Hi,
Yesterday I was diagnosed with level 1 autism spectum. I'm 45. Female. And although the diagnosis doesn't suprise me - I had figured it out, and took myself for testing. I find myself sad for my younger self, and frankly angry at all those folks who could, and perhaps should, have spotted something when I was a child. I have just one life, and I've spent 45 years feeling that I was somehow failing, when all I needed was someone to recognise neurodivergence.
Anyone else feel this way?
I feel the same, it is so frustrating.
But my one thought is some gratitude for being able to get diagnosed at all, but then also an element of sympathy for the Drs working in a system that is underfunded and where the research is really still developing enough to consider some of us as being on the spectrum.
I guess it was just underappreciated for a long time, but good that society is finally taking more interest in these research now
I wonder if the lack of research in the past was mainly because it was much easier to live with a neuro difference back then. Life is so fast and noisy now, communication is becoming harder and people increasingly less tolerant - which leads to more sensitivity, more blame and as a result, even less tolerance. Desmond Morris touches on this in the naked ape - how technology is moving faster than the human brain can adapt and what effect that has on mental health issues.
It seems to like society is going in ever decreasing circles on all fronts - climate, equality (all forms), politics in general etc. However, great leaps forward are also being made. The problem as I see it is that people really don't like being told that their opinions are wrong and the worse they're made to feel, the stronger they attach themselves to their opinions. Eventually, some lose all tolerance because they feel like they can't do or say anything right. It's a conundrum: at least, that's how I see it all anyway
There's a generational aspect, perhaps. My parents & their own were very reluctant to 'bother the doctor' who was apparently permanently 'very busy'. I think modern folks aren't as deferential now, and maybe this is a factor in increased diagnoses numbers.
Personally, I like places with a lot of history and surrounding countryside
Yep, me too - generally.
What do you prefer then given you consider yourself 'weird as hell'?
Personally, I like places with a lot of history and surrounding countryside
Sorry - I don't understand what you are saying?
Oh God....Now my mind is working overtime to try and make it happen....
Personally - yes - but then I'm weird as hell on many, many fronts. I've been to Milton Keynes quite a few times and it is my idea of "Normie Town" = not my cup of tea at all........however, if I were a Normie, then I think I would like it.....and that is what the surveys and statistics always tend to show. People who live there, generally, think it is a great place to live.
Do you not find new towns a bit lifeless because of the lack of community feel in them?
Excellent idea....a register of autistic brilliances? We could trade our services amongst ourselves = things I can achieve in a matter of minutes may well take others weeks to achieve - and vise versa.
may be someone should set up a regional place for people to state what they need and what they can offer...just a thought!
This sounds ideal for me. Everyone has their own skills and what comes easy to me could be a horrendous trial for someone else, and there are so many things that I find impossible yet others seem to not even think about them (shopping springs to mind). It seems completely illogical that we spend so much time stressing out about things that could be simple if we supported each other.
I would love to have someone to help me that would let me help them too.
I'm so glad you have hope for the future....I tend to think rather than feel, but I really do feel for autistic people who have underacheived because of their lack of diagnosis or comprehension from "normal" people. At the other end of the spectrum, my "disability" which made it impossible to work in a team or as a cog in a wheel, pushed me (unawares) into starting my own business which I have total control over.
Needless to say, it was successful although I'm not sure how many people enjoyed working with me...
I had an idea and wonder what anyone thought:
There seem to be a few people who can't motivate themselves and feel alone and live in a certain degree of chaos. Do any of you think if Auties from the other end of the spectrum, who like order, might like to be paired up (if that's the right word) with someone which might feed a need for both parties. I am doing this with a lovely young man of 38, who also loves his cats passionately, and lives surrounded by chaos. We have become good friends (I feel quite maternal towards him) and he fixes all my broken techie things and I send him home with delicious home made food and help him clean up. To outsiders it would seem a very odd relationship, yet it really works.
Probably not, unless there is a change in the attitude of the populous and a significant improvement in the quality of town planning - I think these latter two are more important. There is no shortage of "spare" land, just a shortage of vision, drive and capability (in my opinion.)
I live in the South East so definitely agree with your assessment Number!
Would it be much use if privately-owned, vast lands were freed up for general use?
Sorry to be autistic about it....but look at my name......another aspect of this is simple numbers !
The amount of space in England has increased by zero in 40 years.
The amount of humans in England has increased by 10 million in 40 years.
Thats a lot more people needing to rub along with each other...we have used a bit more of the land to house those extra people, but almost exclusively, we have just intensified the number of people in the same place by either making conurbations swell at the edges and/or stacking people on top of each other - literally - in high rise living. I believe that this has quite an impact on individual humans too = more hemmed in, more trapped, more claustrophobic etc
I'm actually a fan of "New Towns" ie the likes of Milton Keynes, Corby, Letchworth etc.
Sorry to be autistic about it....but look at my name......another aspect of this is simple numbers !
The amount of space in England has increased by zero in 40 years.
The amount of humans in England has increased by 10 million in 40 years.
Thats a lot more people needing to rub along with each other...we have used a bit more of the land to house those extra people, but almost exclusively, we have just intensified the number of people in the same place by either making conurbations swell at the edges and/or stacking people on top of each other - literally - in high rise living. I believe that this has quite an impact on individual humans too = more hemmed in, more trapped, more claustrophobic etc
I'm actually a fan of "New Towns" ie the likes of Milton Keynes, Corby, Letchworth etc.
Personally, I like places with a lot of history and surrounding countryside
Yep, me too - generally.
What do you prefer then given you consider yourself 'weird as hell'?
Personally, I like places with a lot of history and surrounding countryside
Sorry - I don't understand what you are saying?
Oh God....Now my mind is working overtime to try and make it happen....
Personally - yes - but then I'm weird as hell on many, many fronts. I've been to Milton Keynes quite a few times and it is my idea of "Normie Town" = not my cup of tea at all........however, if I were a Normie, then I think I would like it.....and that is what the surveys and statistics always tend to show. People who live there, generally, think it is a great place to live.
Do you not find new towns a bit lifeless because of the lack of community feel in them?
Excellent idea....a register of autistic brilliances? We could trade our services amongst ourselves = things I can achieve in a matter of minutes may well take others weeks to achieve - and vise versa.
may be someone should set up a regional place for people to state what they need and what they can offer...just a thought!
This sounds ideal for me. Everyone has their own skills and what comes easy to me could be a horrendous trial for someone else, and there are so many things that I find impossible yet others seem to not even think about them (shopping springs to mind). It seems completely illogical that we spend so much time stressing out about things that could be simple if we supported each other.
I would love to have someone to help me that would let me help them too.
I'm so glad you have hope for the future....I tend to think rather than feel, but I really do feel for autistic people who have underacheived because of their lack of diagnosis or comprehension from "normal" people. At the other end of the spectrum, my "disability" which made it impossible to work in a team or as a cog in a wheel, pushed me (unawares) into starting my own business which I have total control over.
Needless to say, it was successful although I'm not sure how many people enjoyed working with me...
I had an idea and wonder what anyone thought:
There seem to be a few people who can't motivate themselves and feel alone and live in a certain degree of chaos. Do any of you think if Auties from the other end of the spectrum, who like order, might like to be paired up (if that's the right word) with someone which might feed a need for both parties. I am doing this with a lovely young man of 38, who also loves his cats passionately, and lives surrounded by chaos. We have become good friends (I feel quite maternal towards him) and he fixes all my broken techie things and I send him home with delicious home made food and help him clean up. To outsiders it would seem a very odd relationship, yet it really works.
Probably not, unless there is a change in the attitude of the populous and a significant improvement in the quality of town planning - I think these latter two are more important. There is no shortage of "spare" land, just a shortage of vision, drive and capability (in my opinion.)
I live in the South East so definitely agree with your assessment Number!
Would it be much use if privately-owned, vast lands were freed up for general use?
