@Ælis I agree completely. Though I do often use those terms when talking with non-autistic people because it can be hard to communicate otherwise in ways that make sense. I've found myself recently qualifying my statements with things like "what some would call high/low functioning". That at least opens the door for me to mention that I don't think in those terms
The article you shared a few months ago that compared the autism spectrum to the color spectrum was particularly insightful for understanding this concept
@Rainbacon I know how you feel. I will sometime sayvthat I'm an "Asperger" because otherwise people won't believe I'm on the spectrum (well, they might still not, but that's another issue)
I have gotten to the point where I no longer ever tell anyone that I am "asperger". I was diagnosed under DSM-5 which does not have asperger as a diagnosis anymore, so I always tell people that I am on the autism spectrum with what would have previously been called aspergers
Every time I say that I am asperger, I'm feeling like a lier. I really do hate saying it. Especially when being on the spectrum in this world is so f**cking hard
I wish I could just tell people that I am "on the spectrum" and not "Asperger". I actually do that on the internet with people I don't know. But with people I see face to face? No way, I really don't feel safe enough to do that
But just because people are more likely to accept me if I make eye contact with them doesn't mean it's ok to tell me that I should just learn to deal with how uncomfortable it makes me
@Rainbacon It's like telling a trans person that they should not be out because it will make their life harder. It's true and yet everyone deserves to be themselves without hiding every day, all day long
@Ælis I remember reading something about how it appears that there are more and more autistic people than ever before, followed by a really cool explanation of how modern infrastructure and culture just calls it out into the open more. Since there wasn't always stuff like constant social interaction and lights everywhere etc, and so the differences didn't have a chance to show up. I can no longer recall where I read it or from who now, though :(
@Mithical I think I read something similar but it was only about people being undiagnosed and, thus, invisible (like many other kinds of discrimination we're invisible before because people hadn't had the Internet to regroup and fight back before)
That's a part of internet I'm really grateful for. I get to know that I am not alone. That I am not the only one feeling like an alien who doesn't belong
I'm currently reading all of those nice things about self care when you have a mental illness. About how I don't have to be perfect, about that it's okay to not be okay, etc.. And it actually makes me want to cry. Hearing all this kindness is kind of overwhelming, I'm not use to it.
Instagram is a wonderful place and I clearly need more kindness in my life. More people who believe in me
@ava ^ If I start crying because people are being too nice, I'll blame you for that <3
