not working stigma and the way people treat you :-(

I can't work due to my autism, I find work to stressful etc. 

But I hate the stigma attached to not working, and people like neighbours and family etc etc get curious and will be like "and what do you do?" "what do you work as ?" etc

I keep my autism secret from the family apart from my mum. 

I used to be truthful to people and say I did not work, but they get pretty cruel. 

I like to go in and out of my home (that is before the pandemic as I am vulnerable to covid) and go sit in a cafe for a coffee, it is my happy time, but even then I found that when I went to the same cafe all the time, they started saying "that you away to work?" I ended up changing cafes, and bringing a laptop to pretend i was doing something. 

same with any groups of friends well not really friends but you know meetups were you might have a hobby like art or something and you meetup and do art in a community hall or cafe. Then they will ask me "what do you do". 

I don't want to say well I cant work due to the type of autism I have. 

I dont want to say I dont work 

I wonder if anyone on here gets the same thing? and what do you say to them?

I do study sometimes via online courses (I work those around my pain days) but I cant say I am a student forever or they will be like tweaking that something is not right. 

I dont go out just now, before covid I usually go out on my own to a cafe, but sometimes i be brave and do a little outside hobby or crafting thing , and right now I am between friends, but not sure what to do when i make friends. 

all people my age are thinking of settling down and being all grown up. And I am still living my life like I am 19. it is hard to find anyone my age that has not really grown up in the way we are expected to 

Hope this post makes sense?

Parents
  • hi. how does your autism stop you working and do you live on benefits? do you get a payment for finding work too stressful? sorry for the questions. i find work very hard sometimes. i wish i could quit. 

Reply
  • hi. how does your autism stop you working and do you live on benefits? do you get a payment for finding work too stressful? sorry for the questions. i find work very hard sometimes. i wish i could quit. 

Children
  • If you were not able to work you would be not working by now. If it was too hard you would be so unwell you could not work or bring yourself to go. So maybe you are able to work but are just stressed? maybe get help with the stress from an autistic specialist. 

  • I would have meltdowns all the time, and run out of the work place, I ran out of busy buses as I could not stand it. I get stressed too much and meltdown. My doctor deemed me ill, and then I could not work again because I cant stand the NT world.