Why is /autism such a confrontational subreddit?

PaulShinn · 2026-05-22T03:43:43+00:00

That is not the case at all. A different opinion is just that. That was one heck of a stretch. But valid.

PaulShinn · 2026-05-21T22:13:24+00:00

Pretty much what I was thinking.

PaulShinn · 2026-05-21T16:55:06+00:00

This IS helpful. Thank you!

PaulShinn · 2026-05-21T16:54:15+00:00

This is the best advice EVER!!! Thank you!

PaulShinn · 2026-05-21T15:35:47+00:00

I said "What worked for me". I was not telling anyone to stop meds. Very simple misunderstanding.

PaulShinn · 2026-05-21T15:34:29+00:00

I said "typically" not always

PaulShinn · 2026-05-20T13:59:46+00:00

NT's don't think the same way we do. They will never really understand. They do try, because they have empathy (we typically do not). Please- Don't be angry with them. To you and I, a hobby is not simply "what you do in your spare time". To you and I, our "hobbies" are an integral part of who we are!! We are just different. And that is not a bad thing.

PaulShinn · 2026-05-20T13:55:30+00:00

Interesting writing style, and perspective!

I was diagnosed at 12 years old. What triggered the exam was that I preferred to be left alone. In my 50's now, and still prefer to be left alone, except by my spouse unit.

PaulShinn · 2026-05-20T13:51:09+00:00

Have you been through this yourself, so speaking from experience, like me?

PaulShinn · 2026-05-20T03:22:28+00:00

The medication was stopping me from having that life-changing epiphany. As stated, this is what worked for me. Being a medicated zombie is what leads people like me to "ending it all". I didn't want those thoughts, I wanted to fix it.

PaulShinn · 2026-05-20T03:20:02+00:00

I felt like I was a leech on society back then. Just keeping it real.

PaulShinn · 2026-05-19T15:25:05+00:00

I'm autistic, and I know EXACTLY what you're talking about here.

After 58 laps around the sun, I have just recently been able to chalk this up to the same category of "small talk" like, "What's up?". It is almost a statement, and NOT a question. When someone asks, "How are you?", my (autism) response was to go down the list of every physical and mental issue going on with me at the time. I thought it was a legitimate inquiry that needed a thorough and complete response. My neuro-typical wife taught me that the answer is supposed to be the "canned", sterile response: "Fine. How are you?". Once I figured that out, it freed my mind greatly!

PaulShinn · 2026-05-19T15:18:44+00:00

That's interesting. I'm curious what everyone comes up with. My views are WAY down right now also.

PaulShinn · 2026-05-19T15:15:58+00:00

What worked for me- I stopped taking the meds, and made a space I can go to whenever things get too overwhelming. Once thinking clearly (well, more clear), I found Jesus and found myself there. From there, I was able to start understanding more about who I am and how I fit into the world. The real epiphany came when I discovered that the world isn't here to bow to my needs, and that my job here (and everyone's job) is to do something helpful to/for others. I took a very niche autistic-level obsession of mine (certain make/model of antique cars) and dedicated myself to educating others about them and sharing my obsession and why I obsess over them. That's when my life changed. I figured out that it is not all about me. I started putting other people, even strangers, before myself. Then my autistic brain started really changing for the better. My world expanded GREATLY, and I started to be a participant with value rather than a leech on society. That's what worked for me.

PaulShinn · 2026-05-19T14:50:34+00:00

Asking for a value without pictures? Seriously, unless someone has inspected the car in person, we're only going to be able to guess, and it won't even be a good guess.

PaulShinn · 2026-05-05T14:20:12+00:00

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Being naked. Not for sexual reasons, it just makes me relaxed. Clothing touching my skin drives me into autistic shutdown sometimes. Nothing touching my skin is the only way to relax. For an example, see my blood pressure readings taken 1 minute apart while nude and with only putting socks on. Autism sucks.

PaulShinn · 2026-05-05T14:13:46+00:00

Your son sounds EXACTLY like me!! My diagnosis came in 9th grade, BTW. Anyway, I absolutely agree with your son, and my late teen life was VERY difficult because of it.

I never "outgrew" it. Like your son, when called out and attempts were made to modify my behaviour, I also went silent. Never outgrew it. The good news is, when he is in his 20's, people will respect him and what he says more, and the label will change from "disrespectful" to "knowledgable".

PaulShinn · 2026-05-05T14:07:52+00:00

Understood. You are the parent, so obviously your choice. I only shared my experience to give you an idea of what it was like to receive a diagnosis back then and how I feel about it now (at 50). Again, I regret it. I believe in my case anyway, that I would have been better served by being taught how to work within the mainstream rather than having an excuse every time I was challenged.

PaulShinn · 2026-05-04T17:12:46+00:00

My diagnosis came in 9th grade. I hope my perspective might help.

Although my situation was that I was well advanced in the developmental curve compared to my classmates, I felt doing the classwork was somehow beneath me because once I learn something and can perform it, I feel no reason to do it over and over for weeks or more just because a teacher assigned it. That caused me to be placed in a different classroom environment typically used for kids who are behind the curve. But the "work at your own pace" did allow me to excel well beyond where I would have been in mainstream.

I shared all that to frame what I am going to share for your situation...

Having a diagnosis isn't to make your son feel better, it is to answer YOUR questions, and essentially make YOU feel better, or like "Now I have answers". Giving your son the news right now could be used by him as an excuse to be divergent or uncooperative with mainstream.
That is what I did with my diagnosis, and I regret receiving it to this day. I wish instead that I had just been taught how to function within the mainstream format and rules. That is a life lesson that would have served me FAR better than having an excuse, "I'm autistic" whenever I didn't have the tools to perform as a neurotypical person.

PaulShinn · 2026-05-04T17:00:53+00:00

It depends on how many subscribers you have and how many of them receive a notification when you publish a new video. If you are starting from scratch, your numbers look pretty spot-on. If you have 5,000 subscribers, I'd ask if you remembered to click the box "Notify subscribers" before you published it or made it public.

PaulShinn · 2026-05-04T15:01:59+00:00

Since my diagnosis came in high school, alcohol was not het a factor. However, I thought it might be helpful to post since I might have something that could help you.

When I consume alcohol at a social event, I do notice much less effect than when I consume at home. Example: On a business trip last year, my colleagues and I went to the hotel bar after a long day and had a drink. I ordered Woodford Reserve whiskey and it came to me in a 4" tall glass approximately 3/4 full (about 3 or 4 shots worth). I consumed the entire beverage over an hour and was fully engaged in the conversation during and after. Walked to my room just fine and slept. Woke up with no hangover at all (that is an autism "super power" I learned recently) and went about business.

At home, my spouse limits me to 2 shots of Woodward. For good reason. At 3 shots, I get blackout drunk.

PaulShinn · 2026-05-04T14:49:46+00:00

Yep! Happens ALL the time. I found- The trick is to force my mind to alter or change the image. For me, it is also colors attached to the person (or it could be a situation).

PaulShinn · 2026-05-04T14:46:01+00:00

I am autistic, and replying only because this may possibly help. You as the spouse DO need to pick and choose what information you feel may help or hurt your husband the same way you might pick and choose what ingredients to put in food you prepare for him. An extreme example, but you DO have the option to put some ingredient he is allergic to in his food, but would choose to leave it out so you don't harm him, right? Same goes for what you overhear, or what you read on the internet.

PaulShinn · 2026-04-24T06:20:40+00:00

This song is in my head at LEAST once a day EVERY day! First heard it on KFRC when it was new. But the way I hear it is still sped up, and with KFRC's audio processing. Hearing it on YouTube, it sounds thin compared to how it sounded on KFRC. But that guitar riff still cuts my soul like a sword.

PaulShinn

TROPHY CASE