To understand that Autism is NOT a mental illness?

[Oxfordblue]

Just that really, someone posted that autism is a mental illness.
I understand autism to be a different way of thinking/perceiving etc. Not an illness that one may or may not recover from

(My daughter is waiting for an assessment for autism & I would hate her to feel that she 'has a mental illness' & actually find that statement so disempowering. The world needs people to think differently, to challenge ideas that maybe set in stone & blur the idea that one size fits all.)

@zzzzz given that most are trying to see both points of view and considering both, do you think you could try and do the same?

Because this thread has managed to get people to try and engage, and see others points of view. Consistent whataboutery and just jumping on points people are making saying “yes but....” is really, really unhelpful.

And it gets us precisely nowhere.

With respect you’ve really really upset me, and I tried very hard to come back from that and see your point of view, but you will not do the same.

You’re never going to get anyone to listen to you when you are absolutely determined not to listen to anyone else.

Also, I agree, there is little for autistic adults, and barely enough in some areas and nothing in others for those children who can articulate and those who can’t.

It is a problem. A massive one.

But again, one group is no more important than the other, and as long as it is asserted that one is, we will get absolutely nowhere.

I’m gutted actually. I thought we were getting somewhere, that some middle ground had been found and that we could potentially have made a breakthrough.

It turns out I’ve just wasted a lot of time, emotion and energy for nothing.

I can’t. zzzzz if we come across each other on here again, please just ignore me. You need to keep away from me.

to Battleax staffiegirl and others who’s names I’ve forgotten. I’m going to have to dereg, I can’t cope with this shit.

Good on you all for being able to combat this crap day in day out without breaking. I wish I could too.

Thanks for all being so kind.

Don’t let it drive you away sodding. “Just” (heh) take a break from it

YANBU. I'm not mentally ill. Thank you.

Is this a Zombie Thread

When hearing that my 16 year old had been diagnosed as autistic, my (ignorant) sister said "oh does that mean she'll get better now?" and didnt seem to get it when I explained no.....

I think a lot of us feel like we have something wrong with us. We're not like NT people. NT people are normal.

mynameisfartacus my DM asked the same about DD after she'd been taking her ADHD meds for a couple of weeks. No offence taken, I had to explain, she's not ill, she's just wired differently, thats was the best I could manage!

I have checked back in and am really dismayed to see how ferocious and upsetting for some the discussion became, whilst being so fascinating and enlightening to those of us who are relative newbies to autism. Thank you again to everyone who has contributed so honestly, thoughtfully and thought-provokingly to this thread. I hope this isn't patronising but and to anyone who may be feeling distressed.

And can I just say this we’re essentially an aspie friendly mini-society free of fluorescence, or excessive metaphor or slimy foods made me laugh a lot!

Have you ever considered that the autistic people who seemingly function quite well in the NT world, a world that we don't fit into, are left to fend for ourselves without any support or guidance whatsoever simply because we are viewed as coping?
Ain't that the truth!
I may not 'look autistic' (you should see me flapping at home or nearly in tears for something as simple as DCat refusing to eat what I've just put in a bowl because I've run out of coping ability) but I'm still struggling, still in need of someone to talk to about stuff that I'm finding difficult but not knowing who, still wanting to go to social events but wimping out because I can't face having to stand on the edge, trying to make polite conversation that I know will fail because I have no idea what to say or how to say it, and which leaves me feeling like more of a failure....
There's not enough help around for any of us and that will probably always be the case because there are too many people on the planet needing help and not enough resources to go around.

Thank you Battleax and staffiegirl for the advice, I took a step back rather than deregging and you’re right. I can’t change people’s attitudes but I can change how I react to them. So thank you for helping me to realise that.

I’ve come to realise that there will never be cohesion, because it doesn’t suit society.

So I’ll keep doing what I’m doing, and hoping that I can prepare my children for the bullshit the world throws at them, and hoping that home being a safe place is enough. I honestly can’t see any other way tbh.

What Nikephorus just said. Trying to pretend to be NT and working at 'passing' is exhausting. I would love for their to be some kind of support for those of us on the spectrum who lead what feels like a double life.

Home is the safe place here, as far as I can make it so. It's not always enough of course, but it really does help enormously to be able to pull the drawbridge up.

I've never tried to pretend to be NT because I don't know what NT looks like. I'm just me, which causes problems. I'm borderline autistic, I've been newly diagnosed, my DC's school know me so I don't feel the need to disclose, I'll disclose to DD's secondary school in a couple of years.

Well its a mental disorder/disability in more severe strands

I like the drawbridge analogy! Now I need a moat