Comment on I'm on the spectrum. How do I live the rest of my life?
the_q@lemmy.zip 1 day agoYour description of authenticity and its importance to you is a societal expectation. The request of talking more from others is a societal expectation. The fact that you’re struggling in a system where you’re viewed as outside the norm is societal expectation.
People in general expect the world and the people they interact with to be like them more or less. Your coworkers do it to you and if frustrates you, but you’re doing it to them which frustrates them. You expect authenticity because you’re attempting authenticity and they’re expecting societal norms and are presenting societal norms.
You aren’t required to participate in their system, but it won’t be easy on you.
I do want to touch on something you said about societal expectations. You say they’re a form of unconscious, self imposed control. How is your authenticity any different? Autism makes it hard to think outside a tried and true path. That rigidity is difficult to deal with, but may be worth looking into. Regardless, being authentic will be difficult in most social spaces, but that isn’t an absolute. The onus is on both you and the people around you.
vestmoria@linux.community 1 day ago
wow, what a beautiful post.
what do you mean ‘may be worth looking into.’?
the_q@lemmy.zip 1 day ago
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy can help with managing symptoms and helping you make changes to lessen the impact others have on you and vice versa. I know you mentioned that mental health isn’t really something you can easily get help with, but there are sites and books you can check out at libraries that can at least put you on the right path. I will warn you though that the exercises and methods CBT asks of you will straight up make you angry and feel stupid. You’ll reject them as silly or tell yourself that you’re experiences are different so it won’t work for you, but I promise as someone who also felt that way it isn’t true. That rigidity I mentioned before is what will be fueling those thoughts and feelings so keep that in mind if you choose to look into the CBT.