Am I really THAT different.

So, I'm twenty two years old and I was recently diagnosed a few months ago but then I've never really felt like I belong,
I've made friends in the past, but we all seem to grow apart. 

I'm not sure how to go about making more, I've tried going out on night's out and stuff, as I'm "Supposed to do." at my age, like Nightclubs, and bars, pubs. 
I don't drink, nor am I allowed, so people slowly get more and more drunk, and their inhibitions go. I find myself just feeling uncomfortable.

It's not that I DONT like talking to people, it's really that I don't know how to engage certain situations, since people aren't honest.

People can say "Oh, yeah I'm fine." and I'll think "Oh okay -carries on talking-" then they just like snap and get pissy, and im like "What?" 

Nightclubs are not really that fun, if you're not drinking. (maybe its not even if you are.) but yeah, people shove past you, you get crowded in. People look at you strangely cs' you're just in the corner looking at the lights reflect on the smoke, and listening to the overwhelming loud music.

I feel like I'm losing everyone I know, that I care about. Because I don't know how to keep them in my life. 

I can't find a partner, because I don't even know who i am, and the fake persona I've used for years is slowly fading, cs' I don't want to be that person anymore, I want to be myself. But the only people that accept me as that, are my immediate family (Which isn't a complaint) but it'd be nice to have some other people.

Does anyone else experience this sort of thing, or has in the past and found a solution, cs' I'm not sure how to deal with this, and a sure answer of what to do would be amazing.

Thanks, I'm new to this community by the way, I hope I havent dragged you all down with my trivial problems. 

  • Hi, I'm in the same boat. I just turned 24 and I have one friend who is in her 40s and that is it. 

    I've gone through life either with no friends or I make friends and we quickly drift apart. I find social interactions difficult, I learned to come across my confident but since getting to this age I'm now at a I can't be bothered and don't care stage with regards to interacting and making friends. I feel I do prefer a lot of my own company most of the time. 

    I find I'm lost and don't really know my real self and what's fake, however since the diagnosis I feel.more free and to not care what others think in the same way as I used to because now I know why I'm different, and I actually prefer it as everyone else is quite boring. 

    I feel it's okay to have friends wonder in and out of your life or just have people you no that like a certain interest and you only hangout when that interest comes about. 

    I do have a partner currently although very lucky he is neurotypixal but had autistic friends so he understands me  most of the time.

    • But if your look for a friend I'm happy to oblige (: 
  • I can relate - I'm pretty much the same. Just start a new chapter in your life living like 'normal' people that don't go clubbing ect I broke away from that scene and started living a fairly normal life like people in t.v programmes do like family people ect

  • Hi ,

    I know what you mean. For me, I thought I had "friends", but didn't realise until later than being "friends" and "friendly" were very different things. Those people I was friendly with all went off to do their own thing (uni for most), and I mine.

    I also tried clubbing once, but it wasn't that great. I think that the bright lights, loud noises and crowding can make people uncomfortable as well, so I'm not surprised you didn't enjoy it! I don't drink either, like you. I find that while it's quite easy to be friendly with people since it is low commitment and low investment, people don't want to be friends as easily, since it requires more commitment and investment.

    Personally, I really enjoy talking to people. I do find it difficult sometimes to keep a conversation going, but I do try my best - even if what I say to keep it going is a little artificial, I'd hope that people would appreciate my effort!

    I think the first step is for you to accept who you are. Other people will then begin to accept you, and letting them know that you have autism and explaining that you're trying your best is actually really well-received - people will appreciate that you are making such an effort to get to know them. However, make sure that it isn't a one way street - it takes two to make a relationship work! For now, I'm not interested in any love life - I'd like to redirect my energies into my career instead!

    This sounds like something off of a broken record, but going to a society or joining a local activity club is really helpful for meeting people. The activity or location provides natural conversation, and you can work together with people. On that point, volunteering is also really good as well!x

    I hope this helps - do feel free to message me if you'd like to talk more, as it sounds like we have quite similar views and experiences, and it'd be nice to get to know you more!x

    Much love <3

  • hehe, Im a big Elvis Presley Fan, so Im more 50's - 70's. 
    Beatles, Neil Diamond, Led Zeppelin, Jefferson Airplane. Love 'em. Old fart's generally know what they're talking about, since they have good experience. hehe.

  • I liked the music on the jukebox too, it was pre-2000's! 

    Obviously I'm old so am gonna be biased but that sounds like a good jukebox! Too many talentless fame obsessed wannabee's around these days... I have some music post 2000 but my preference is mid 60s to mid 90s... once Radiohead stopped writing proper tunes and started tinkering about around 1998 things went south pretty quickly for me. Bit that's just one old fart's opinion LOL!

  • I live in powys, I already play Ukelele, and Guitar. I'm pretty good. I go to a small music group, hasn't really caught on yet though, theres 5 of us. But it is quite welcoming. 
    They're all a lot older than me, but they're surprised when i bust out an oldie, they haven't heard since childhood. hehe.

  • PS - in Gloucestershire the local County Music service run adult 'learn as you play' groups, with instrument hire if you need it - they have both adult beginners Windbands and String groups, and you can progress up to (an award winning) Jazz / Big Band groups, Wind Orchestras and other things.  I've played in one of the senior groups and found the hardest thing was chatting to fellow musos at coffee break.

  • Hi Capers123, I recently found a pub with a chess board which was pretty cool, beat the people I played. Was cool. 
    I liked the music on the jukebox too, it was pre-2000's! 
    But yeah, the people there were decent, if not a bit overly sarcastic.

  • Welcome Jonesy, everyone seems kind and welcoming, It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm looking to join a few clubs. - I play a 6 string Baritone Ukelele (DggBee.), and Acoustic and a tiny bit of Electric Guitar. I already attend a music group type thing, but its not that popular.  It wasn't too 'rambley' hehe, thanks for the reply. Welcome to the website.

  • Nightclubs? I could never understand the attraction of them.  Pubs likewise - we have an excellent one close to us that serves as a small music venue and social hub for the area, but on the few occassions we go in, we desparately try to get away from the crowd watching the music and hide in a quiet corner.  Much too stressful.  But that doesn't stop me recommending the pub to others.

    I have hobbies and interests where little talking is required, though some others go to the pub afterwards (they accept that it would be rare for me to follow them).  Music - learning an instrument or playing in a band / orchestra is a good one - kind of sociable.  Or some sports - Tai Chi is great - like meditation but forcing you to think about what you're doing rather than emptying your mind.

  • Firstly hi and welcome, I'm reasonably new here too, signed up about 6 months ago.

    I can relate to much of your story... I'm 52 now and only got my diagnosis a month ago but have suspected being aspie for a few years. I have always struggled with friendships but found the best way to make them was via hobbies/interests etc. My saving grace was learning the electric guitar and becoming very proficient at it and then meeting people though bands, gigs etc. However take me out of that context and drop the 22 year old me in a nightclub and I was hopeless. I never had any luck meeting women in nightclubs or even down the pub, I didnt get my first serious girlfriend until I was 26 and I met her in a therapy group. So be kind to yourself, 22 is still really young and you have loads of time ahead of you. Forget nightclubs awful places designed for NTs... find out things that you like doing and do them... in my early 30s I joined an activity group called Spice which had a huge range of social activities from quiz nights to very active sporty things and everything inbetween, I believe Spice are still going and have a network across the UK... just a thought. In some ways things get easier as you get older as the nightclub culture becomes less prevalent as peoples priorities change.

    Sorry my post is so rambley, hope its of some help : )


  • wrote:

    I've been told I miss body language, but then I looked it up, and whenever i point out said body language, they say its not the case, so maybe im not recognising it properly.


    The chances are that you could be recognising the particularities of body-language, but people in order to maintain their Personae (i.e. their social masks as only exist in the plural sense) are pretending to be other than they are ~ so pointing out their actual behaviourisms can get particularly tricky, involving all manner of denials, and or accusations.

    Another factor to consider is that most people are utterly oblivious to body-language, and are only in the functional sense as if dancing a dance with particular steps, gestures and postures that are automatically done. Addressing though any aspect of it can be particularly unsettling for some, in that becoming conscious of automatic behaviourisms can actually deregulate their natural (usual) behaviour.

    Paying attention to your personal rate of blinking can be a good example of behavioural dysregulation, as visual processing normally filters out the momentary darknesses caused by the eyelids intermittently blinking shut, and consciously involving these temporary closures as additional inputs disturbs the natural flow or rhythm of the visual data stream. Being aware of this can be a bit discomforting for a while, so my particular apologies if you were not aware of this before, but it normally provides a sense of why people are not always so glad to have their body-language pointed out to them.  

    The basic gist of social pretence (as being just like theatrical performance involving dramatic spoken lines, behaviourisms, theatrical costumes, wigs and masks etc) is that it must be supported and invested in just as a game, or actually a system of games, with particular rules, regulations and rewards in each social scenario.

    The vast majority of people take these social game pretences quite seriously, even though they very rarely have any real clue about what is actually going on at all.

    Again, making people aware of this collective fantasy or delusion for the most part is often more trouble than it is worth, but as as being autistic, not pretending or being able to pretend in part or whole as others do ~ rather causes problems in the social mechanics when it comes to being group worthy, or socially in general accepted.

    As a further insult to injury, when it comes to being "different", social mechanics very much requires unworthy groups or types of people also, i.e. the socially rejected and victimised. Without the "poorer" or most vulnerable members of society, the desperation to win or get by in the social game would not be supported by the evidence to succeed, no matter how dishonestly or honestly done it could, should and must be.

    In terms then of supporting this, moral and ethical issues abound, but none the less the game of "Let's Pretend!" goes on, yet learning to recognise the patterns of the game and gamings rather than involving oneself in the hopes and fears of its losses and gains, is the healthier and more productive option.

    The most obvious and most often missed observation about social mechanics is the role we ourselves play in it as a system of personal contracts, and social transactions, i.e. "If you are pleasant to me and/or do something pleasing for me; I will be pleasant to you and/or do something pleasing for you also." which almost invariably involves the contrary if 'otherwise' is the case. Failing to please others, and getting ripped off being examples of the 'otherwise'.

    Of course learning to please others or not get sidelined or ripped off involves knowing how and why the social mechanics work as they do, and how we involve ourselves in them to lesser or greater proportions for healthier interactions, rather than transactions so much, and even when so, healthy ones.

    For the social mechanics side of things, I found the books, 'GAMES PEOPLE PLAY - THE PSYCHOLOGY OF HUMAN RELATIONS', by Eric Berne M.D., and for the personal and social mechanics side of things, T A Today - A New Introduction to Transactional Analysis - Second Edition', by Ian Stewart (PhD) and Vann Joines (PhD), particularly useful, in all the above mentioned respects.


     wrote:

    Thanks, I'm new to this community by the way, I hope I havent dragged you all down with my trivial problems. 


    The problems you describe are not trivial, but important, and rather than hoping not to drag us down, perhaps feel completely welcome here instead, and know for sure that most people on this forum will know in part or whole what you are going through.


  • Reading your post and agreeing with almost everything.

    Nightclubs, you either understand and enjoy them.  Or you don't and probably never will.

    Look for different groups, and walking groups are a good start if one enjoys walking and you get to talk with like minded people.

    Solo holidays, again you get a chance to meet people with similar interests.  Providing you choose the holiday carefully.

  • Hello.  Ditch the nightclubs ,they are soul destroying for any human being attending on a regular basis and not conducive to socialising as you can't even hear people talking ! Consider joining a 'group'or if there is a particular interest you have find a 'group' related to that topic. A walking group etc.. (I'm in one ..Lots of different age groups and interesting people ) , then there are Solo holidays. I have lots of friends who go on them and have a good time. I hope this helps a little.  

  • I hope I can fit in here, It'd be nice. If I can start moving forward soon, I guess that's a good start, I just hope I can be content in a few years, rather than this in the middle Bull, that seems to take up all my head space.  Thanks Martian.

  • Being scared of change and uncertainty is all part of the package, it seems.  I've always hated major change.  And for me, major change can even be something like being told I'm on a different shift tomorrow!  That's why I've generally stuck with 9 to 5 jobs (and I've had lots of those, with sometimes big gaps of unemployment in between). 

    I won't patronise you by saying it gets easier, and these things pass.  I think you'll just - as I have - find your way forwards.  Sometimes it feels a bit like fumbling in the dark.  By the time I hit 30, I started to become more comfortable with myself and who I was.  I think it was around that point that I actually found that I liked not being like the majority.  I developed more of a social conscience and began to take an interest in 'marginal' things - usually centred on being with and helping the vulnerable.  I was a hunt saboteur for a few years.  I got heavily involved in the Green movement.  I simplified my life as much as possible - though that wasn't difficult, as I'd always had the need to avoid complications.  I've never felt happy about owning many things, or having complex social networks to keep up.  I started writing much more seriously in my 30s (I'd done it since I started isolating at around 10).  The mainstays of my life began to fall into place.  And my 'identity' began to properly form and become fixed.  I became my own person!

    Now, I work in a day centre with autistic people.  I don't have overtime.  I don't have to work weekends.  I don't earn much, but it's enough.  When I tell people I can manage on under £12,000 a year, they look at me like I'm nuts!  I come home in the evenings, shut my door, read my books, write... and switch on the computer to get access to my real friends on here!  It doesn't suit everyone.  But then, it doesn't have to Slight smile

  • I find i've half ripped the said 'mask' off, but keep trying to glue it on every now and then. Rather than just rip it the rest off. I'm scared of change and uncertainty. So it's a horrible middle ground im at. 
    Gossip is terrible, people will say one thing and act the other, I'd always get into trouble "You said -insert generic insulting gossip- about this person, why are you being different in front of them", 

    Thanks for messaging me by the way, It's nice to hear from someone like minded. 


  • I find I need to be someone im not just to sustain these relationships. Which isn't a great way of going into it.

    Yes.  That's how it's always been for me.  I used to feel tremendous pressure to try to make friends - because without them, I was worried that people would think there was something wrong with me.  I've played lots of roles and worn lots of masks in my life.  My main 'social' associations have been in the workplace, where you don't have a lot of choice about needing to get on with people.  Again, though, I've generally found myself out on the margins before very long.  And I always had - and still have - the sense that as soon as I walk away from any group, they're all gossiping about me.  That's another thing that always gets me: gossip.  I detest it.  It does so much damage.  And yet most of the places I've worked in thrive on it.

    It's exhausting being ND in an NT world.  But there are ways of navigating it.  I can understand much of your anguish.  I've generally found that although I've lost a lot of people along the way, the ones I've retained have been the only ones worth knowing.  They're the ones I can trust.  A fair few are ND, too.  Others are people who are minorities in other ways, or who are otherwise vulnerable or misunderstood, or oppressed: people with mental health issues, for instance.  People for whom the mask has slipped, perhaps.  Either that or they've proudly ripped it off.  Or never worn it in the first place.

  • I'm on Anti-Psychotic Medication, for my Psychosis. If I drink, it makes me drowsey, and the meds can stop working. So basically just a REALLY bad idea.
    I've been told I miss body language, but then I looked it up, and whenever i point out said body language, they say its not the case, so maybe im not recognising it properly. I want these relationships, and friendships, the thing is, they're so much hardwork, ALL the time. I find I need to be someone im not just to sustain these relationships. Which isn't a great way of going into it.