Autistic For Attention?

It took me over two years to have myself diagnosed with Autism. I went to the top professionals in my area that specialize in just Autism. I went through tests and interviews. One test was a six-hour long psych test. I was so upset and stressed by it that I punched a dent into the side of our truck and plucked one of my keychain pom-poms bald.

The day I was finally diagnosed with Autism; I cried for joy. Mostly because it finally validated all the hardships I went through. I thought I would tell everyone I knew because to me being diagnosed was a wonderful thing! I had finally had an explanation for everything.

Then I started running into people who decided for themselves that I did not have "real" autism. They would compare to people that they knew that had "real autism" and would explain to me that even though I went through two years of diagnosis with a proper professional that I do not have real autism.

In those moments they would be stripping me down to my core and telling me that whatever I was struggling with was not real. That all those times I acted differently meant that I was just doing it for attention. In fact, one person told me to my face that I was saying that I was Autistic just for attention.

Most of the time I never reply to the people that say those things. I don't know what to say really. I just know that whenever someone says that I'm faking something like autism for attention; they obviously don't know me at all. That's fine if it's a stranger but it can be very hurtful realizing that some of your close friends and family don't know you. That they would go out of there way to hurt me just because they don't understand what autism is.

In the end, I've concluded that some of these people are ignorant but some are choosing to stay ignorant. It does not make it hurt any less but at least I can acknowledge that the issue lies with them and not me and try and move on.



(Sorry, no editor on this post guys. It's just straight from my heart)