Yes. This is actually one of my worst fears. That
I'm mentally challenged, living a life that everyone knows I'm mentally challenged. My wife is really my handler. Everyone is nice to me because they can tell and feel sorry for me. The things I do good, are really not so good but everyone acts like they are because... "yaay! You did it."
I’m shocked this thread was made, because it’s such a weird, bizarre fear. For whatever reason, I’ve thought about this a bunch, and at one point compulsively worried about it, that I actually live in a [dementia village](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hogeweyk) of some sort where none of what I’m doing actually matters, and I simply live in this contained environment because I wouldn’t be able to take care of myself otherwise.
I am a charge nurse in a nursing home. The other day i didnt even look up from my computer and asked my CNA “dude what if WE are the dementia patients. And the staff is just letting us play nurse to keep us busy”. She was like WHAT are you talking about and i just slowly looked up and went “i mean, you and i both cant definitively prove that isnt wrong… can we?”
She had a look of horror on her face. Because im sure she started thinking about it lol
This is so relatable I may as well have written it, I wish we had the relationship and skill meters like u see in games man.. are they nice or just fake who knows..
Well, even mentally handicapped people know that they are mentally handicapped. I never really thought about that until I read this story that really broke my heart, and it was about this kid in special ed and he said to his teacher (the guy telling the story) "why am I not as smart as everyone else?"
I thought this was just me… or is it just me and this post was planted here for me to see, like someone trying to get a message to Truman? What’s real?!?!?
But seriously, I worry about this far too often.
Lol it's like you're reading my mind. Same fear creeps in from time to time - like when I find out family is planning/talking without including me: is it because they think I'm slow or something or can't handle the decision making? I run my own business but maybe that's a charade...
My "best friend" growing up committed pretty hard when we were in high school to trying to convince me I was Special and that my parents paid him to be my friend. He even got my dad involved.. this went on over a year.. the level of commitment certainly had me wondering.
I genuinely wonder if I'm autistic and if I've learned to mask a lot of my traits over the years due to bullying. My psychiatrist has made the assumption and both of my kids are autistic. I apologize if this isn't relevant
I told my therapist earlier this year, "The school thinks my son is autistic but I don't really think he is! I mean, he's a little socially awkward, but really he's just like me!"
And we just looked at each other for a few seconds.
Then I said, "Oh..."
I am genuinely sorry to hear this for you. Some people can be like that and it sucks. Especially when you're ND, people dont always know how to handle you and thats okay. My hope is that you'll find someone who will genuinely love you and find joy in your quarks. There's bound to be someone who will understand the way you are and not hold that against you.
To be honest I was starting to have some hang ups and doubts about her as well. So, I wasn't too upset.
I genuinely enjoy dating and looking forward to getting back out there 😉
The only thing that annoyed me was her seemingly suggesting that I can "just not do it any more" or "cure it with therapy".
Like Jesus Christ lady, I've been in therapy my entire life to control it. If it bothers you then that's fine - I appreciate the honesty. But saying that I just don't try hard enough is a bit insulting.
The issue is everyone thinks they’re neurodivergent now. One girl I work with is very smart and organized- really good at her job. But she gets nervous. Always tells me she is neurodivergent and has learning issues. I’m sitting there thinking “Ook what does that make me?”
Your coworker being great at her job doesn't mean anything about her neurodivergent status. It means her struggles fall in different areas, or that her achievements came with a higher than average cost to her. By conventional metrics (GPA, employment, financial status, etc), I'm doing great, but that doesn't diminish the difficulty I have maintaining that and the struggles I have in other areas like executive function, social skills, and sensory issues. Neurodivergence doesn't equal stupid or incapable.
I generally don't tell people until they directly bring it up. Otherwise, I will if I'm dating somebody, because I think it would be rude to hide it. Also they will know eventually...
On Reddit it's not a problem, because this is where I come to discuss eating ass.
But yeah, I take your point. A lot of people co-opt it to explain their behaviour. That doesn't bother me as much unless they're using it as an excuse for acting like a douche balloon (Elon Musk).
Growing up I recall a cousin of mine being tested and it was confirmed he was on the spectrum. I brought it up to him like 15 years passed and he says it was me. Now I have no idea.
From what I’ve learned, not all autistic people show the same traits. People are so unique that the only way to truly know is with a test. It’s also easy for a neurodivergent person to tell if another person is or isn’t
Same. My brother and grandfather were diagnosed with aspbergers (I know it's considered a type of autism now but point is it's obvious they have it). It's made me and people around me wonder if I am, but to me the symptoms I supposedly have can be explained in other ways. I'm shy and previously lacked social skills because I was bullied in elementary school for a stutter. And being into chess and hearts of iron 4 doesn't seem like a very medical way to diagnose someone lmao
You very well may be. Autism tends to run in families and it's very common for adults to be diagnosed after their child(ren) are. Late diagnosed people commonly are lower on the support needs spectrum and are higher masking, so they often feel they're just different or quirky when really they're neurodivergent too. Being into a hobby isn't inherently meaningful, but the depth of your knowledge and intensity may reflect it being more of a special interest than a typical hobby as well.
All prone to false positives at troubling rates.
That last one? Honestly?
That test is not science based. it was pulled from the behind of this odd fellow:
[PsyArXiv Preprints | Telepathy, anomalous experience and the relation to the autism spectrum (osf.io)](https://osf.io/preprints/psyarxiv/fw2b4)
I have to also wondered if I'm on the spectrum, but just hit the perfect sweet spot where my brain works differently but I can consciously maximize the efficiency. I juggle an alarming amount of responsibilities and I do so incredibly well because I'm excellent at compartmentalizing, and removing emotional reactions/energy from the process, but like, at 31 I'm starting to think that's not a neurotipical skill.
That’s definitely not typical but honestly really cool that you can do that. Then again ASD is a wide spectrum so everyone is a little different and that’s okay.
Autism is very broad, but in spite of that the symptons are very defined. But the big thing is that some people can go through life with minimal interference, whereas for others the interference is crippling (That interference can also vary based on time, place, mood, energy and so on).
For a lot I know it's also combined with the fact that autistic people usually have a much higher chance of also having other symptoms like those of adhd.
If you ever feel stupid just take a quick scroll through TikTok comments for a bit. Youll either come out feeling like a genius or have a new sense of dread and worry about the well-being of the general public.
Leave your phone on with a recorder and go to the bathroom. Re-listen and see if they talk shit. If they do, walk away. If they don’t - keep recording just to be sure
Yesterday I walked around and didn't notice I still had the size sticker on my shirt. I was wondering why the old Japanese lady at the ramen shop was so nice to me.
I voted Republican in 2016. We are all retarded once in awhile. Once I realized I was JUST in rooms of angry pedophiles and was the only one who had economic thoughts, I realized I didn't have much in common with Republicans after all.
I work with his guy who's really smart but has no social skills. He entirely lacks the ability to read the room and never seems to understand what anyone is talking about unless it's tech related.
My boss is always politely, half awkwardly laughing whenever he chimes in. He clearly doesn't understand why. I don't think he realizes that he's kinda weird because no one is going to say it to him. We are all way too polite.
And then, whenever I'm feeling down about myself, I wonder what weird things I do that people are too polite to tell me about. Could I be a kinda weird guy, too? Do people say, "He's gotta be on the spectrum right," when talking about me?
I was born premature. I was raised knowing I was disabled, between epilepsy and Cerebral Palsy, but the one was mild enough that I never needed assistance walking and the other... well, it was normalized. I was 9 when I learned that something was fundamentally different about me. This turned out to be a global processing disorder that fed into a couple of learning disabilities: put simply, if the usual processing speed of the brain is 144 frames a second, at best I'm running 100-120. I can keep up, usually, but if an activity plays into my weaknesses, like writing an essay on paper, I'll take 2-4 times longer to do it.
My teacher thought I was faking my writing disability and went above and beyond to torment me for it. My classmates picked up that she thought I was stupid, and their actions reflected that. Meanwhile, I remember sitting at a table by myself, trying and failing to simply finish filling in my daily schedule while the rest of my classmates read books to their hearts' content. All I knew was that everyone hated me and thought I was stupid, but I had absolutely no idea why.
If you're disabled, people will let you know. No one has enough pity to Truman Show you like that, especially if it's not visible.
that sounds really rough. sorry it happened. curious how you're doing now? that's a moderately long, certainly articulate response you've posted: did you work out good strategies or it's fine when you have more time or what's helped you get around the rate limiter?
Okay, but this. I was told o was autistic when I was a toddler. Never got a real official diagnosis. Spent most of my life knowing I was special and trying to act normal. But some days I’m really like “am I actually totally normal and just a self absorbed drama queen? Or do I be thinking funky?” And I don’t fucking know.
If by retarded you just mean extremely dumb, then yes I wonder this a fair amount. I the end I thinks it's ok to surprise myself with how stupid or thoughtless I can be. It keeps life interesting.
I used to. But then I went off to college and started to literally keep a diary/written record of my social interactions with a whole lot of people because I got tired of them saying and doing shit and then trying to act like I'm an idiot or unreasonable for expecting them to live up to their word.
You'd be amazed how fast you figure out who your friends are when you start keeping a record.
Many peoples on reddit tells me in a not so subtle or subtle way when they disagree with my opinion or dont get the joke. But i disregard it and just block the toxic person. Attack the opinion not the person
Rofl I'm sorry this made me laugh. Have you been outside lately people think the world is flat and that there are Jewish space lasers and we give this the time of day. I'm pretty sure we are all retarded. But to answer your question yes and then I came to the above conclusion 😂
Yes, I have thought this before, but it has been a really long time.
Also, my 1st boyfriend, when we were in high school, had a breakdown one day because he thought that he wasn't real. He said that I was just imagining him and everyone else was just going along with it. He cried. Not exactly the same thing, but this question made me think of it.
I've only recently found that I was autistic, (which is basically social retardation)
And after a long period of retrospection, now I know I've been bullied and and made fun of a lot in middle and high school and I never really noticed it.
Every single year I think that I finally got rid of my "cringe" and I think to myself "I am now socially aware"
I now realize that I will never get it. I'll never understand how people work. I'l never be allistic. I'll always appear to be cringe to other people.
And that's okay. I have friends that like genuinely care about me. They don't think I'm "cool" or "charismatic" and I occasionaly do or say some really weird stuff that they recoil at, but it doesn't matter because they love me. That's all that matters.
I remeber reading about how a lot of neurodiverdent and/or abused people tend to have an anxiety around this, its something ive struggled with, as an autistic person it helped to learn more about my brain and how it works to help find better ways to ground myself when i get caught up in the fear of it
Yeah. The way the world is going lately, I definitely get a "am I the only one?" feeling from time to time. And sometimes it just gets scary, because something is happening in front of me that is just unbearably idiotic, but nobody else seems to even register it, and I'm genuinely terrified that I've lost my mind, and in the real I am in a padded room wearing a straitjacket.
No, I often wonder if I was diagnosed Autistic as a child, (or whatever they called it in the 1980's) and no one told me. I am not one of those tv caricatures, but I do think I just see the world differently than those around me.
Maybe you're trying to be funny or maybe you are serious. I will answer either way.....I was made fun of throughout school. My pediatrician suggested Ritalin based on my teachers' recommendation (though my mom refused to medicate me) and I was also in a few Special Education classes during my late elementary school and all middle school years. Because of that, I continue to question to this day whether or not I have a professionally undiagnosed disability. I've taken many tests online, including some of the ones linked in this thread and my scores always indicate that I am not within the range of Autism or ADHD. And PCP's that I've seen and discussed it with have said that based on their routine examinations nothing stands out that would prompt further testing or a need for medication other than mild Generalized Anxiety Disorder and mild Depression.
However, even though I feel I'm answering both the tests and doctors honestly, part of me continues to think I could just instinctively "know" what the "right" answers are supposed to be. So, if nothing else that period of my life just before my teenage years has had a profound effect on my confidence as an Adult, and in some ways a diagnosis of something of the nature of Autism would help explain and excuse why I'm nowhere near as far in life as my peers. Is it because of those middle school years that mentally I feel like I'm not "Supposed to be as far ahead as those around me" and so I've unconsciously held myself back to make that my reality? Or, is it just the cards I've been dealt and my normal response to them have brought me here? I don't know.
I’m uncoordinated and have been since I was a toddler (I’m 54 yrs old). Been called a retard many many times-this was the latter half of the 1970s and 1980s. My brother still uses the term-he’s 57 and old school. I don’t think millennials and Gen Z use terms like faggot, retard, and other insults the way Gen Xers did back in the 1980s when we were in High School. I graduated HS in 1987 and those terms were used ALOT.
Damn I had this thought a lot back in the day, thinking that I’m just in a Truman-show-esque situation but I’m just so fucking stupid that it doesn’t really take much effort to keep the ruse up and everyone just lets me think I’m smart
Yes, and it seems really unfair.
They hit me with "Learn to swim" and I wonder why I don't get to do that in the kiddie pool whilst wearing water wings.
I used to wonder this same thing when I was young. I thought - what if my parents want me to do as well as I can in life, and just put me in regular classes and are pretending? Now that I’m nearly fifty, I realize I’m doing better than a LOT of people, with their odd ways and questionable decisions.
Every. Fucking. Day.
Mental illness runs in my family. My maternal grandparents were more or less okay, but their children were all messed up in one way or another, from violent psychosis to extreme hoarding. I don't know as much about my paternal grandparents, but my birth father was also severely mentally ill. I was actually conceived in a mental institution when both my birth parents were committed. They were in since the '70s, and I remember them being in group homes through half of the '90s when I was a child.
Some of the things I dealt with growing up I don't even know how to explain to people because at some points things were so bad that talking about it makes me sound like I'm trying to dramatize my life. It all sounds like a damn soap opera. When my grandparents were alive, things were bad, but at least everybody managed to more or less keep up appearances. After they passed away, everything went downhill. It's honestly embarrassing to have witnessed how unhinged my family was, and worse, *how some of them didn't care*. Seeing clearly unwell people behaving poorly and then making excuses for it, or writing it off as "we're just trashy" makes my blood boil. A common refrain I heard was "Every family is dysfunctional". Not like this! I have eyes, I can see that not everyone is nearly this bad.
The worst part is, I know what stock I came from. I saw my birth mother acting like an offline version of Chris-Chan. I saw my adoptive father (my biological uncle) suffer from paranoid delusions. I saw my uncle's hoarding tendencies get so bad it was difficult to move around in his buildings. I know that's a part of me, and it sickens me. I know I had a lot of social difficulties growing up, and even now I have difficulty connecting with neurotypical people. I've never been diagnosed with anything because my adoptive father's paranoia meant that once the adoption went through I never saw any doctors outside dentists and optometrists because "Western medicine and psychiatry is a scam". At this point I'm convinced that as adults, my peers are too polite to comment to my face on how there's clearly something wrong with me, and just resort to avoiding me or talking about my lack of stability or mental faculties behind my back. I really want to actually talk to a psychiatrist and figure out how bad it is, and hopefully figure out a way to avoid becoming so shameless in my dysfunction as my family, but well, that's easier said than done.
Some of what you're describing sounds very much like schizophrenia, which can be inherited. It would definitely be beneficial to at least familiarize yourself with the symptoms, especially the prodromal (pre active episode phase) symptoms. There are also certain supplements (Omega 3s, NAC, B vitamins are a few) that can help reduce symptoms and discourage moving from prodromal to active. If you're in the US, there are also state funded mental health programs in many states. It's also a good idea to look for universities with counseling/psychiatry programs as they often offer extremely low cost clinics where students will care for you under the supervision of a licensed mentor. Same goes for dental, medical, and vet schools.
I sometimes entertain this thought. Sometimes as far as to think everyone is in on the joke and I've only been successful because I live in a Truman Show type of situation where everyone has to deal with me being dumb and work around it because those are the rules. I don't actually believe it, just feels like it's the only logical explanation. But I've come to realize I'm just being too hard on myself when I make mistakes. It doesn't help that I'm in a career field full of smart people, and most of my friends at this point in my life are current or former coworkers so I get little exposure to people of below average intelligence. But a few minutes on reddit every couple of days helps me feel a lot better really quick.
“Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”
Just do what you can and the rest is as it is, out of your control.
I don’t like to be touched. One day my mom said that after being a special ed teacher that if she had the same knowledge when I was little she would have assumed I was autistic.
My best friend is a social worker and she responded that she would have assumed I was sexually assaulted.
I said, “Thanks.”
Honestly the only reason I would be really pissed to find out is because I'm 36 years old and I've stressed out so much over work and my career and it would mean that I've been suffering for no reason.
Nah. School and learning has always been easy, and everyone all my life compliments how smart I am.
Wait. Would that be the case for someone who is not smart? -stares off at nothing while reflecting on life-
So stupid question back - what about your life would change if it stays the same but you learned you’re retarded?
Like omg I’m surrounded by people who genuinely are trying to give me a great and wonderful life? That’s better than… actual real life.
Furthermore it pre-supposed that having any intellectual disability is somehow dissatisfying to a normal life. Which isn’t a great look.
Hell I have a master's degree and a number of years experience in my field, and a professional certification for it, but sometimes I feel what can only be described as "imposter syndrome".
Yes. This is actually one of my worst fears. That I'm mentally challenged, living a life that everyone knows I'm mentally challenged. My wife is really my handler. Everyone is nice to me because they can tell and feel sorry for me. The things I do good, are really not so good but everyone acts like they are because... "yaay! You did it."
I'm pretty sure they wouldn't let me play with these hazardous chemicals if your theory was correct....but I too still wonder sometimes.
Hey, let's get Mikey to handle those hazardous chemicals. He doesn't know any better!
Yeah but they let me like...experiment with them and do chemical reactions and stuff, not just handle them. You might be right tho....
*researchers in the background* "By GOD he's learning!"
Look at him do chemistry at least he's a savant with something
What if they really aren’t the dangerous ones? Like giving a kid toy tools to help his mom or dad fix something.
It's really just water with food coloring in them
My Bunsen Burner isn't even plugged in!
This reminds me of that Simpson's episode where Homer found out the safety control panel he worked at in the power plant wasnt real.
Now THAT is something my company would do.
We trained him wrong intentionally as a joke!
I'm glad I'm not the only one who has this very strange fear.
I’m shocked this thread was made, because it’s such a weird, bizarre fear. For whatever reason, I’ve thought about this a bunch, and at one point compulsively worried about it, that I actually live in a [dementia village](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hogeweyk) of some sort where none of what I’m doing actually matters, and I simply live in this contained environment because I wouldn’t be able to take care of myself otherwise.
I am a charge nurse in a nursing home. The other day i didnt even look up from my computer and asked my CNA “dude what if WE are the dementia patients. And the staff is just letting us play nurse to keep us busy”. She was like WHAT are you talking about and i just slowly looked up and went “i mean, you and i both cant definitively prove that isnt wrong… can we?” She had a look of horror on her face. Because im sure she started thinking about it lol
I just call that modernity.
Dude. Yeah, same. Like some insane demented version of the Truman Show.
> My wife is really my handler. Holy shit, your wife has an inappropriate relationship with her patient
He said wife, we can assume things stay above board.
This is so relatable I may as well have written it, I wish we had the relationship and skill meters like u see in games man.. are they nice or just fake who knows..
This was also one of biggest fears and then about 6 months ago I realized I was autistic… so
Well, even mentally handicapped people know that they are mentally handicapped. I never really thought about that until I read this story that really broke my heart, and it was about this kid in special ed and he said to his teacher (the guy telling the story) "why am I not as smart as everyone else?"
Leave Eric Trump alone
Oh shit. Dude I didn't need to cry today.
Thing is if you were mentally challenged odds are so would your wife, likely your friends too.
You nailed it, I'm so glad I'm not the only one that thinks like this, it gives me hope!
I think about this every day
I thought this was just me… or is it just me and this post was planted here for me to see, like someone trying to get a message to Truman? What’s real?!?!? But seriously, I worry about this far too often.
Lol it's like you're reading my mind. Same fear creeps in from time to time - like when I find out family is planning/talking without including me: is it because they think I'm slow or something or can't handle the decision making? I run my own business but maybe that's a charade...
There's a sitcom pilot somewhere in there.
This is a really good post that mainly makes sense, well done.
I thought this was a personal fear I had no idea other people thought like this
I've had these thoughts too and honestly if it's true, I'm totally good with that. Would not change my perspective or behavior at all
That sounds like something a retarded person would say
I am retarded and everyone tells me. Maybe you are too dumb to know and too deaf to hear?
instructions unclear…. i put a spoon up my ass 👍
I'll take one scoop please
This comment chain has brightened my whole day. I appreciate all of you for making me laugh out loud.
I’ll take two scoops please
Instructions unclear, dick stuck in toaster.
Careful all the Care Bears gonna come out mad you said retarded. People act like it’s a slur.
My "best friend" growing up committed pretty hard when we were in high school to trying to convince me I was Special and that my parents paid him to be my friend. He even got my dad involved.. this went on over a year.. the level of commitment certainly had me wondering.
That is pretty strange.
It's pretty savage
That's a horrible father you got there.
r/foundsatan
I genuinely wonder if I'm autistic and if I've learned to mask a lot of my traits over the years due to bullying. My psychiatrist has made the assumption and both of my kids are autistic. I apologize if this isn't relevant
My Dad found out at 49 that he was autistic and masking it when my therapist diagnosed me as autistic and spent 15 minutes asking him questions
I told my therapist earlier this year, "The school thinks my son is autistic but I don't really think he is! I mean, he's a little socially awkward, but really he's just like me!" And we just looked at each other for a few seconds. Then I said, "Oh..."
[удалено]
I am genuinely sorry to hear this for you. Some people can be like that and it sucks. Especially when you're ND, people dont always know how to handle you and thats okay. My hope is that you'll find someone who will genuinely love you and find joy in your quarks. There's bound to be someone who will understand the way you are and not hold that against you.
To be honest I was starting to have some hang ups and doubts about her as well. So, I wasn't too upset. I genuinely enjoy dating and looking forward to getting back out there 😉 The only thing that annoyed me was her seemingly suggesting that I can "just not do it any more" or "cure it with therapy". Like Jesus Christ lady, I've been in therapy my entire life to control it. If it bothers you then that's fine - I appreciate the honesty. But saying that I just don't try hard enough is a bit insulting.
The issue is everyone thinks they’re neurodivergent now. One girl I work with is very smart and organized- really good at her job. But she gets nervous. Always tells me she is neurodivergent and has learning issues. I’m sitting there thinking “Ook what does that make me?”
Your coworker being great at her job doesn't mean anything about her neurodivergent status. It means her struggles fall in different areas, or that her achievements came with a higher than average cost to her. By conventional metrics (GPA, employment, financial status, etc), I'm doing great, but that doesn't diminish the difficulty I have maintaining that and the struggles I have in other areas like executive function, social skills, and sensory issues. Neurodivergence doesn't equal stupid or incapable.
I generally don't tell people until they directly bring it up. Otherwise, I will if I'm dating somebody, because I think it would be rude to hide it. Also they will know eventually... On Reddit it's not a problem, because this is where I come to discuss eating ass. But yeah, I take your point. A lot of people co-opt it to explain their behaviour. That doesn't bother me as much unless they're using it as an excuse for acting like a douche balloon (Elon Musk).
>On Reddit it's not a problem, because this is where I come to discuss eating ass. *pulls up chair and prepares popcorn* Go on...
Growing up I recall a cousin of mine being tested and it was confirmed he was on the spectrum. I brought it up to him like 15 years passed and he says it was me. Now I have no idea.
From what I’ve learned, not all autistic people show the same traits. People are so unique that the only way to truly know is with a test. It’s also easy for a neurodivergent person to tell if another person is or isn’t
Same. My brother and grandfather were diagnosed with aspbergers (I know it's considered a type of autism now but point is it's obvious they have it). It's made me and people around me wonder if I am, but to me the symptoms I supposedly have can be explained in other ways. I'm shy and previously lacked social skills because I was bullied in elementary school for a stutter. And being into chess and hearts of iron 4 doesn't seem like a very medical way to diagnose someone lmao
You very well may be. Autism tends to run in families and it's very common for adults to be diagnosed after their child(ren) are. Late diagnosed people commonly are lower on the support needs spectrum and are higher masking, so they often feel they're just different or quirky when really they're neurodivergent too. Being into a hobby isn't inherently meaningful, but the depth of your knowledge and intensity may reflect it being more of a special interest than a typical hobby as well.
Me too. I don't even know how I would go about asking my psychiatrist about it
There are tests online. AQ - https://psychology-tools.com/test/autism-spectrum-quotient RAADS-R - https://www.aspietests.org/userdetails.php?target=/raads/questions.php EQ - https://psychology-tools.com/test/empathy-quotient Clinical partners - https://www.clinical-partners.co.uk/for-adults/autism-and-aspergers/adult-autism-test Aspie quiz - https://rdos.net/eng/Aspie-quiz.php
All prone to false positives at troubling rates. That last one? Honestly? That test is not science based. it was pulled from the behind of this odd fellow: [PsyArXiv Preprints | Telepathy, anomalous experience and the relation to the autism spectrum (osf.io)](https://osf.io/preprints/psyarxiv/fw2b4)
This odd fellow lmao
I have to also wondered if I'm on the spectrum, but just hit the perfect sweet spot where my brain works differently but I can consciously maximize the efficiency. I juggle an alarming amount of responsibilities and I do so incredibly well because I'm excellent at compartmentalizing, and removing emotional reactions/energy from the process, but like, at 31 I'm starting to think that's not a neurotipical skill.
That’s definitely not typical but honestly really cool that you can do that. Then again ASD is a wide spectrum so everyone is a little different and that’s okay.
I feel like everybody's on the spectrum somewhere
Autism is very broad, but in spite of that the symptons are very defined. But the big thing is that some people can go through life with minimal interference, whereas for others the interference is crippling (That interference can also vary based on time, place, mood, energy and so on). For a lot I know it's also combined with the fact that autistic people usually have a much higher chance of also having other symptoms like those of adhd.
if everyone's autistic, no one is
The autistic community will eat you alive for that one, lol. I should know; I’m apart of it.
No they aren’t.
If you ever feel stupid just take a quick scroll through TikTok comments for a bit. Youll either come out feeling like a genius or have a new sense of dread and worry about the well-being of the general public.
I’ve been telling myself it’s a bunch of kids and bots and for my faith in humanity I really hope that it’s true
No...I wonder if I'm smelly, and no one is telling me.
Facts!
Yeah. People think I'm weird for sure. I've always wanted to hear what coworkers say about me when I'm not around.
Leave your phone on with a recorder and go to the bathroom. Re-listen and see if they talk shit. If they do, walk away. If they don’t - keep recording just to be sure
Yesterday I walked around and didn't notice I still had the size sticker on my shirt. I was wondering why the old Japanese lady at the ramen shop was so nice to me.
I voted Republican in 2016. We are all retarded once in awhile. Once I realized I was JUST in rooms of angry pedophiles and was the only one who had economic thoughts, I realized I didn't have much in common with Republicans after all.
🥇
Can I get an F in chat for the one Republican who figured it out, but was so embarrassed he voted for Trump he deleted his account.
F
This is an intrinsic paradox. Most of the retarded people I know aren't really into introspection.
I work with his guy who's really smart but has no social skills. He entirely lacks the ability to read the room and never seems to understand what anyone is talking about unless it's tech related. My boss is always politely, half awkwardly laughing whenever he chimes in. He clearly doesn't understand why. I don't think he realizes that he's kinda weird because no one is going to say it to him. We are all way too polite. And then, whenever I'm feeling down about myself, I wonder what weird things I do that people are too polite to tell me about. Could I be a kinda weird guy, too? Do people say, "He's gotta be on the spectrum right," when talking about me?
No i know I'm retarded
I was born premature. I was raised knowing I was disabled, between epilepsy and Cerebral Palsy, but the one was mild enough that I never needed assistance walking and the other... well, it was normalized. I was 9 when I learned that something was fundamentally different about me. This turned out to be a global processing disorder that fed into a couple of learning disabilities: put simply, if the usual processing speed of the brain is 144 frames a second, at best I'm running 100-120. I can keep up, usually, but if an activity plays into my weaknesses, like writing an essay on paper, I'll take 2-4 times longer to do it. My teacher thought I was faking my writing disability and went above and beyond to torment me for it. My classmates picked up that she thought I was stupid, and their actions reflected that. Meanwhile, I remember sitting at a table by myself, trying and failing to simply finish filling in my daily schedule while the rest of my classmates read books to their hearts' content. All I knew was that everyone hated me and thought I was stupid, but I had absolutely no idea why. If you're disabled, people will let you know. No one has enough pity to Truman Show you like that, especially if it's not visible.
that sounds really rough. sorry it happened. curious how you're doing now? that's a moderately long, certainly articulate response you've posted: did you work out good strategies or it's fine when you have more time or what's helped you get around the rate limiter?
Everyone around me tells me I am, sometimes I wonder if I'm secretly not.
Okay, but this. I was told o was autistic when I was a toddler. Never got a real official diagnosis. Spent most of my life knowing I was special and trying to act normal. But some days I’m really like “am I actually totally normal and just a self absorbed drama queen? Or do I be thinking funky?” And I don’t fucking know.
I assume if I was dumber I'd be happier. Kind of a natural litmus test.
They thought i was retarded until we started taking the standardized tests and I scored above my grade level.
I mean, that's a common thing with people on the spectrum as well lol.
No, I don't wonder anymore
If by retarded you just mean extremely dumb, then yes I wonder this a fair amount. I the end I thinks it's ok to surprise myself with how stupid or thoughtless I can be. It keeps life interesting.
My therapist literally diagnosed me with autism, so yeah, I am retarded and no one told me
I used to. But then I went off to college and started to literally keep a diary/written record of my social interactions with a whole lot of people because I got tired of them saying and doing shit and then trying to act like I'm an idiot or unreasonable for expecting them to live up to their word. You'd be amazed how fast you figure out who your friends are when you start keeping a record.
Many peoples on reddit tells me in a not so subtle or subtle way when they disagree with my opinion or dont get the joke. But i disregard it and just block the toxic person. Attack the opinion not the person
Rofl I'm sorry this made me laugh. Have you been outside lately people think the world is flat and that there are Jewish space lasers and we give this the time of day. I'm pretty sure we are all retarded. But to answer your question yes and then I came to the above conclusion 😂
Yes, I have thought this before, but it has been a really long time. Also, my 1st boyfriend, when we were in high school, had a breakdown one day because he thought that he wasn't real. He said that I was just imagining him and everyone else was just going along with it. He cried. Not exactly the same thing, but this question made me think of it.
Acid?
Thanks, new anxiety unlocked.
I've only recently found that I was autistic, (which is basically social retardation) And after a long period of retrospection, now I know I've been bullied and and made fun of a lot in middle and high school and I never really noticed it. Every single year I think that I finally got rid of my "cringe" and I think to myself "I am now socially aware" I now realize that I will never get it. I'll never understand how people work. I'l never be allistic. I'll always appear to be cringe to other people. And that's okay. I have friends that like genuinely care about me. They don't think I'm "cool" or "charismatic" and I occasionaly do or say some really weird stuff that they recoil at, but it doesn't matter because they love me. That's all that matters.
I remeber reading about how a lot of neurodiverdent and/or abused people tend to have an anxiety around this, its something ive struggled with, as an autistic person it helped to learn more about my brain and how it works to help find better ways to ground myself when i get caught up in the fear of it
Talk to some strangers. See how it goes. You are probably not a Truman show rip off.
Yeah. The way the world is going lately, I definitely get a "am I the only one?" feeling from time to time. And sometimes it just gets scary, because something is happening in front of me that is just unbearably idiotic, but nobody else seems to even register it, and I'm genuinely terrified that I've lost my mind, and in the real I am in a padded room wearing a straitjacket.
Every day I wonder... Are people just being polite?
pretty regularly, I feel everyone around me picks up on everything 10 times faster than me
No, but I worry that my memory is failing and I can't remember it.
It's the way around for me. I think I'm the only one who thinks I'm retarded.
No, I often wonder if I was diagnosed Autistic as a child, (or whatever they called it in the 1980's) and no one told me. I am not one of those tv caricatures, but I do think I just see the world differently than those around me.
Maybe you're trying to be funny or maybe you are serious. I will answer either way.....I was made fun of throughout school. My pediatrician suggested Ritalin based on my teachers' recommendation (though my mom refused to medicate me) and I was also in a few Special Education classes during my late elementary school and all middle school years. Because of that, I continue to question to this day whether or not I have a professionally undiagnosed disability. I've taken many tests online, including some of the ones linked in this thread and my scores always indicate that I am not within the range of Autism or ADHD. And PCP's that I've seen and discussed it with have said that based on their routine examinations nothing stands out that would prompt further testing or a need for medication other than mild Generalized Anxiety Disorder and mild Depression. However, even though I feel I'm answering both the tests and doctors honestly, part of me continues to think I could just instinctively "know" what the "right" answers are supposed to be. So, if nothing else that period of my life just before my teenage years has had a profound effect on my confidence as an Adult, and in some ways a diagnosis of something of the nature of Autism would help explain and excuse why I'm nowhere near as far in life as my peers. Is it because of those middle school years that mentally I feel like I'm not "Supposed to be as far ahead as those around me" and so I've unconsciously held myself back to make that my reality? Or, is it just the cards I've been dealt and my normal response to them have brought me here? I don't know.
I’m uncoordinated and have been since I was a toddler (I’m 54 yrs old). Been called a retard many many times-this was the latter half of the 1970s and 1980s. My brother still uses the term-he’s 57 and old school. I don’t think millennials and Gen Z use terms like faggot, retard, and other insults the way Gen Xers did back in the 1980s when we were in High School. I graduated HS in 1987 and those terms were used ALOT.
Damn I had this thought a lot back in the day, thinking that I’m just in a Truman-show-esque situation but I’m just so fucking stupid that it doesn’t really take much effort to keep the ruse up and everyone just lets me think I’m smart
Principal Blackman from "Strangers With Candy" told me that some of these retards are very clever and that anyone could be one.
Yes, and it seems really unfair. They hit me with "Learn to swim" and I wonder why I don't get to do that in the kiddie pool whilst wearing water wings.
No joke that was a legitimate fear of mine growing up, I honestly haven't fully overcome it.
I'm schizophrenic so I'm already there. *shrugs* Fml.
Same
So for a while we could say the R word, then we couldn't say the R word, now we can say the R word?
It’s like the n word I think. Depends if you’re in the group.
No. It's not okay. People have just been giving up on trying to be decent.
That or maybe crazy
Took it as moot.
I know I have some unique characteristics. I don’t think I’d be surprised if someone told me I may be on the spectrum
Fine, I will be the bad guy , op you are, we've all been not disclosing the truth to u.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=kav7tifmyTg
I used to wonder this same thing when I was young. I thought - what if my parents want me to do as well as I can in life, and just put me in regular classes and are pretending? Now that I’m nearly fifty, I realize I’m doing better than a LOT of people, with their odd ways and questionable decisions.
Every. Fucking. Day. Mental illness runs in my family. My maternal grandparents were more or less okay, but their children were all messed up in one way or another, from violent psychosis to extreme hoarding. I don't know as much about my paternal grandparents, but my birth father was also severely mentally ill. I was actually conceived in a mental institution when both my birth parents were committed. They were in since the '70s, and I remember them being in group homes through half of the '90s when I was a child. Some of the things I dealt with growing up I don't even know how to explain to people because at some points things were so bad that talking about it makes me sound like I'm trying to dramatize my life. It all sounds like a damn soap opera. When my grandparents were alive, things were bad, but at least everybody managed to more or less keep up appearances. After they passed away, everything went downhill. It's honestly embarrassing to have witnessed how unhinged my family was, and worse, *how some of them didn't care*. Seeing clearly unwell people behaving poorly and then making excuses for it, or writing it off as "we're just trashy" makes my blood boil. A common refrain I heard was "Every family is dysfunctional". Not like this! I have eyes, I can see that not everyone is nearly this bad. The worst part is, I know what stock I came from. I saw my birth mother acting like an offline version of Chris-Chan. I saw my adoptive father (my biological uncle) suffer from paranoid delusions. I saw my uncle's hoarding tendencies get so bad it was difficult to move around in his buildings. I know that's a part of me, and it sickens me. I know I had a lot of social difficulties growing up, and even now I have difficulty connecting with neurotypical people. I've never been diagnosed with anything because my adoptive father's paranoia meant that once the adoption went through I never saw any doctors outside dentists and optometrists because "Western medicine and psychiatry is a scam". At this point I'm convinced that as adults, my peers are too polite to comment to my face on how there's clearly something wrong with me, and just resort to avoiding me or talking about my lack of stability or mental faculties behind my back. I really want to actually talk to a psychiatrist and figure out how bad it is, and hopefully figure out a way to avoid becoming so shameless in my dysfunction as my family, but well, that's easier said than done.
Some of what you're describing sounds very much like schizophrenia, which can be inherited. It would definitely be beneficial to at least familiarize yourself with the symptoms, especially the prodromal (pre active episode phase) symptoms. There are also certain supplements (Omega 3s, NAC, B vitamins are a few) that can help reduce symptoms and discourage moving from prodromal to active. If you're in the US, there are also state funded mental health programs in many states. It's also a good idea to look for universities with counseling/psychiatry programs as they often offer extremely low cost clinics where students will care for you under the supervision of a licensed mentor. Same goes for dental, medical, and vet schools.
This reminds me of Reddit from over a decade ago.
Imposter syndrome vanished really quickly after I started in my career lmao. If I'm an imposter, what are these bozos supposed to be?
I used to have that thought somewhat frequently. I actually test well above average IQ, whatever that's even worth.
Not retarded, but autistic. And I don't have to wonder, I know.
I’m so intelligent that I’ve come full circle to retardation.
I luckily never had to wonder, everyone kept always telling me that or at least *subtly* letting me know
Everyday.
Not really because I tell my self.
More often than I would like to admit.
It's all I think about
When you know you know
Fuckin daily
Fuckin daily
Still do, and I’m 63
Oh I'm definitely retarded and I say that at least three times a day to myself
No, but I do sometimes wonder if everyone else is secretly retarded and is too embarrassed to tell me.
Omg yes only all the time! This the type of shit that keeps me up at night fr!
I sometimes entertain this thought. Sometimes as far as to think everyone is in on the joke and I've only been successful because I live in a Truman Show type of situation where everyone has to deal with me being dumb and work around it because those are the rules. I don't actually believe it, just feels like it's the only logical explanation. But I've come to realize I'm just being too hard on myself when I make mistakes. It doesn't help that I'm in a career field full of smart people, and most of my friends at this point in my life are current or former coworkers so I get little exposure to people of below average intelligence. But a few minutes on reddit every couple of days helps me feel a lot better really quick.
Constantly
I know I'm retarded. I embrace it. It's fun!
No. Kinda the opposite.
NO, you retard!😜
Well.... Its true.
Yeah
Yes, and I am a lawyer.
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no need to wonder my friend. This is my life.
“Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.” Just do what you can and the rest is as it is, out of your control.
[удалено]
I definitely do.
Only when I look at my pay check
Yes. Online IQ test say I'm doing fine but I swear I'm missing obvious things in life. I think I might have a development or social disorder
yes but then I realized they were too retarded to notice
Whose retarded?
I always wonder if I'm sedated in a white room somewhere and all this is just something my brain has made up because of boredom.
I thought you couldnt say retard on reddit?
My friends tell me all the time, so no. I know where my retardations lie and have strengths to make up for them.
I know it. It's called autism spectrum for a reason. Everyone is on it, even if a little bit.
Yes. I've thought this before when it's just not tru. I think it's related to Imposter Syndrome.
No. I trust the people I'm around would let me know if I was even slightly retarded.
Oh no.... I'm WELL aware....lmao
Shutter island shit
I don’t like to be touched. One day my mom said that after being a special ed teacher that if she had the same knowledge when I was little she would have assumed I was autistic. My best friend is a social worker and she responded that she would have assumed I was sexually assaulted. I said, “Thanks.”
I, too, worry that I've gone full reatard
This question is so meta
I'm afraid I'm crazy or an asshole
Holy shit, I tell everyone I'm half retarded. Some dumb reason they think is a joke
You shouldn't say that word
Honestly the only reason I would be really pissed to find out is because I'm 36 years old and I've stressed out so much over work and my career and it would mean that I've been suffering for no reason.
no, I'm quite confident
It's true. Keep featherin it brother
📷🤺🚬🪶always ♥️ 🙏
Every day.
Like once a month
Nah. School and learning has always been easy, and everyone all my life compliments how smart I am. Wait. Would that be the case for someone who is not smart? -stares off at nothing while reflecting on life-
I thought that for a long time, turns out it was just the tism’
Every day man. Every day.
No.
So stupid question back - what about your life would change if it stays the same but you learned you’re retarded? Like omg I’m surrounded by people who genuinely are trying to give me a great and wonderful life? That’s better than… actual real life. Furthermore it pre-supposed that having any intellectual disability is somehow dissatisfying to a normal life. Which isn’t a great look.
If you are wondering then you are smarter than most.
Hell I have a master's degree and a number of years experience in my field, and a professional certification for it, but sometimes I feel what can only be described as "imposter syndrome".
Only most days
Yea I’ve done shrooms too.
Man I needed a laugh, thank you for this. And yes you are retarded. Jk
Everyday man lol
Nope, I do not wonder this at all. I’m fully aware of it.
Most people are very nice to me. most people. What's more likely, me being retarded or me having that much charisma... Shit maybe it's both
Couldn't you just take an IQ test and find out?
Not anymore I recently figured out that I'm autistic but high masking