Please help me have our voices heard

Post Reply New Topic

Hey guys,


Ok I'll try to get the point here so bare with me, first off I want to introduce my self. My name is Josh and I'm thrilled to connect with other people who are able to relate to life with autism. I've lived a fairly challenging life for as long as I can remember. Autism was suspected early on due to having pretty severe symptoms and having a relative that specialized in psychology specifically related to ASD's.


I've been on this board before to rant about this or that, but I made a new account with a new goal in mind. I'm here to listen rather than just talk to be heard, I'm want to learn about anyone who is willing to give some kind of insight about themselves and how being on the spectrum has impacted your personal lives growing up and the how it still effects you to this day.

I feel as though there is more than enough information out there about how "special" we are to society and how living with HFA or otherwise can be mistaken as being quirky or weird or whatever. I had a huge Epiphany today while out to eat with people that had welcomed me with open arms in the past and were excited to know more about me but once I got there it was clear, through the sarcastically degrading comments and the subtle table comments which I was so tuned into that I actually caught on to most of them, that I was anything but welcome there and I was cornered, dog-piled and bullied in an effort to make me feel very uncomfortable and unwelcome even though I was begged to go....I kept my mouth shut and mind open, but I'm done with the silence. I'm almost 30 years old and am finally realizing just how much bullying I got shoveled my whole life, and I'm through with it.

Life is hard, I know that but I think certain traits a lot of aspies share, that make it way harder than it has to be. I want to focus on the hardships, the misconceptions, and the pain/comfortableness alot of us endure day in and out. After that dinner where I was treated like a verbal punching bag, I had made my mind up that I am doing something about this. I have a pretty good talent for expressing my points and getting the emotional impact drilled in, and I feel as though I need to speak out for all those who suffer silently, homeless, alone, scared, whatever it may be.....

the point is I know autism is just a brain wired differently ( and I agree it's for the better ) but in today's crazy ratrace of a world, we endure more pain and uncomfortable feelings then is whats fair, or IMO just flat out unacceptable. I see posts about suicide and just giving up all the time on here and I hate it. It's not getting to anyone anywhere that's driven to make a difference, ranting about our struggles to fellow aspies on here just results in no solutions other than a peace of mind knowing your not alone.

ANYONE please write me your story focus on the hardships and challenges because if we don't they won't be acknowledged. I don't care if it's a sentence with your name and state or an auto bio I need some brave guys and gals to at least let me get this out...we can sugar coat it all day but from what I read and what I experience a lot of us are hurting one way or another and I know something needs to be done and it all starts with awareness.

I am going to compiling a documentary outlining the challenges, hardships, mistreatment and harassment I specifically faced growing up and presently struggle with. I also would like to add personal accounts and stories from you guys too, doesn't matter how long or short or if you use your voice or show your face (even though I think it would really help the viewers to see us speak out). I'm one of 4 direct relatives with HFA and I know I'm not alone and we shouldn't be afraid to let others know what we need, we need compassion and understanding and that won't ever happen until we stand up, speak out and put an end to this needless bullying and lack of services to help us live a better quality of life.


Sorry for the rant please consider writing me anything about your life with autism, I promise you if we all work together we will be able to live much happier and easier lives. I wont stop until this is acknowledged and see more and more compassionate NT's work alongside with us to achieve some well deserved accommodations and research (not for a cure) but for things like over-stimulation (my biggest problem). There is help for us but it just not being sought after because we have been to silent. So please I'm begging you for all the future aspies and ourselves take a few minutes and just tell me some of your hardships related to ASD....Thank you all so much, sorry this came out to be so long.

Unfortunately, I have to disagree with your premise, almost in its entirety...

"Frodo:I wish the ring had never come to me, I wish none of this had happened.

Gandalf: So do all who live to see such times but that is not for them to decide, All you have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to you."

~~ J.R.R. Tolkien, Lord of the Rings

It's easy for me to misunderstand other people. At the same time, I'm often misunderstood by them. So it would be hard for me to know if your "friends" were picking on you or kidding around.

All my life, people have been trying to correct the way I speak too freely. Too direct, too grumpy, too sensitive, and not sensitive to other's feelings. After 60 years, I've suddenly realized, it may be my wiring. I did the quiz and I'm 163 aspie/51 NT. The idea is both liberating and depressing. It's too soon to see how this will play out for me, but there is a bit of comfort in the idea. I'm seeking a diagnosis so that professionals will take me seriously. Too many of them are like my doctor from 35 years ago who told me that stress is good and get over yourself. I've been on a couple dozen different mood altering drugs over the years but the only one that really helped was booze. Of course that didn't work out well. It would get me through the immediate crisis, but I couldn't stop when the crisis passed. Then I'd keep making myself feel good until it dragged me down too far. So I'd stop until the next crisis. I finally kicked it 2-1/2 years ago. I've been hanging on so far, but seeing where this country seems to be heading today is freaking me the hell out.