If you could "be cured" of Autism...but

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If you could "be cured" of Autism...but you would lose any "gifts" "talents"(if you have any), (excellent memory if you have one)hyper focus, all special interest(and never have them again and just have normal interests) , would lose many of the positive traits that make you neurodiverse would you go ahead with it? If yes/no why?

It's like saying would you delete part of the thing that makes you who you are. So no, I wouldn't bother. I've learned to cope with it and now it gives me no burden to bare, I'd say if anything these days it's helped me.

Even as an NT with more ability to deal with change it would be too much of an adjustment at my age.

Related to the above I have come to the conclusion that in my case my autism and my personality are so fused togeather as to be for all practical purposes indistinguishable I think a cure would really either make me a completely different person or render me so mentally ill as to be literally non-functional.

Last edited by ASPartOfMe on 05 Mar 2017, 5:50 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Maybe. I'd need to be given time to weigh my options and have a trial to see what exactly it would mean. I'd seriously consider it, but if I had to make a sudden decision I would rather stay with what I know (so stay having autism) than be something completely unknown, even if it would actually benefit me.

Probably, yes. The very few good bits are far outweighed by the difficulties it causes me.

I haven't been Dx but if it cured anxiety & depression as well I'd jump at the chance.

why: suicidal tendencies

Not interested. It's taken me 54 years to learn how to live comfortably and successfully with my mind "as is".

No, i would not.
My "autistic abilities" are part of who i am; they have formed my personality over the years and they have a hand in dictating how i respond to different situations. Removing those means completely changing who i am, effectively performing suicide.

That said, i don't even think there is something to "cure", autism isn't a disease but part of who you are, just like being gay, transgender or religious.

Yes, I would be cured because I don't care what traits I lose. All what's important to me is my family, my partner, my friends, and my possessions and securities.

I don't like being different in any way. My sh***y curse of Aspergers is the reason why I'm stressing at work and is why I'm crying right now.

f**k Aspergers. Give me a cure now.

^ I agree with what izzeme said.

The only thing I want that is harder for us than NTs, is secure work (or more accurately a nice and steady income).

Other than that, I like my life and myself, and I lack desire to be NT. I love my hyperfocus and special interests and would never wish to waste that time on people rather than interesting subjects. At my age, an NT with little experience wouldn't have much advantage if any in the job market.

No, I don't want to be "cured".

If I could trade in my asthma, allergies, stomach problems and skin problems instead, that would make it more tempting as they are the things that lower my life quality.

For me personally autism is simply a debilitating disorder that carries no fringe benefits.

There are plenty of NT people who like the same things as me and spend just as much time or more on them.

I really can't think of anything that I cherish, that I'd loose if my autism was removed. Except maybe my strong desire to be left alone and my enjoyment of total solitude.

Well, I'll have to assess the negatives and the positives of the situation.

Pros
-----
Good memory
Motivates me hugely in writing and with learning Spanish
Gives me some extra exercise (by pacing)
Gives me a connection with animals

Neutral
---------
A different way of thinking
Feeling self conscious about myself (not sure if this is enhanced by autism)
The need to do things alone

Cons
-------
The need to teethe on something
Getting bored in school (except a few subjects) easily
Crying more than the average person

In the end, I'd slightly rather stick with autism. I would most likely be failing school if it wasn't for my good memory. Something tells me that I wouldn't have motivation either way. The different way of thinking has been both a pro and a con.

I'd rather not because it would strip me of who I am. I would potentially consider it if it got rid of my (probably comorbid) OCD, but in all other ways I like my brain and I like that it helps me to not being self-conscious and gives me positivity. For me, its only cons are the social and anxiety aspects but the pros completely outweigh the cons.

Give me the cure.
Autism isn't who I am.
On the rare occasions when I have a high functioning day, I can see how much better my life could be without it.
Call me crazy, but I would like to have more days without fear, anxiety, depression, sensitivities, meltdowns, disassociation, addiction and executive dysfunction, to name a few.

Absolutely yes: I'd go make loads of friends immediately after

I doubt immediately after. You would have more natural ability to interact with the NT world and learning how to make friends would be more natural. But you would still be starting out from a very different place than most of your peers.