Being expected to do the same exact things as people without autism and being treated like shit when you can’t live up to their expectations because - you know - we have a disability, it’s just invisible so nobody cares. Having to wear a mask 24/7 due to living in a society where being different is seen as unacceptable. Feeling like a burden anytime you need extra help because people still refuse to try to understand autism and how it affects people and will shame you for needing the help. Having to jump through hoops to even have your condition “officially” recognized and diagnosed, because it isn’t hard enough just having autism, you also need to “prove” that you have it in order to even get help. Good luck if you don’t have health insurance, money, reliable transportation to get to appointments, or even a center in your area that can do the required testing. All the while you still have autism, officially diagnosed or not, which makes all of those things way harder to do. Living in a society where the common belief is, "Well I can do it so that means everyone else can too.” I haven’t scratched the surface of the actual disability itself and its symptoms, such as the social isolation, the feeling of not belonging, the confusion of the world around you and its people, the sensory issues. I haven’t mentioned the positives either, such as the intense interests that give life purpose, the way music makes me feel alive, my dry sense of humor and perspective that makes people laugh. It isn’t all dreary, but it does get bogged down by the stuff I mentioned.
And the reality that many will read my words and not even feel a hint of empathy. They think, "Others have it worse, so you should just deal with it." They lack the willingness to understand; they label it a 'victim mentality' rather than recognizing it as the actual experience of many. They think of empathy as a currency that they cannot afford to extend to us.
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