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Is everything influenced by autism?

Deleted User

I'm six days from receiving my diagnosis and I've been trying to pick my life apart wondering what is autistic and not autistic.

But now I'm wondering if that is really a valid or the right question. For instance I told my assessor that I feel I play a role in

work and with family and  am only myself at home when I can recharge and rest (I live alone).

She said straight away that that is masking. I'm 51 so I'm sure I've been doing a lot of things for years and years that I didn't know I was doing.

Trying to fit in and knowing that I don't so pretending and just being exhausted by it all. 

I found the assessment itself quite triggering. Bringing up a lot of childhood experiences that I've blocked out but were indications of autism.

The diagnosis is new and I haven't told anyone, so I'm trying to get a picture of things and it's too confusing.

Like when I make a grocery list I make it in the order of the stores I'm going to and then by the layout of the store inside. I like the order of this,

makes me feel calm especially if the shops are busy.

Lots of things I do have me asking myself Is that autistic?  Or is there no separation?

Completely baffled right now.

Parents
  • Unknown said:
    Lots of things I do have me asking myself Is that autistic?  Or is there no separation?

    Your autism will bleed into every aspect of your life in some shape of form so to try to pick any subject and say it is caused by autism will be easy, especially if you are looking for aspects that could be related to autistic traits.

    I found it easier to think about it from the point of view that I am autistic so everything I think or do is going to be coloured by it.

    A better question to ask yourself is why you want to label these things as being caused by your autism. Are you looking to blame it? This is quite a common reaction but I found it particularly unhelpful to demonise it when it is much more productive to accept it as a part of me and learn to understand and accept it.

    My approach was to step back and look at my life and what things there were causing me problems or were unfulfilling for me. I would then look at these to see if there was a way that my autistic traits could be eased to make these less troublesome or even to improve them.

    Engaging with an experienced psychotherapist was essential for me as they went through a process of "unpacking" my life experiences to understand why my childhood experience was still impacting my way of thinking now and this helped me undo some unhealthy responses I had evolved to certain things.

    Armed with this self knowledge you should be in a position to reshape your life to much more of what you want while working within the limitations you can manage healthily. This allowed me to retire at age 54, move to a warm country and make a complete change of career to something I had long wanted to do.

    So in answer to your original question - it doesn't matter. You are autistic so in theory everything you do falls under this banner so don't worry about hot to label it. Understand it and work with it to make your life better - that would be my recommendation.

    Knowedge is power so use it.

Reply
  • Unknown said:
    Lots of things I do have me asking myself Is that autistic?  Or is there no separation?

    Your autism will bleed into every aspect of your life in some shape of form so to try to pick any subject and say it is caused by autism will be easy, especially if you are looking for aspects that could be related to autistic traits.

    I found it easier to think about it from the point of view that I am autistic so everything I think or do is going to be coloured by it.

    A better question to ask yourself is why you want to label these things as being caused by your autism. Are you looking to blame it? This is quite a common reaction but I found it particularly unhelpful to demonise it when it is much more productive to accept it as a part of me and learn to understand and accept it.

    My approach was to step back and look at my life and what things there were causing me problems or were unfulfilling for me. I would then look at these to see if there was a way that my autistic traits could be eased to make these less troublesome or even to improve them.

    Engaging with an experienced psychotherapist was essential for me as they went through a process of "unpacking" my life experiences to understand why my childhood experience was still impacting my way of thinking now and this helped me undo some unhealthy responses I had evolved to certain things.

    Armed with this self knowledge you should be in a position to reshape your life to much more of what you want while working within the limitations you can manage healthily. This allowed me to retire at age 54, move to a warm country and make a complete change of career to something I had long wanted to do.

    So in answer to your original question - it doesn't matter. You are autistic so in theory everything you do falls under this banner so don't worry about hot to label it. Understand it and work with it to make your life better - that would be my recommendation.

    Knowedge is power so use it.

Children
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