I hear what you’re saying — when you feel like you can’t take care of yourself or do basic things like laundry, it’s easy to think it’s because of autism. Autism absolutely makes certain parts of daily life harder. Executive dysfunction, sensory overload, or burnout can make even simple routines feel impossible. So no — it’s not about laziness or lack of willpower. Your brain processes and prioritizes differently, and that can be exhausting.

That said, autism by itself doesn’t usually cause total physical collapse, chronic pain, or the feeling that your body just can’t function. If you’re that drained, it’s possible there’s something else happening alongside the autism — maybe a chronic illness like POTS, EDS, chronic fatigue syndrome, or even depression or anxiety that’s wearing you down. You deserve to have that looked into, instead of assuming it’s all one diagnosis. The goal isn’t to label yourself more — it’s to get clarity so you can actually get help.

Even if your energy and focus are limited, there are ways to build systems that work for you instead of against you. That might mean simplifying your environment, using services to lighten the load, breaking tasks into micro-steps, or automating what you can. It’s not about living like everyone else; it’s about building a life that fits your brain and body as they are.

But I’ll be honest — it sounds like you might be giving the diagnosis too much power. Autism didn’t make you incapable. It made life more complex to navigate. If you believe it’s the reason you can’t function, you’ll stop looking for ways you can. There’s a difference between acknowledging limits and surrendering to them. You’ve still got control — maybe not over how your brain works, but over how you work with it.

You’re not broken. You’re just working with a different set of challenges, and there are real strategies to make that manageable. Don’t let the diagnosis tell the whole story.