What if I am the center of my own Universe?

[MyNameIsTerry]

Well if someone created my reality just for me my obvious first thought is this: I desperately want to meet this idiot so I can give them a great big

Some of the guys with OCD struggle with this theme. It's one they can't outthink as there will never be acceptable evidence against it so they have to work on not being sucked down the rabbit hole.

[WiredIncorrectly]

Well if someone created my reality just for me my obvious first thought is this: I desperately want to meet this idiot so I can give them a great big

Same Terry! They better have a good answer too.

Some of the guys with OCD struggle with this theme. It's one they can't outthink as there will never be acceptable evidence against it so they have to work on not being sucked down the rabbit hole.

Nailed it T. When this happens I try to put on some Jazz and move away from my computer. I've got notepads recently and started writing most of my brain overflow into those. If need be I can then research what's written. The alternative is consuming content after content after content and never really getting anywhere.

It was Karl Pilkington that inspired me to keep a diary of my thoughts. I hope that guy is genuine unlike Sheldon Cooper. That genuinely hurt me when I found out the actor didn't have aspergers and isn't a scientist I binned my Sheldon shirts, fan items and the DVD's gather dust. Ironically exactly what a real Sheldon Cooper would have probably done in the same situation.

[NoraB]

A bit of fun thinking. What if everybody and everything around me is my reality?

Have you been watching Life on Mars cocker?

My name is Nora Batty. I had an accident and woke up in No More Panic. Am I mad? In a coma? Whatever it is it's like I've landed on a different planet.

[Pamplemousse]

Ah man now I'm down this rabbit hole tonight. Thanks Pamplemousse

Hope you're well during these rough times.

Battling on - it ain't easy especially when you keep hearing of workplace cases...

[NoraB]

I hope that guy is genuine unlike Sheldon Cooper. That genuinely hurt me when I found out the actor didn't have aspergers and isn't a scientist I binned my Sheldon shirts, fan items and the DVD's gather dust. Ironically exactly what a real Sheldon Cooper would have probably done in the same situation.

It's hard to 'nail' autism with acting because we're all so different, and there is the stereotypical bias to deal with...

Max Vento does a decent enough job as Joe in The A Word, but why are they portraying autism with a boy who doesn't smile or laugh? Why is this always the case? That's not me or my son and we're both autistic! I'm totally there with his need for music though. I do the shutting the world out with a banging soundtrack and some headphones and I'm 50! However, they do have an actually autistic actor - Travis Smith who plays Mark.

One of my favourite actors is autistic - Paddy Considine. He was diagnosed Asperger's at 36. Who says autistic folk can't do comedy. Hello, Hot Fuzz?

I've yet to see 'myself' or my son portrayed on screen, and these stereotypical portrayals are what give non-autistic people an opinion on whether somebody is autistic or not...

I laugh a lot, so I can't be autistic.

I've had jobs and been married, twice - so I can't possibly be autistic.

I have empathy by the truck load, so I can't be autistic.

I'm a sarcastic bugger, so I can't be autistic..

It's incredibly demeaning to have my daily struggles belittled in this way.

You show me a 'highly-functioning' autistic person who doesn't have at least one mental health condition. It's more likely that they have numerous mental health issues and physical conditions - all of which result from the stress and strain of having to try and exist in a world that we don't understand, and surrounded by people who do not understand us.

Anyhoo, I appear to have climbed aboard my soap box, so, I'll go cool off innit.

[pulisa]

At least there is now more recognition of the agonies high functioning female autistics go through and how they present so differently from males on the spectrum.

I think it's far more complicated and difficult for women to manage and live with ASD and to process and make sense of all the troubling emotions overwhelming them. All credit to you, Nora..You should tour the country after covid giving talks to the professionals and interested public..another Ros Blackburn?!

[NoraB]

At least there is now more recognition of the agonies high functioning female autistics go through and how they present so differently from males on the spectrum.

Yes, there is, thankfully.

However, I've had run-ins with several autistic males (members of the autistic dark web) who question people's diagnoses if they have had jobs, been married or have reproduced. It was an eye-opener for me because I naively thought I'd never experience hostility and abuse from people who are like me? Boy was I wrong! One young lady called me the C word, which rhymes with punt, and that's because I advocate positivity with autism, and also because I'm not opposed to people who self-diagnose based on the theory that nobody would choose to be autistic - you either are or you're not.

I think it's far more complicated and difficult for women to manage and live with ASD and to process and make sense of all the troubling emotions overwhelming them.

For 46 years I didn't know that my struggles with life are because I'm autistic. I had no support and no early intervention - like so many of my generation and those before us. It got to the point where I didn't know who I was anymore - I was more persona than me because being me earned me abuse. I had to be someone else in order to survive if that makes sense? Even then, it's like people can sense I'm different, you know? One girl walked up to me on my first day of high school and she slapped me across my face for no reason at all. Well, I say no reason - apparently she didn't like my face.

All credit to you, Nora..You should tour the country after covid giving talks to the professionals and interested public..another Ros Blackburn?!

Alas, I have the verbal communication skills of a wheelie bin, so I'm limited to online ramblings.

[WiredIncorrectly]

Nora your experience with the forums I can relate to. It's a double edged sword on those forums because you've got 2 types of people:

1. The self diagnosed
2. The diagnosed

The diagnosed don't take the self diagnosed seriously. Both war with one another. I've came off the autism forums and I just stick to this place if I'm honest.

I've been called names for being in a relationship. I've been called names for being high functioning by those who are lower functioning (yet seemingly able enough to heckle). Maybe the secret to having a relationship is being open and honest. That's all I've ever done and I've had 2 partners. Saying that, they both chased me. I've never been proactive in seeking relationships.

I speculate many on the aspie/autism forums are in a depression hole. We've all been there, but it seems so much more common on the wrong planet.

[pulisa]

Having an ASD diagnosis doesn't mean that hurtful and offensive comments online should be tolerated. Nor should they be excused on the basis of depression. Some people are just unpleasant regardless of any diagnosis and enjoy being keyboard warriors where they can indulge in their frustration and anger at the world. There's also a certain amount of jealousy there as well disguised in ugly accusations. Rise above these oxygen thieves, James..

[WiredIncorrectly]

Having an ASD diagnosis doesn't mean that hurtful and offensive comments online should be tolerated. Nor should they be excused on the basis of depression. Some people are just unpleasant regardless of any diagnosis and enjoy being keyboard warriors where they can indulge in their frustration and anger at the world. There's also a certain amount of jealousy there as well disguised in ugly accusations. Rise above these oxygen thieves, James..

Very true Pulisa.