Anyone have high functioning autism, extreme brain fog, memory problems, been on Prednisone, or undiagnosed autism spectrum disorder ruin their life?

[Why Me?]

those things specifically, maybe not. but i was trying to get a general idea of what you can do

That was a stupid statement I made. Very bad articulation, sorry about that. The only thing I was able to do in my situation was dropshipping online, but I can't do it anymore. I'm so limited, I have so many issues, brain fog, vertigo, social anxiety, dental, etc. Thanks for trying to help.

 

[sewercide]

Yes. I suspect I am autistic. I have slight brain damage since birth and I have chronic headaches and brainfog. Fml

 

[Why Me?]

Yes. I suspect I am autistic. I have slight brain damage since birth and I have chronic headaches and brainfog. Fml

sorry to hear that. Its sad how are lives have been ruined, and we find comfort here after so many years.

 

[BipolarExpress]

As I said in a response to another thread (though I've edited this a bit to add more context):

Being autistic has been extremely difficult for me over the past two years or so. The COVID lockdown stressed me out and made a lot of my autistic traits more pronounced, especially the disabling or weird ones.

I have a lot of "savant skills," though I don't usually call them that. For example, I can, or used to be able to, teach myself languages within months. I have a photographic memory for things like spelling and grammar. I can read books and websites while holding conversations. Despite having done abysmally in math in high school, I managed to teach myself the basics of calculus within a few months. I taught myself how to read several years before I started school—this is known as "hyperlexia."

I have intense synaesthesia, which means that I associate colours with sounds, symbols with a variety of sensory stimuli, and some letters with colours. Thanks to my synaesthesia, I react strongly to sensory stimuli, including words and symbols, and very few people understand that. If I see something written wrongly or in a nontraditional way, I'll start feeling aversions. I won't list out the things that set me off, because they're ridiculous and I don't want anyone making fun of me for it.

My long, detailed memory isn't limited to spelling and grammar. I remember details about other people's actions—often for decades—that most people forget. I remember their typing quirks, what they wore, the way they talked, the way they moved, when I know none of them would remember me with that level of detail, if at all. It makes me feel like a circus freak. People have sometimes noticed my memory and said things like "get a life," as though I deliberately intended to remember all those details. It's just the way my brain fucking works.

My brain latches onto inconsequential topics and loops on them over and over again, and I know damn well that I've annoyed the shit out of people with my highly specific and arcane special interests that I couldn't stop talking about. (Notably, none of my autistic friends attacked me for doing that.)

I've become more brittle and less tolerant of aversive stimuli, noise, crowds, and other inputs than I was three years ago. I've had meltdowns when I encounter something aversive or offensive, including at work and around my friends. All those people were bewildered at how I was acting, since I was known for being calm and rational before I started regressing. I managed to step backward about 24 years in the course of two years (I'm in my mid-to-late 30s).

I don't make much sense to most neurotypicals, and that truth is crushing for me. I have a lot of reasons for wanting to kill myself, and this is one of them. As I said before, I feel like a fucking monster and a freak. It's often torturous to go through the day with so many aversions and sensory sensitivities.

 

[Why Me?]

I have a lot of "savant skills," though I don't usually call them that. For example, I can, or used to be able to, teach myself languages within months. I have a photographic memory for things like spelling and grammar. I can read books and websites while holding conversations. Despite having done abysmally in math in high school, I managed to teach myself the basics of calculus within a few months. I taught myself how to read several years before I started school—this is known as "hyperlexia."

I'm sorry for the things that are causing you distress, but I wish I had "savant skills" like you. I'm autistic, but I have a lot of brain fog probably due to my medical problems, and horrible diet. My memory is so terrible, there are so many things I cannot do, I'm basically disabled. Thank you for sharing what you're experiencing, because it sheds light on autism, in its different forms and how it affects people. Also, like you said "My brain latches onto inconsequential topics and loops on them over and over again," this happens to me a lot, it makes me feel like a weirdo.

 

[Himalayan]

I have that to a minor degree... I don't know if it's genetics or just memory problems from all the mental illness.

 

[LonelyEmerald]

I have high functioning autism. Aside from relationships, it has not really ruined my life. I think I got lucky because I was taken off my autism meds when I hit a certain weight due to growing a small amount of breast tissue(side effect). I think you couldn't be like 100 pounds or something. I've always been solid, so I hit that in like 3rd/4th/5th grade.

 

[chocolatebar]

I was diagnosed this year. It's hard for me to know if my main struggles are due to autism or to my extremely narcissist family.

But autism makes it more difficult do do some simple things people take for granted. I find most things manageable, except for the social aspects of it.

 

[StolenLife]

I've never been officially diagnosed but I'm pretty sure I'm on the autism spectrum as it would explain misophonia, misokinesia and social difficulties, and I meet some criteria for it.

 

[Luminescence]

I'm autistic, with PTSD, Depersonalization, and other physical illnesses that have repetitive symptoms. It makes life difficult but certainly hasn't ruined my life.

Abusive and toxic people, however, are responsible for great destruction in my life.

 

[Why Me?]

I have high functioning autism. Aside from relationships, it has not really ruined my life. I think I got lucky because I was taken off my autism meds when I hit a certain weight due to growing a small amount of breast tissue(side effect). I think you couldn't be like 100 pounds or something. I've always been solid, so I hit that in like 3rd/4th/5th grade.

Good for you that it hasn't really ruined your life. I didn't know there are autism meds for high functioning autism.

I was diagnosed this year. It's hard for me to know if my main struggles are due to autism or to my extremely narcissist family.

But autism makes it more difficult do do some simple things people take for granted. I find most things manageable, except for the social aspects of it.

I can relate. My extremely narcissistic family has caused me major damage. I believe the reason why it was so easy for them was because of my undiagnosed autism.

I've never been officially diagnosed but I'm pretty sure I'm on the autism spectrum as it would explain misophonia, misokinesia and social difficulties, and I meet some criteria for it.

Thanks for sharing, I've also never been officially diagnosed. I'm going to look up misophonia, and misokinesia, because I don't know what that means.

I'm autistic, with PTSD, Depersonalization, and other physical illnesses that have repetitive symptoms. It makes life difficult but certainly hasn't ruined my life.

Abusive and toxic people, however, are responsible for great destruction in my life.

Yes, great destruction has been caused by my abusive & toxic family, and also other people I attracted into my life. My autism, and other problems alone would have made my life difficult, but with the right support system, it could have been decent.

 

[Sparr0w]

my mum nearly got me tested for autism as a kid but didnt bc they were just the same things she had as a kid.... autism is thought to be gentic lmaooo

got a reccomendation that im high functioning autistic from my highschool last year so at least i can use that in uni to hopefully maybe get some help, so thats nice, at least.

i get brain fog as well, tbh its hard to tell when i have it nowadays cause ive had it so long, idk if its cleared up or if ive just accepted it as my normal mode of existence.

i hope everyone else in this thread has a good day, gets noise cancelling headphones, a bunch of foods they can eat that are also somehow healthy and delicious, and uh, idk, people who love them and accomodate for them without ignoring their autism or reducing them to their autism. and also a weighted blanket bc those things rule. /lh

 

[Why Me?]

autism is thought to be gentic

Yeah, I think my father also had high functioning autism.

 

[chocolatebar]

I can relate. My extremely narcissistic family has caused me major damage. I believe the reason why it was so easy for them was because of my undiagnosed autism.

We seem to be particularly vulnerable to that hurtful kind of relationship, don't we? :(