never fit into social schemes but without my AS I probably wouldn't have had so much knowledge about politics, religion, literature, history, music, theatre, biology, astrophysics, psychology, nuclear physics, computers, programming and so on and so on.

So many great thinkers in human history seem to be my friends and family now.....

If I wasn't AS, I'd never have met all the fine ppl at WP....

Getting thru engineering school with the thousands of hours of monofocus studying -- plus

Yes, mine has helped me. I liken myself to Timothy Olyphant's portrayal of agent 47.

im comfortable with my aspergers now. i dont need to change or learn how

I've found it to be neutral on the whole, with drawbacks and benefits. It might be a disability (for me, anyway); but it's also part of who I am and how I think, and I wouldn't be myself without it. Rejecting it would be useless; you have to work with it or you end up feeling sorry for yourself and passing up opportunities to do stuff you were meant to do.

It's definitely a good thing! It gave me good computer skills and great obsessions. It also gave me many talents so I see it as a gift!

And without it, I would never have met the friends I have today!