The Ugly Duckling and his exclusion (the world of Hans Christian Andersen, also AS)
The others bully him and do nasty things, excluding him when he is different. Feeling lonely, he eventually withdraws into his own world.
One day, with a great deal of effort, we discover the beauty and extraordinary abilities of the swan that were hidden beneath strange plumage.
In the screenplay of the Korean series It’s Okay Not to Be Okay,
“It is a drama reflecting my personality, with its narrow-mindedness that failed to recognise and embrace the other person, and chose to give up simply to escape prejudice.”
Source: Jo Young, Korean writer
It frequently happens that people on the AS spectrum develop personality disorders, sometimes to the point of becoming borderline.
The autistic spectrum can be passed down through several generations. When parents are unable to support their children properly, this can lead to very different paths.
In my own immediate family, my brother became borderline because my parents had disengaged. An AS teenager can be particularly difficult to cope with, and the sacrifice needed to help them can be overwhelming. We knew that my brother had great qualities, as well as intellectual and creative abilities. Yet he could not bear the world and society in which he lived, and he did everything he could to escape them. He destroyed his body through drug addiction. Without support, an autistic person does not always find a fulfilling path.
In my family, there is a bit of everything: AS children, people with ADHD, parents suffering from personality disorders… and the outcome is not always happy. In such cases, parents often pass on their own neuroses and vulnerabilities to their children.
But there are also brighter paths, happy situations that lead to unexpected outcomes. Sometimes, the Ugly Duckling finally spreads his wings. jp
“May a garden full of wonders blossom, supported by the strength of your soul.” jp.