Do you ever feel ashamed of being autistic?

Hi,

I know it sounds like an awful thing to say and I'm sure it will spark controversy but this is just a question I have never felt able to ask other autistic people and tonight I just thought, "Why not? People are welcome to disagree with me if that's how they feel."

Anyway, I've been having a rough time lately and feel very ashamed of a lot of things. One thing I'm certainly ashamed of is being autistic. Everything about it feels like a threat - a threat to my femininity, to my appearance, to how others will perceive me. It's hard to put into words but it's almost as though the symptoms don't worry me (I don't actually have a great deal of symptoms, really; not nowadays anyway) but the label itself is damaging me more and more every day.

I feel so guilty for feeling like this but I don't want to wonder anymore. Does anyone else feel like this?

Thank you,

LivAgain 

Parents
  • Do you have any interests Liv? I think that if you have something you care deeply about, this can help to distract you from your problems  and make your life a relatively happy one. I know that you have Depression the illness, and as such, you will probably always be prone to depressive thinking, just like I am prone to anxious thinking. But I have found that hobbies and interests provide a release from the anxiety, and they may help you with your Depression as well. Likewise, voluntary work, exercise, can all help.

Reply
  • Do you have any interests Liv? I think that if you have something you care deeply about, this can help to distract you from your problems  and make your life a relatively happy one. I know that you have Depression the illness, and as such, you will probably always be prone to depressive thinking, just like I am prone to anxious thinking. But I have found that hobbies and interests provide a release from the anxiety, and they may help you with your Depression as well. Likewise, voluntary work, exercise, can all help.

Children
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