Autism is a real disability to some,,,,,,, are you such a person ?

Just bumbling through life. ..put a post up last week on my own topic about feeling a bit at sea etc...this kind of links in with that thread and here...

Had a miscommunication with partner earlier. I had to remove myself from situation.  He took this as me not getting my own way. i explained that's a misunderstanding...it was all just too much for my brain so i had to escape. We sorted it out then I just needed to cry. Then a bit more. It fekt like my head was stuffed full with cotton wool. I've felt drained all evening. I ferl this is out of proportion with actual event. Then I in my mind it feels like it's the end of the world.  I've realised today, even though he understands my situation and is very supportive and I can see he's trying really hard to accommodate my recent diagnosis, I just feel I'm always going to be on the back foot in life because of how I process things. 

sounds like you are really in mental anguish and thus, to me you, have a disability.

I don't like saying I have a disability and I don't think mental anguish means a disability although it might be a "side effect" / symptom . .. I'd rather call it a difficulty or a difference. 

When stuff like this happrns it's like the emotion just comes on really quickly and I end up crying. It must be frustrating for my other half. But I have to remind myself, this is how I am. I'm hoping to find a professional I can talk things through. Maybe there are more effective ways of dealing with this stuff that I don't yet know about.

I return to him every month say, and listen to his lectures each time and I pick up his meaning better and better. Yes his voice is amazing. Alan was one of the people who got me into Zen.  

He doesn't really explain meditation too much as he was wee bit against it. He was more "the golden age" of Zen.

I haven't read his books but all his lectures are in Youtube. I sometimes put one on and go to sleep listening to him. 

he was a great guy. 

charlotte joko Beck writes good readable / explaining books on mindfulness and zen meditation.  she has audios on youtube.

she has got through to my autistic mind so she must be good !

wishing you well

Thanks aidie I'll check it out. I've ordered an Alan Watts book. I don't know much about him but I like his voice. I think if I read about meditation more, I might be more likely to stick with it. So far I'm not being consistent enough.

I find that when I'm happy and things are smooth I feel "less autistic". That's not to say I am....but having fewer problems in life or feeling positive means the difficulties don't show as much to me. Take the weekend for example. If my mood was better, I could possibly, have dealt with the miscommunication better and it wouldn't have affected me in the way it had.

yea I looked at the scientific evidence of what helped autistic people ( and anxiety and depression ) . Meditation /mindfulness showed positive results so of I went to try 

I also searched for which meditation worked the best for autism but I found nothing.

but there is an autistic monk called Thomas Clements. Not sure if his book is any good or not

the-art-of-autism.com/.../

There is no thinking involved in meditation. Thinking is the problem.  According to the evidence in the above links and many others, it is about becoming less autistic, less anxious, less depressed, less addicted and so on which seems to produce healthier & happier people who live longer. Who wouldn't want that ? As for coping mechanisms, it is often meditation many people turn to after trying all the other external coping mechanisms that didn't work. 

I agree. It works for many, not all, but many.

Everyone is different. I embrace it but don't want it to define me...keep things normalised. I'm human like everyone else. I'm not talking about changing fundamentally who I am. Of course there's beauty in being autistic just as there is not being autistic. But there are a lot of difficulties people on the spectrum face.  When I'm in the middle of emotional / processing turmoil, naturally, thinking about my strengths goes out the window.

Thank you for your reply. I agree with what you are saying that it isn't a mindset. I'm not talking about trying to rid myself of AS but find better coping strategies for my difficulties. I've made progress through CBT for anxiety so know it can be done, or at least give it a go. I just need a bit more help and time. 

That's just an example of a better coping strategy. That is not the same thing as become less autistic. You can't become less autistic by changing how you think. Its not a choice its a nature. 

There seems to be growing, scientific evidence that meditation improves and changes brain function for the better. 

Tuning out: How brains benefit from meditation | YaleNews

New study finds links between meditation and brain functions < Yale School of Medicine

So you really are suggesting that people can learn to be less autistic and hence suggesting that people who not just accept who they are and change it?

rule 1 ----  dont listen or associate with negative, limited thinking  people 

You can change your attitude to something but you can't change being autistic its permanent. The best you can do is develop coping strategies to reduce the negative impacts but that's it. I am not trying to dominate anyone's opinion but I am autistic myself with a deep insight into my own autism and I can honestly say thinking you can become less autistic is just nonsense. You can no less become less autistic as you can become less brunette. I am offended personally by such assertions. However anyone is entitled to their own opinions but not their own facts. 

In my opinion its better to embrace your condition and who you are not to feel the pressure to change what you are. There is alot of beauty in being autistic if you just look for it and embrace it. 

One example of what I have done recently is to embrace the fact that I think associatively and deeply about things like most autistic people and I have found new talent that I never knew I had as a result of that. I only found that by embracing what I am.

wrong, the human brain is elastic.....  autistics have a human brain ..... therefore we can change  if we want to .  I'm referring to high functioning autism

Unknown said:

es I understand about the "change" thing. Because everyone has the capacity to change whether they are AS or not.

Huh no. Autism is not a choice or a mind set it is an intrinsic property of ones being that cannot be changed. Its like saying that if you try really hard, you can change your eye colour. Its nonsense.  Anyone who suggests otherwise doesn't have the condition and or doesn't understand it.

the fact you are trying is progress and your mind is already changing

Thank you. I have saved this video and will look when I have a bit more time!

I don't think that's is what was meant. 

Yes I understand about the "change" thing. Because everyone has the capacity to change whether they are AS or not. We are not static through our lives. Ive already made a bit of progress thtough srlf duagnosis then making some progress through understanding my diagnostic report and CBT which I've recently finished. Also from bits which I've read about meditation/compassion etc. Just need to keep working on it. It's not about changing myself for anyone but me. To try and be the best version of myself but it takes work and doesn't happen instantly.  Coming on here helps but I think I can get a bit bogged down in it. I'm open to change and can be more proactive now I know what I'm working with... I think that's a good place to start from. 

Yes I understand about the "change" thing. Because everyone has the capacity to change whether they are AS or not. We are not static through our lives. Ive already made a bit of progress thtough srlf duagnosis then making some progress through understanding my diagnostic report and CBT which I've recently finished. Also from bits which I've read about meditation/compassion etc. Just need to keep working on it. It's not about changing myself for anyone but me. To try and be the best version of myself but it takes work and doesn't happen instantly.  Coming on here helps but I think I can get a bit bogged down in it. I'm open to change and can be more proactive now I know what I'm working with... I think that's a good place to start from. 

I return to him every month say, and listen to his lectures each time and I pick up his meaning better and better. Yes his voice is amazing. Alan was one of the people who got me into Zen.  

He doesn't really explain meditation too much as he was wee bit against it. He was more "the golden age" of Zen.

I haven't read his books but all his lectures are in Youtube. I sometimes put one on and go to sleep listening to him. 

he was a great guy. 

charlotte joko Beck writes good readable / explaining books on mindfulness and zen meditation.  she has audios on youtube.

she has got through to my autistic mind so she must be good !

wishing you well

Thanks aidie I'll check it out. I've ordered an Alan Watts book. I don't know much about him but I like his voice. I think if I read about meditation more, I might be more likely to stick with it. So far I'm not being consistent enough.

I find that when I'm happy and things are smooth I feel "less autistic". That's not to say I am....but having fewer problems in life or feeling positive means the difficulties don't show as much to me. Take the weekend for example. If my mood was better, I could possibly, have dealt with the miscommunication better and it wouldn't have affected me in the way it had.

yea I looked at the scientific evidence of what helped autistic people ( and anxiety and depression ) . Meditation /mindfulness showed positive results so of I went to try 

I also searched for which meditation worked the best for autism but I found nothing.

but there is an autistic monk called Thomas Clements. Not sure if his book is any good or not

the-art-of-autism.com/.../

There is no thinking involved in meditation. Thinking is the problem.  According to the evidence in the above links and many others, it is about becoming less autistic, less anxious, less depressed, less addicted and so on which seems to produce healthier & happier people who live longer. Who wouldn't want that ? As for coping mechanisms, it is often meditation many people turn to after trying all the other external coping mechanisms that didn't work. 

I agree. It works for many, not all, but many.

Everyone is different. I embrace it but don't want it to define me...keep things normalised. I'm human like everyone else. I'm not talking about changing fundamentally who I am. Of course there's beauty in being autistic just as there is not being autistic. But there are a lot of difficulties people on the spectrum face.  When I'm in the middle of emotional / processing turmoil, naturally, thinking about my strengths goes out the window.

Thank you for your reply. I agree with what you are saying that it isn't a mindset. I'm not talking about trying to rid myself of AS but find better coping strategies for my difficulties. I've made progress through CBT for anxiety so know it can be done, or at least give it a go. I just need a bit more help and time. 

That's just an example of a better coping strategy. That is not the same thing as become less autistic. You can't become less autistic by changing how you think. Its not a choice its a nature. 

There seems to be growing, scientific evidence that meditation improves and changes brain function for the better. 

Tuning out: How brains benefit from meditation | YaleNews

New study finds links between meditation and brain functions < Yale School of Medicine

You can change your attitude to something but you can't change being autistic its permanent. The best you can do is develop coping strategies to reduce the negative impacts but that's it. I am not trying to dominate anyone's opinion but I am autistic myself with a deep insight into my own autism and I can honestly say thinking you can become less autistic is just nonsense. You can no less become less autistic as you can become less brunette. I am offended personally by such assertions. However anyone is entitled to their own opinions but not their own facts. 

In my opinion its better to embrace your condition and who you are not to feel the pressure to change what you are. There is alot of beauty in being autistic if you just look for it and embrace it. 

One example of what I have done recently is to embrace the fact that I think associatively and deeply about things like most autistic people and I have found new talent that I never knew I had as a result of that. I only found that by embracing what I am.

wrong, the human brain is elastic.....  autistics have a human brain ..... therefore we can change  if we want to .  I'm referring to high functioning autism

Unknown said:

es I understand about the "change" thing. Because everyone has the capacity to change whether they are AS or not.

Huh no. Autism is not a choice or a mind set it is an intrinsic property of ones being that cannot be changed. Its like saying that if you try really hard, you can change your eye colour. Its nonsense.  Anyone who suggests otherwise doesn't have the condition and or doesn't understand it.

the fact you are trying is progress and your mind is already changing