Yakamaru
Darn tootin'
Dunno if I should take this post seriously or take it as a super hot emo take.
Autism in The Fandom
- Thread starter Parabellum3
- Start date
Parabellum3
I'm not a furry if I have feathers.
Admittedly I wasn’t in a good mood, but the question still stands.
M
Mop
Guest
That's something you should probably come up with your own personal answer to, because really it's your life.
My perspective is that there are highs and lows in life. You should endure the lows in order to find periods of happiness, to live for the people you care about, and for the sake of just finding out what your future looks like.
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Parabellum3
I'm not a furry if I have feathers.
Nexus Cabler
Abstract Concepts Coordinator
I like to think of autism like a skill tree in a video game, and I just distributed my points in bizarre way. I struggle with some everyday things, but I'm a solid pro in some areas that really make me stand out in the game.
Pomorek
Antelope-Addicted Hyena
Such self-diagnoses are always of a little dubious value, but for my own considerations, I'm convinced that I have undiagnosed autism of some sort. Maybe Asperger's, maybe something else, any more fine-grained distinctions are not possible to make on my own. But really, it's like all fields checked: tendency to have bizarre thinking patterns, not conforming to how most other people function, and resulting in skewed behaviors; strong and inadequate emotional reactions (with anxiety being a strong factor); trouble in having functioning interactions, because of said differences; intense nerdy interests; physical clumsiness and lack of coordination (there's a reason why I avoid driving like a plague!). And being able to connect with animals better than with the vast majority of humans... Nowadays you might not see a lot of it, as I managed to "mask" it all rather well (I think), but all the propensity for bouts of weird thinking and/or behavior didn't go away completely and needs to be watched closely.
It was all much more pronounced in my school years, and I actually recall some doctors trying to diagnose me. But the ridiculous part is that the doctors of that time didn't have a slightest idea about the whole thing, and were not able to place a diagnosis; it ended up with just some vitamins being prescribed! Well, it's not like a diagnosis would help with anything of a practical value anyway...
But the biggest point is that this whole issue caused me to take some stupid choices in life. I ended up being a master of skills unneeded and domains of knowledge too esoteric for anyone else to care. This is a source of recurring pain, that if my choice of education was different, I could have had a much better life, with my intellectual skills enabling me to have a good work and all. But this ship has already sailed away. The way things are, I need to consider myself very poorly functioning in the local socio-economic setting. Which is a bad one in itself and without a clear way out, as it is permeated with social darwinism and does not forgive such mistakes.
It was all much more pronounced in my school years, and I actually recall some doctors trying to diagnose me. But the ridiculous part is that the doctors of that time didn't have a slightest idea about the whole thing, and were not able to place a diagnosis; it ended up with just some vitamins being prescribed! Well, it's not like a diagnosis would help with anything of a practical value anyway...
But the biggest point is that this whole issue caused me to take some stupid choices in life. I ended up being a master of skills unneeded and domains of knowledge too esoteric for anyone else to care. This is a source of recurring pain, that if my choice of education was different, I could have had a much better life, with my intellectual skills enabling me to have a good work and all. But this ship has already sailed away. The way things are, I need to consider myself very poorly functioning in the local socio-economic setting. Which is a bad one in itself and without a clear way out, as it is permeated with social darwinism and does not forgive such mistakes.
Parabellum3
I'm not a furry if I have feathers.
I was officially diagnosed in 2002 or 2003 since at that age I stopped talking for a bit. I believe that you are definitely on the higher side of the spectrum like I am but you just don't know it perhaps because your symptoms aren't as visible as mine. I fidget (a lot) and unintentionally offend people since I can't control my attitude. At least under your circumstances your symptoms maybe hid well enough to the point others don't even know that you have autism. Which in my opinion is better than being labeled "autistic". (With the exception of getting SSDI lol)
M
Mop
Guest
Because the alternative to experiencing life is death and nothingness, which I believe to be a compelling enough reason.
Parabellum3
I'm not a furry if I have feathers.
TyraWadman
The Silent Observer
We're all getting to that point regardless. What's the harm in seeing what we can accomplish with the life we've been given?
Ziv
PokéManiac
I'm autistic. I also study autism professionally.
Most autistic people are not furries. I have met and worked with many, many, many autistic people. But it is almost certainly true that autism is more prevalent in the furry community than in the general population. Autistic people are attracted to most kinds of niche/"outcast" subcultures but also, there is peer-reviewed, published evidence that autistic people are more likely to be drawn to sexual fetishes, which seem common among furries...
This is not saying "most autistic people are furries", this is saying "if you are a furry you're more likely to be autistic than someone who isn't". This works out mathematically because the population of autistic people is much larger than the entire population of the furry fandom.
Most autistic people are not furries. I have met and worked with many, many, many autistic people. But it is almost certainly true that autism is more prevalent in the furry community than in the general population. Autistic people are attracted to most kinds of niche/"outcast" subcultures but also, there is peer-reviewed, published evidence that autistic people are more likely to be drawn to sexual fetishes, which seem common among furries...
This is not saying "most autistic people are furries", this is saying "if you are a furry you're more likely to be autistic than someone who isn't". This works out mathematically because the population of autistic people is much larger than the entire population of the furry fandom.
Parabellum3
I'm not a furry if I have feathers.
It's just like what's the point of accomplishing anything if it won't last forever? I don't get that.
Also...you don't have to do this if you don't want to but could you please tell the person I ranted about that I apologize for the unnecessary outburst? If it was indeed a misunderstanding. I'm just a very easy person to piss off, and thanks to my autism.
TyraWadman
The Silent Observer
You're allowed to question everything, just like you're allowed to give your life whatever meaning you desire. You can choose to leave a mark on history like the pyramids, or you can find fulfillment with what's already in your grasp. Some people think life is one big party, others find joy in societies progress.
I've pondered similar things before, but decided if I've got one life, I'd might as well see what I can pull off. Maybe I'll be remembered in the online archives. Maybe someone will be inspired to finish a story I'd started. No one really knows!
(I have passed your message on!)
Parabellum3
I'm not a furry if I have feathers.
Yeah that's true. It'll be hard though to leave something of your own doing behind in life, at least on a mass scale. And thanks.
Parabellum3
I'm not a furry if I have feathers.
Ziv
PokéManiac
Yep, pretty much.
TyraWadman
The Silent Observer
Orrrrr it could have more to do with things like how kids like to pretend being animals... ooor a loveable cartoon character... orrrr just enjoying the fantasy aspect in general. :T
Parabellum3
I'm not a furry if I have feathers.
Parabellum3
I'm not a furry if I have feathers.
Society doesn’t seem to like it when autistic people behave that way.
TyraWadman
The Silent Observer
Most people wouldn't even know you have autism and still think that though.
It's called being immature and ignorant.
Parabellum3
I'm not a furry if I have feathers.
Oh they know I have it in my case.
TyraWadman
The Silent Observer
Methinks you have the same anxiety I used to have.
"Everything is bad all the time! Even when someone laughs, it MUST be about you! EVERYONE is judging me!"
If so, I hope you can shake out of the bitterness some day.
Parabellum3
I'm not a furry if I have feathers.
Oh no no no lol. It’s not just anxiety, it’s reality. Because a lot of bad shit happened to me thanks to my “uniqueness.”
TyraWadman
The Silent Observer
Just because one woman gets assaulted by a man doesn't make every man a wife beater.
I ain't saying you didn't suffer, but maybe one day you'll let yourself heal.
Parabellum3
I'm not a furry if I have feathers.
That’s where the cure will come in. There’s nothing else I can do up until that point besides more and more medications.