u/Suspicious_Limit9847

Hi. I am currently 17 and I want to study microbiology. I am not sufficiently smart for many things, however I will regardless attempt to study this career, as I have always prefered the medical field over engineerings or pure sciences.

I do have autism and ADHD which severely impair my ability to think abstractly, have a reliant memory, communicate, concentrate, and all that. I obviously suffer from executive dysfunction which hinders my ability to work in fast-paced enviroments, and I am consequently also a little bit slow, so to say.

Does the microbiology career and the jobs related thereto reliant on these abilities? Should I still pursue the field? I really like this field, and even though I am not very smart I still quite like biology and chemestry a little too. I am costa rican, albeit I believe the field in here is relatively similar in the U.S and other countries as well.

I am young, and I was diagnosed with autism, ADHD (which both provoke severe executive dysfunction) and a professionally measured IQ of 79, along with a cognitive decline because of degenerative psychiatric disorders. I struggle a lot intellectually, so to say. I am medicated.

When I ask if it matters, I specifically refer to spatial-visual intelligence, logical-mathematical intelligence and linguistic intelligence (the three areas the test I took measured); things like comprehension of abstraction, processing speed, memory, hand-eye cordination, pattern recognition, appropiate verbal and written communication, problem solving, acquisition of skills, etc.

Does it matter in the long-run? I know the IQ test doesn‘t even come close to measuring intelligence as a whole, nonetheless it does measure aspects that are really important for success, therefore I am somewhat worried.

Sorry for any grammatical mistakes, my first language is spanish.

Hi. I have ADHD, autism, a diagnosed IQ of 79 in WAIS IQ test. Some severe mood disorders too, getting tested for OCD. I know IQ doesn‘t represent intelligence holistically, however it is important to consider that it does somewhat represent someone‘s logical-mathematical intelligence, spatial intelligence and linguistic intelligence. My score is also a result of not only genetics, but my two neurodevelopemental disorders, cognitive decline product of insidious psychiatric illneses and a still developing brain. I am medicated for all of my illneses and recieve intensive therapy.

That aside, I have a severe executive dysfunction; trouble with following orders, organization, initiation, distraction, focus, memory and velocity of information processing. Being creative is extremely challenging, I am atrocious at problem solving (autism and adhd provoke it) and I have consequently developed an extreme anxiety before situations where my problem solving skills are tested— I became someone who gives up almost instantly against anything (I was almost diagnosed for AVPD) I often think in black in white, I live in extremes— I often have a hard time discerning the nuances of a situation. It makes abstract thinking extremely difficult. Obviously, I struggle a lot in school, especially with memory and math heavy subjects— not only are the subjects themselves hard for me but the processing of learning as well.

Depression further aggravates my negative feelings towards these results; not only must I live with the reality of cognitive inferiority, but I must live with the consequences thereof. I have even allocated myself as an inferior human, although I know this isn‘t true as the test doesn‘t represent my total capabilities, regardless it is quite alarming as for my age my cognitive level should be higher.

I am sorry for the long text. I am sorry as well for any gramatical mistakes, spanish is my first language.

17M. I have autism, ADHD and a diagnosed IQ of 79– I may also have an auditory processing disorder. A lot of issues with communication/ socializing, logic, memory, spatial awareness, verbal comprehension, mathematical logic, following instructions and eye-hand cordination (I am terrible at working with my hands). Not american.

The future seems quite grim for me; I wanted to know what career paths yall took whilst being autistic, or which career paths fit my profile. I really like some science subjects like genetics and psychiatry, but that‘s beyond my reach now; my intelligence and conditions would severely hinder my ability to succesfuly go through brutal degrees like those. My other special interests aren‘t really financiable.

I am aware I am severely limited therefore I won‘t ask for something that pays a great amount, just something that will let me do my hobbies and simultaneously live well.

I have autism, ADHD and a diagnosed IQ of 79– I may also have an auditory processing disorder. A lot of issues with communication/ socializing, logic, memory, spatial awareness, verbal comprehension, mathematical logic, following instructions and eye-hand cordination (I am terrible at working with my hands). Not american.

The future seems quite grim for me; I wanted to know what career paths yall took whilst being autistic, or which career paths fit my profile. I really like some science subjects like genetics and psychiatry, but that‘s beyond my reach now; my intelligence and conditions would severely hinder my ability to succesfuly go through brutal degrees like those. My other special interests aren‘t really financiable.

17M, will go to university in a few months. I have some comorbid mood disorders, ADHD and a diagnosed low IQ(79). I will soon go to university and I am quite uneasy about it; I have a lot of problems and deficits related with executive dysfunction, problem solving, logic, communication, and bassicaly everything related to the cognitive abilities one must enforce while in the institution. I am not excedingly proficient in a specific area or discipline either, like other autistics (I wasn‘t born the gifted autistic :c).

I am worried I will not be able to get through it, especially since my parents expect me to go as I grew up quite priviliged— they expect the same academic excellence they had, although I just feel like I won‘t be able to tolerate it; I barely can tolerate highschool and even on easy classes my grades are underwhelming.

I have no idea what major to pursue if I have a general difficulty with everything— I am worried that I won‘t be able to even finish university in the first place. What careers are good for people like us? I don‘t want to be rich, but neither I wish to conclude a degree that has no realistic use, or one that is saturated without job opportunities. If you guys can share your experience or recommendations I would deeply appreciate it.

I go to therapy. I have autism, adhd, persistant and major depressive disorders.

The easiest way to explain this is with a very recent occurance in my life; my grandma died. Shorly summarized, I didn‘t give a shit, even though everyone else did. During the funeral I just wanted it to end because I was tired and mildly annoyed; I was bothered by the people crying around me as well. My grandma treated me well, she constantly showed love to me, regardless I was persistently annoyed/uncomfortable with it. I have never told anyone "I love you" as it makes me somewhat cringe for some reason. When love is displayed to me, I usually feel corny or uncomfortable, even repulses me quite a bit. It’s weird because I am affectionate, however displaying it and being on the recieving end both make me scared and uncomfortable. I am ashamed; I think of myself as inhumane and disgusting because thereof.

I am also extremely self-centered and display concerning narcissistic tendencies. When I say self-centered, I mean it to the point that I am willfully ignorant just so I don‘t have to challengue myself or my ideas. I am often unbothered my others issues, only taking importance to mine. I am sensible to criticism as well; I take it really badly and often prones me to becoming aggressive and violent. I have, in the past, lied in order to construct a version of myself which doesn’t exist at all, only because I desperately seek approval and I am substantially afriad of dissapointment, criticism or disapproval in social situations. It has conduced to a general avoidance to displaying myself to other people. I must highlight that numbing myself is the immediate stance I take whenever I am confronted my difficult situations and the emotions stirred therefrom.

I want to fix it because I want to feel genuine love and care for others, instead of being such an empty shell. I am severely alexythemic, consequently I have a hard time discerning how I actually feel, and thus provokes signficant unsureness within me. I must mention that I am not absolutely devoid of love or empathy, I still can feel them however to reduced levels. I still love my parents and I believe I loved my grandma; I simply do not understand why I assume such an unnatural reactions to these kinds of situations.

17M. was born fairly priviliged, never experienced abuse or bullying (I believe I have never been, as I don‘t remember my childhood; my last, clear memory is from around the last weeks of 9th grade— memories of my childhood are very minimal) and I have good parents. For some background in respect to my mental health, I have had chronic depression since I was a child (according to my parents) and when I was around 14 I had my first depressive episode; I must go to therapy because I have traits of AVPD and BPD.

I am fairly alarmed by this as I want to feel love like everyone else does— I do not want to sound edgy or anything. I have never said to my parents “I love you“ and the prospect of me saying so makes me cringe significantly, it makes me feel a sort of repulsion, and I hate it, since my parents are very good people. When I am told I am loved I also cringe massively, and makes me feel the same repulsion.

I am around below average-average in looks, and thus I have been rarely involved in any sort of romantic situations; I have never felt romantic love either, and I consequently endeavor to stray away from them as I feel like I would only use such a relationship for sex, not because I felt love or care for the partner in question. I have thought many times if I actually do feel love, but for some reason or another I try to supress it because of how uncomfortable it makes me feel to face such an emotion.

I feel emotions very intensely, and therefore arises as well my fear of loving too fiercely, as such intensity can provoke damage to my signficant others. I often feel like numbing myself down is an immediate response to complicated emotions such as sorrow and love; in my grandma‘s funeral I didn‘t even cry or really care about it, I just felt empty and sort of bothered to be there; I just wanted to leave as I was tired. Even if it is very contradictory in nature, my intensity is coupled with a very intense emptiness that often provokes the aforementioned apathy.

I want to learn how to both feel love and accept it appropiately and as well how to confront intense emotions without the immediate response of numbing myself.