I’ve lately realized that, while I like a large variety of shows/movies, there’s something extra comfy about really old media to me, especially old sitcoms. (I personally have a penchant for Green Acres, as well as the Beverly Hillbillies, Mister Ed, I Love Lucy, and the OG Addams Family). The jokes all make sense (even if they’re not nuanced at all and more than a little “cringe” by today’s standards.) the pacing is way slower. The plot lines are simple. The characters fit easily into wellknown tropes- because a lot of our well known tropes, “bits”, etc., stem from these older shows.

This all may just be insane ramblings fueled by a sick day, but I’ve realized that old shows and movies just really tickle the “autistic comfort” part of my brain.

I’ve come here in the past with a chip on my shoulder, I want to change my life and actually make serious changes because my life is a joke.

24 years old never had a job or a qualification. HD a serious drinking problem most of my life up until two years ago where I QUIT. It’s not changed much, as I’ve Not had a girlfriend/boyfriend for six years and it’s reached a breaking point where I’m so angry and bitter all of the time that I just can’t take it anymore.

Not in a suicidal sense let me make that clear. But the world is passing me by and it’s both depressing and embarrassing. I’m stuck in a perpetual cycle of believing I’m doomed forever. I feel like I’m alone in my struggle. I make music sometimes, as a kid it was my special interest. I finally left the house last week to go rehearse with a band. They were good people but I don’t know. Socialising was easy enough.

I’m actually able to do it when forced but I sit in my room for months and months believing that is all I will ever be. I see happy couples and feel estranged. Not to get so down but the past month I haven’t had a single bumble match. That is fucking depressing. There was a time where I did, I want to experience the fooling around phase with people. I want to play shows again, I want to exist in a time that isn’t in my room.

I tried all the motivational things before, therapy for one which was forced on me as a child and humiliated me in ways I can’t get into. I tried it again as an adult but it really doesn’t solve any issues for me personally. I find that once I’m kept busy I’m actually mostly okay. I just wanted to clear that up so I don’t get into a big debate in the comments like I always do.

I just wish I knew what it was to be a functional human being. All I know how to do is sit and make songs, ply video games and make 3D animations as a hobby. I at least this year got a car and am waiting for my test (in the uk it’s way too long to wait and then you could fail for the slightest thing).

I’ve pushed everyone away for years, I always do it. I come up with some reason why I don’t belong in any friend group. Some I’ve pushed away in my drinking years, some I assume are better than me for one reason or another so I get insecure and disappear. Some there isn’t a reason. As a kid I got rejected for being too needy and I guess now it’s rubbed off on me the wrong way.

I won’t fix my problems on Reddit I know. I just want to vent and maybe see a way of pushing myself out this rut. Because I’m in so deep now that I can’t even fathom a way out. But then I say that and next week I could make some small decision that changes everything. That’s usually how these things go with me.

I got the weird side of autism. I wasn’t blessed with the intellectual type nor the charming happy go lucky type I’ve come to know from people. I need a change.

Every time I try it feels like nothing is changing. So how can I continue?

I don't like Mac and cheese and ive never had a chicken nugget lol

Thank you for your help, I am a neurotypical mum caring for an autistic child and would appreciate input from the community re: how your life could be made easier.

By embellish, I mean making your feelings sound deeper, stronger, or more poetic than they really are — saying “You’re the prettiest person I’ve ever seen” instead of “You’re so attractive,” or “I want to be with you forever” instead of “I think we have a good future together, short-term or long-term,” for example.

If I told someone I want to be with them forever, I’d feel like I’m lying because I can’t picture a relationship lasting forever, and there’s always the chance of things happening — us breaking up, seeing other people, etc. It feels like an empty promise. But neurotypicals who don’t struggle with metaphorical language or understanding feelings use these phrases all the time, without meaning them literally. It’s more about their own experience than what’s actually happening, and they don’t feel deceived. It’s more like pretend play than lying.

So, how can you tell if, when you’re hyping your partner up, you’re being sincere when you use figurative language?

https://thinkingautismguide.com/2010/08/when-youre-gone-practical-planning-for.html

i have literally just finished watching 'out of my mind' on disney plus, it is about a girl called Melody who has cerebral palsy and her fight for education, and honestly its so good.

I know the film isnt about autism, but i think that as a community hearing and watching positive stories about disability in general is such an important thing, there are alot of ups and downs in the film because thats what its like being disabled in a society which is not fully inclusive or accessible, and the film really is just very good, it deals with ableism and attitudes surrounding disability and a very strong message is to always presume competence which i feel everyone needs to learn more about.

so yeah, if you want to watch a movie which ends positively and stars a disabled actress, then check it out, because we always need more positive stories about disability

Hi everyone so I've been having more meltdowns than usual lately so I was wondering if any of you have any tips to deal with stress and meltdowns.

I'm low-medium support needs but people still say that I'm "high functioning". Functioning labels HARM autistic people like me because I have been denied services for autistic people, I was diagnosed at 4 but learned how to mask which led to a breakdown in April & a suicide attempt. I struggle with things like reading social cues, anxiety, sensory issues, required modifications & accommodations to be independent or to be successful. When I was in the hospital, the nurse tried to use the functioning label to weaponize me which I cried. It brings back memories of when I was SA'D by many autistic men, when I was attacked by a girl with downs syndrome, when I was stolen from & stalked by an autistic woman in a peer group. Also, in school I was denied supports. My mom fought tooth & nail for me but it came at a cost.

A week ago I came across a book by Sarah Kurchak and other two by Bianca Toeps, and so far, from all the autistic authors and content creators that I've seen, they're the ones that have resonated the most with me. Even though they had to tone it down because, editors... I feel that they conveyed in a very detailed way the feelings and challenges faced since childhood whether diagnosed or not. Lately some friends have been diagnosed too and I will 100% recommend these books to them.

Who are your recommended autistic authors, researchers content creators, etc.? The ones who make you say "yeah, that makes sense..."?

Which Scandinavian country (sweden, denmark, finland, norway, iceland and whatever other Scandinavian countries there are) is the best to live in for autistic people in your opinion, and why? I know they are all pretty good, but does one of them stand out to you?

Listening to From Zero, Linkin Park (fave band)'s new album. TBF all Linkin Park songs could be seen as metaphors for being Autistic, but Emptiness Machine, kind of reminds me of living in an NT world. "The Emptiness Machine" describes the unfulfilling capitalist NT society, "let you cut me open just to watch me bleed, gave up who I am for who you wanted me to be", "I only wanted to be part of something", etc., all describe Autistics often compromising/sacrificing who we are to survive/fit in in a world that can't give us fulfillment.

https://thinkingautismguide.com/2010/08/on-verge-of-meltdown.html

https://www.mk.co.kr/en/society/11179856

What a strange guy

Musk would be shocked to know how majority South Koreans treat people with Aspergers.

https://thinkingautismguide.com/2010/08/quality-time.html

Hi everyone,

I guess we all read the recent posts and replies here in this community about how some countries treat us poorly.

Now, I wanted to ask: What country do you think is the best one for an Autistic individual? And please share the reasoning behind that.

Also, if someone said a country and another reader was from or lived in that country, please let us know your opinion as well.

And if you ask what do I mean by "best", I don't know myself. I don't have an objective answer to this, but perhaps a country that's the polar opposite of what the worst countries were. More like in those terms. Assistance, immigration and visa, culture of the people and how accepted+understood it is, guidance and care for parents with Autistic children, and employment rules. These are coming to my mind right now.

After reading all of the recent posts about Autism in other countries and how we're treated in said countries, I became curious: Is there a place outside of the US that I could go, if I wanted to, once considered disabled? And how hard would that transition be?

Edit: Thank you all for your responses.

I don't think I'm in a place to be eligible to immigrate after reading them, however. I'm not wealthy, and I cannot work much at all- I struggle desperately to keep a roof and food, at this time in my life.

It's a sad thought, for me as a person, to have no mobility to explore the world, and it saddens me for others who dream of the same and who are also in a similar situation.

Thank you again. Have a wonderful day.

So, I was recently diagnosed with ADHD, which I feel makes sense of about 80% of all my human experience. But there is this 20% which I am not able to explain with this diagnosis; despite being more "spontaneous" in hobbies and interests, I do have some very special, highly organized hobbies (perfectly sorted coin collection, that sort of stuff). I also crave for structure in my life but due to the ADHD, I cannot maintain it, and end up really distressed and burned out. I have the typical ADHD sensitivity to sound, because it just distracts me a lot, but sunlight or lotions are just "feel" uncomfortable, and there is an emotional distress associated to these stimuli (as opposed to sound, which is more annoying than distressing).

This is just part of my context (there are a lot of things I'm leaving out, but you kinda get the idea), but there is this one thing that did not fully make sense to me until very recently: social interactions. I can perfectly blend into a relatively known social scenario and act "normally" with my friends, so that is what everyone sees. But, I've noticed some things since my ADHD diagnosis: I really avoid new interactions (sometimes I just say I'm sick when I know there is gonna be a lot of people I haven't met), I kinda force myself to ask other people about their lives and also force myself into making the right amount of eye contact, which was something I had never noticed before! How many more things haven't I noticed? Have I been masking the whole time? Am I inventing everything inside my head? All these things lead me to believe I might have highly masked AuDHD.

So, this brings me to my question, which I guess is directed to the AuDHDers out there. I've never felt like I "script" my interactions, but I do create a scenario in which I have an imaginary conversation with some person before meeting them (and I have to talk to them). I don't think about what I will do, but rather what I will say. I haven't thought of this as scripting, because when the time comes normally ADHD and impulsivity kicks in and I just forget all about that, and very few or none of the things I thought about actually go into the conversation. Can you relate to this in some way?