hi I was hoping you guys could help. I want to write a post on Facebook informing everyone of my diagnosis but have not idea what to write or how to word it. I’m affected mainly in social situations and I see/react to things differently to atypicals.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
I've changed my mind.
Go on and inform your Facebook friends.
And keep us informed about how they react. Both positive and negative.
Reading all your comments I may hold off for a while and assess again in the future. Thanks for your repsonse guys
And when they attack you, it will appear in other misfit's feeds - so they can attack the target too. Standing up and sticking a target on yourself is just begging for a busy inbox full of hate. Your choice - but I'd sit and think about it long and hard before acting on a whim.
Do you really think the few positives will outweigh the many, many negatives?
I wouldn't if I were you. Facebook is full of people who think they're really clever by jumping on people's vulnerabilities and trying to exploit them for their own kicks. I'd just inform people who would be directly affected by your diagnoses via private message.
Why? Once something is on the internet it's there forever.
I only tell people when it's relevant. If you need workplace adjustments or stuff like that just go direct. Be careful who you tell. I told a few very close personal friends, some very close family members and my ex partner (who I'm still very close to). These are people I interact with on a very regular basis. People who I can trust. I did make the mistake of telling someone suspect and it didn't go well. We got into a disagreement after it dawned on me the guy thought I'd dropped 90 IQ points since my diagnosis, he tried to scam me, I caught him, he said "I can't go out with you because you're like that.....". Things didn't end up to well for him when he accepted my invitation to elaborate. I found it enraging after I'd had the good faith to tell him. I'm not one to suffer fools gladly and that's one of my weak points. I don't lose my temper easily but if I do I can cause myself a lot of hassle. Some people are ignorant, some are cruel and some just really don't care. Why leave yourself exposed to people who don't matter.
I'm not ashamed of my condition, far from it. It doesn't define me and it won't define any factors in 99% of the friendships and relationships I hold in my close circle. Those are the only people who's opinion counts in my personal life. The others don't matter. As for in a professional context, you will only need to disclose it if it is a factor that affects you adversely.
A few other things I had to consider were the environment I live in, the people outside of my friends I interact with, and certain places I have to go. I'm not one for being bullied or feeling like a victim. It's not always a strength, it can be my biggest weakness. If you are moving around people who might be a handful or might not be too understanding, avoid possible conflict or potential for bullying. I don't give two shits about the stigma or whatever, I care about potential consequences.
If someone asked me if I was Autistic, I'd have no shame in telling them I was. I just don't see the point in telling everyone for absolutely no reason other than an impulse that might pass anytime.
It seems you are keen to get the word out about your diagnosis, which is entirely your choice, but as others have mentioned, just be on your guard.
People tend to have mixed responses when disclosing their diagnosis and although I am all for making ASD more widely and understood, it is still a very personal thing. The way I see it a diagnosis doesn't change anything as I am still the same person, so I disclose on a need to know basis for that reason.
I don't see it being any different from saying you have IBS or you are dyslexic. That doesn't mean that there is anything wrong from letting people know in your social circle. Hope it all goes well and everyone is really positive and supportive.
You could do it quietly on Facepack by sharing some posts about autism and dropping broad hints in the comments. Then when you have shared two or three posts, you can say that 'as someone who is autistic' you know exactly about why x,y, and z should be done, or how John Smith feels abouut his treatment, etc.
Or you could private message your friends on Facepack and say that you have finally realised why you act a certain way, you don't like parties, or you have what are considered strange eating habits ... whatever your symptoms happen to be.
Or you could simply put a post on - 'I have been diagnosed as autistic, and it at last explains a lot about me'.
You may get people saying they are 'sorry to learn that', which may not be what you want to hear. I am not sorry I am autistic, it doesn't mean any more to me than saying I was left handed or that I struggle climbing the stairs.
You make a valid point as does Robert123. In some cases it isn’t appropriate to disclose a diagnosis where additional harm could be caused or the Autistic person does not have strategies in place to deal with negative consequences. Whilst it is important to normalise autism, it remains a confidential and personal diagnosis with disclosure considered appropriately.
It’s totally your call but as others have said, be prepared for a mixture of reactions or none at all. There are pros and cons to disclosing your diagnosis and you may wish to see the following info:
I think I'd be inclined to find a description of ASD which resonates strongly with you and post a link to it, perhaps with additional information about how it affects you. That would mean you'd have less to explain personally but your friends would still learn about the condition and your place within it.
I'm thinking of doing this should I get my diagnosis (assessment coming up fairly soon). I kind of think the more people act like its something to hide the more it perpetuates the stigma that it's this big bad awful thing you shouldn't tell people about. I mean its not that simple, I certainly think there are situations you might want to be careful about disclosing, it obviously depends on your personal circumstances, but I'm not sure how helpful it is to assume that everyone's going to have a negative reaction and therefore you shouldn't tell anyone. They might surprise you or you might challenge their preconceptions and help them get a more nuanced view of what someone on the autistic spectrum is like.
On a more personal level, I think anyone who saw me differently isn't worth my knowing anyway. I'm not even sure it'd come as much of a surprise to anyone who actually knows me since I think most people know I'm 'quirky' and struggle socially (my best friend knows I'm getting assessed and her reaction was more or less 'oh...yeah, that seems likely'). I'm thinking something lighthearted ('Guess what? Turns out there's a reason I'm so rubbish at peopling...') and invite questions (and prepare to block people if necessary; my posts are only open to 'friends' anyway, and I don't think I'd be that bothered to lose a few since I know my actual friends-all 2 of them-will be fine with it).
This is one of the few social websites where Autistics are welcome.
And one of the rules here is that we remain anonymous and use pseudonyms.
If you want to tell people on Facebook, well do it and keep us informed how your friend reacts.
But I want too lol
