I think where a lot of those “mind control” type folks think they are coming from is the whole push towards reframing autism as a different way to experience life, as opposed to a “disorder”. What those folks are either forgetting or refusing to contemplate is that sometimes that “different way of experiencing life” is deeply dysfunctional for that individual.
For the ND folks who are content with their experience, then great. This post about this particular individual’s experiences is NOT attempting to for anyone into attempting the same thing with their own particular brand of ND. What this post IS doing, though, is chronicling the results of a neurodivergent individual who felt that their “condition” was dysfunctional to their own lived experience, and chose, for themselves, to try this treatment. They *wanted* to try it, *because* they felt there was something maladaptive about how they interacted with the world.
This post is NOT saying, “all autistics should try treating this condition with this!” Because there’s plenty of ND folks who, if they don’t *enjoy* their life experience, at least don’t feel “broken”.
But what folks need to understand is that there ARE some ND folks who DO feel that they are broken, and they should have the opportunity to get information - such as actual documented experience from someone who has attempted a treatment they are considering - about options to address the parts that feel “broken” to them.
And before anyone jumps in with, “well they just shouldn’t feel broken! there’s nothing wrong with them! It’s just *different*!” Yes, and no. Some folks have been encouraged to see themselves as “broken” by peers and family who have made no attempt to understand that there really *isn’t* and issue with the fact that they do certain behaviors, or just experience life differently… because to some people, anything “different” is inherently broken.
But other folks DO feel “broken”, because of the dissonance between how they experience life, and how they see others experiencing life… and it isn’t up to you or me to invalidate those feelings. They don’t need such a patronizing and quite frankly insulting infantilization of their own feelings. If the individual has psychologist who is assisting them, then it is the psychologist’s job to *help the individual* determine what those feelings are, and then to *help the individual determine what to do about those feelings*. Not you. Not me.
You don’t get to tell them that their experience just needs acceptance and isn’t debilitating to them any more than you get to tell me that my migraines aren’t debilitating to me. It all boils down to “stop thinking about if something is wrong or right, and start thinking about if it is harmful.” Did this individual’s decision to seek treatment for something that *they* thought needed fixed harm anyone? Nope. In fact, this individual seems pretty chuffed about the results.
Now this *would* all be different if the person had been involuntarily committed by well meaning (or not) but ultimately ignorant family and then this treatment was *forced* upon them. But that isn’t what is happening here, nor is that what this post is espousing, and anyone who attempts to say otherwise is either dangerously stupid, or maliciously misconstruing the information presented… for whatever agenda.
TL;DR? Some folks really do feel broken inside, and it isn’t up to you or to me to tell them they are wrong about that. They should be allowed the dignity of their own choices, rather than being “parented” by strangers on the internet.
