As I am getting older in life and life becomes more real, I am slowly understanding what the term adulting is and that as long as I am able I must do the things in life that others take for granted, as many neurotypicals can face the reality easier, it can sometimes be challenging for the autistic individual.
Maturing through life. School. Work. Independence. It can be hard for an autistic individual such as myself to grasp the understanding that these things are just not meant to be fun, but if they help you be well and are indeed the life that you want, then there are responsibilities that must be met when doing them. Even though I did not become independent until my mid-thirties, it has taken some time for me to mature. This is something that I have learned is a struggle for many autistic people.
In reality, if you asked me or the majority of the autistic populace, we would hyper focus on our interests and not have a focus on the things that comes with being an adult such as having the finances to do the things we want or doing the tasks that adults are required to do. What I had to learn in life is that even neurotypical adults do not want to do the things in life that are known as the things necessary to live as an adult.
The fact of the matter is that I am at the point in my life that I am doing really well in life and that with being employed part time to supplement my income, other benefits are impacted. This makes things such as employment and skills necessary to better control things such as budgeting a necessity in order to have the life I desire (as many adults do, hence this is why it is called adulting.)
It can be hard to see that even though government benefits are reduced by working, in reality I have always been told from the first day that I have been employed that it is more beneficial to work from not only a financial standpoint, but in a sense of not becoming dormant and just sitting around not doing the things that I know I can.
While I understand that not everyone has the capability to work, it has been proven and discussed several times over my lifespan that I can work a limited capacity, and I have always remained within the threshold that I am only permitted to do. When being independent and not having someone to control every move you make, it can be hard to do the right thing and to be honest many times it can be, but I know that my mental health greatly declines if I do not do the right things and do what I need to do.
Adulting is a struggle, whether you are autistic or not. Therefore, I do the best I can to manage myself given the current climate and be a responsible adult using the skills I have been taught throughout the lifespan so I can maintain my independence and be the person that I know that I can be. It isn’t easy sometimes and I have been better at not expressing my frustration in this area as I know that it is just a part of life and is something that must be done in order to live the lifestyle that I want to live.
Dustin's Dynasty 