Is an Autistic Spectrum Disorders: Curse or Blessing?

Post Reply New Topic

I am neutral about it as it is just the way i am accept it.

I see it as both a blessing and a curse. I enjoy my special interests, the extra insight being Autistic has given me, and my lack of the desire to conform. However, I could do without the poor social skills, anxiety, and mood swings.

As frustrating as the negative aspects can be, I see no point in dwelling on them, as many people here do. To dwell on the negative aspects of oneselfis to condemn oneself to a life of misery, self loathing, and resentment. Things will never be "perfect" but self-acceptance is the first step towards a more pleasurable existence.

You know, I really used to be in the neutral-to-blessing camp.

I still look in the mirror or drive down the road and think, "I like me. I love me. Just the way I am."

I have to fight really, really hard to suppress that kind of thinking.

Because it's not the condition that makes the condition a curse. The condition just is, like xerogenesis pigmentosa or astigmatism or Reynaud's phenomenon. Well, more like astigmatism or Reynaud's than XP.

It's social attitudes that make the curse.

Social attitudes aren't changing any time soon. Maybe someday. Given human nature, I really doubt it-- but maybe someday. Someday when there are a lot less people, life is a lot harder, and we can't afford to throw anyone with anything to contribute away.

Maybe someday. But not anytime soon.

It's not you, guys. It's them.

That still doesn't change the facts. I wish I had been aborted. I wish I had known I was going to see it this way fifteen years ago, instead of bringing a bunch of BAP kids into the world because I was full of idealistic positive-attitude BS. I love them. They are my light and my joy. Wonderful people with lots to contribute.

That doesn't change the fact that, given current societal attitudes, they are born to struggle more than average. Or the fact that, if they are not very very careful in mate selection (or heed Mommy's advice to be celibate or sterilized), they could all very realistically have kids that are born to struggle, suffer, and fail.

Attitudes are what need to change. I have no power to alter what others think; for one such as me, the attempt to change those attitudes through self-advocacy is going to be dismissed as selfish and rude, simply a condition of my disease.

Therefore I am left to accept the facts. I have struggled against this for years; finally, I gave up. It is sad, but true.

I see having Asperger's as a blessing for me. Sure, there are challenges, but everyone has challenges.

Now, for a few reasons why it is a blessing for me:

*I am a talent savant and have advanced skills in being able to play musical instruments I become fascinated with.
*My special intense interests have always provided me with fascinating explorations in life that are extremely fun.
*I pay attention to detail which has been a definite advantage for my family and me.

An absolute curse when I was younger...
An absolute blessing now that I am older...

Option "b" for me...

Curse mostly.i think there are great things about being this way.but it hasnt done anything to make my life better.

A curse I'm trying to turn into a blessing.

I regard the truth as being both. In any case, iv e just grown into my habits as we say.
Of course I know I sound different to everyone else I meet, but sometimes the strategy for being
the way you are can sometimes pay off, if you use the right attitude instead of dividing your gifts and talents, for being whatever you are.
If people are ashamed of you, then that's their problem not yours.

I'd say mine was sort of a blessing. Not having many friends and sometimes none at all caused me to have little influences from the outside world. I filled a lot of my time up with reading, mostly religious literature and zoology. So now I have become a pretty moral and philosophical guy with a strong interest in insects. I enjoy being different from everyone else, even if that does mean having few friends. However, all my other autistic characteristics have caused quite a few problems over the years and thus are a curse.

I think it's allowed me to grow in different areas that if I were NT, wouldn't be the case. I've been discriminated against because of it more than praised, so I went with "it being a curse". It has positives, and negatives, I guess it depends on the perspective. I found a comfort zone where I'm able to confide with other aspies, the community itself is brilliant. Overall, maybe I'd go with neutral.

it used to be a blessing since I quickly learned english and got the highest honors in school. i remember thinking about graphs and probability at the age of 5 and wishing i could read "adult books"/advanced math books but my parents never had any since they dropped out after elementary school T_T. Now I have sensory issues that come and go which sucks but im still #1 in school even without accommodations

Neither or both.

Interesting... another question that you could ask would be if the more severe or higher functioning aspies are likely to see their autism as a gift.