Discussion As an autistic person, would you take a cure for your autism if there was one?

[halleyscomet]

Most of the people discussing potential cures for autism, are not autistic and do not understand what it is like to live as an autistic person. So I am curious to see what you guys here think about having a cure for autism. Yes, we are nowhere near getting a cure, and I highly doubt there will ever be one - hypothetically speaking if there was a cure, would you want it? Or is it wrong to even consider developing a cure?

For me personally I am undecided. There are things I like about myself due to autism, but things I dislike. I don't think I would be the same person if someone removed my autism from me. But also being autistic sucks, it's alienating and painful. But also thinking of autism as something to be "cured" could be seen as eugenics as it is not a disease or something necessarily wrong.

What do you think?

 

[surroundedbydemons]

What do you think?

Grass can seem greener on the other side.
I would do it if I had the opportunity to go back.

The biggest advantage that I do not want to lose is not being susceptible to social/emotional manipulations

is it wrong to even consider developing a cure?

No

~~~
Why doesn't the poll have the option "I'm autistic. I think there should be a cure"?

 

[halleyscomet]

Grass can seem greener on the other side.
I would do it if I had the opportunity to go back.

The biggest advantage that I do not want to lose is not being susceptible to social/emotional manipulations


No

~~~
Why doesn't the poll have the option "I'm autistic. I think there should be a cure"?

That would be the yes option.

For me personally, I feel my autism has made me more susceptible to manipulation, a cure for that would be great.

 

[LaVieEnRose]

Yes, but I suspect that too much damage has already been done.

 

[Dr Iron Arc]

I'm not sure if I'm autistic or not but I'd absolutely want there to be a cure for my nonverbal, lower-on-the-spectrum sister.

 

[Hellonearth]

Yes. Yes. Yes!

 

[thenamingofcats]

I would but for survival reasons only. Losing my autistic traits would make me into a different person but at least I would have a chance.

 

[eatantz]

I would but I think it would be pointless. I think loosing my autism would be the death of me, having experiences and living life in a certain way shapes who you are. Loosing the cause of most of my suffering would leave me damaged forever. I would loose my sense of self and probably live confused and empty.

 

[Alltheywanted]

I have asperger's but I wouldn't take a cure for that.
I love the way it affects me and I'm grateful for it.

 

[ijustwishtodie]

Yes, I'd take the cure in a heartbeat! Autism has been nothing but torment and agony for me. I'd be the first in line to take the cure for autism and I wouldn't have any regrets whatsoever

 

[everythingoes]

Yes, I'd take the cure in a heartbeat! Autism has been nothing but torment and agony for me. I'd be the first in line to take the cure for autism and I wouldn't have any regrets whatsoever

This is exactly how I feel lmao you took the words right out of my mouth.
Autism has ruined my life and it's the main reason I want to die. I'd take it without batting an eye

 

[Hellonearth]

As far as I'm concerned it's a handicap. It's like asking "would you like to be free of your wheelchair". Relationships really determine your quality of life, and when you're impaired in that way, you're screwed. I mean it's an integral part of who I am but so is smoking..

 

[mediocre]

Yes I would if it meant taking my mental suffering away. Being autistic your mind is your worst enemy:(

 

[assisted]

Yes I would if it meant taking my mental suffering away. Being autistic your mind is your worst enemy:(

i thought i wouldn't take the cure, because i like being autistic, but then i realized that would be silly of me, and i'd have a much better life if my autism was cured

 

[Esokabat]

Without question that autism has a good part in my future CTB. It is hard to tell how big, maybe entirely.
Without autism, I would be a completely different person. With a completely different life.
I am not sure if a cure would really work once you are in your 40s, many of the personality traits appear to be set in stone.
I would still take a cure, just to see what happens, but I think the cure would need to be given prior to adulthood or early adulthood.

 

[sserafim]

Hmm, I'm honestly not sure. Before, I wanted to take a cure because autism is the main thing holding me back in life (from being successful), but I've done some thinking about it and I don't think that I would be fulfilled as a normie, doing what everyone else does, working my life away. I don't think that I would enjoy that kind of lifestyle, an endless capitalist grind until you die. I like how my Asperger's gives me a unique perspective and view on the world. I can easily cut through the societal lies and manipulation and I'm less susceptible to social brainwashing and conditioning than NTs are. I don't conform to the norm and I'm proud of it. I'm happy that I'm unique and not like everyone else

 

[untothedepths]

I'm on the fence, only because I truly can't grasp what makes me...wrong. I guess I'm just that stupid, but I struggle to understand exactly what it is that makes me so bad with socializing. I can sometimes not understand jokes and take statements too literally but outside of that..is it just because I "look strange" and have "strange interest"? Am I just living in an overly critical, uncaring, evil world or am I seriously broken? I am starting to believe the former.

 

[Lady Laudanum]

I'm autistic but high functioning. Autism per se is not what's ruining my life. I'm sure it only made matters worse with PTSD, but PTSD has always been the bigger problem. It doesn't matter to me whether there is a cure for autism, because my other issues affect me a lot more.

 

[goodoldnoname923]

I mean it wouldn't do me much good now the damage has already been done sorta speak

 

[Dark Moon]

It's too late for a cure for me and if it was available then I don't know because it would strip me of my identity and my essence as a person, I would become a neurotypical normal.

I would have the social skills, connections, be able to read/understand people better, I would be able to fit in and it would cut the different treatment, exclusion but at the same time I would become a different person than I am now.

 

[Alcoholic Teletubby]

No. Mf-ers brought me into this world, so they have to deal with my shit. >:)

 

[onbekend]

No, I don't really care enough to try to fix it. It's not my reason for my suicidal thoughts.

 

[binturong]

I don't think it's right to speak for others, so I'll only say about myself. If medicine could only cure problems and not deviations, I agree. If it made me an ordinary person I would never use it.