Loneliness - could getting a pet be a solution?

Hey

I'm feeling kinda down and finding it hard to motivate myself at the moment. I'm also really lonely despite many attempts to build friendships (very busy NT friends with families etc). Wondering about getting a pet in the hope it will a) provide some company b) an excuse to talk to other dog walkers maybe c) force me to be productive in order to look after someone/thing else's needs. I've historically had cats as they are more independent, having dogs would be a bit of a lifestyle change as I'd need to ensure I don't work away too often.

Does anyone else have pets - any thoughts on this?

TIA

Daisy

Parents
  • Hi, I’m sorry to hear that you’re feeling down, has anything in particular triggered it? It might be worth discussing feeling down/lack of motivation with your GP as they might be able to help. Are there any local ASD support/social groups that you could attend? It sometimes takes trying a few before you find one that you like but it would but once you do find one then it opens up the option of making friends with other people with ASD. There’s also a number of Facebook support groups for people with Autism/Aspergers. These sorts of things might help to relieve the loneliness.

  • Thank you Kitsun. There's no particular trigger I've been going downhill for a while despite all my best efforts at doing lots of things that are good for me. I went to the GP last week and I need to go back next week after he has done some research because my body rejects most synthetic drugs. There are no ASD support groups near me, how I wish there was but I don't have the energy at the moment to start one. I use these online boards to stay connected and they certainly help a great deal, not quite a substitute for real human contact though. Thank you for your kind thoughts and suggestions, I'll keep looking for solutions.

  • Sometimes a combination of things can make us feel down. I hope that your GP can find a medication that suits you. If you're on Facebook maybe try 'British women with Aspergers UK connect group'. I belong to it, I got many members for my own group from it, many people use it to connect and arrange meetups with others in there local area, there are others like myself who have formed local 'unofficial' Autism Social groups these are frequently advertised on the group page. It's also a closed group so nothing that you post can be seen by anyone that doesn't belong to the group. 

Reply
  • Sometimes a combination of things can make us feel down. I hope that your GP can find a medication that suits you. If you're on Facebook maybe try 'British women with Aspergers UK connect group'. I belong to it, I got many members for my own group from it, many people use it to connect and arrange meetups with others in there local area, there are others like myself who have formed local 'unofficial' Autism Social groups these are frequently advertised on the group page. It's also a closed group so nothing that you post can be seen by anyone that doesn't belong to the group. 

Children
  • The Group closed suddenly and without warning despite having over 2300 members! :-(

    But here are some others I belong to (all also closed groups), in order of my personal preference:

    Autistic women in the UK

    Women with Autism/Aspergers UK support Group

    British Women and Non Binary Autistics - ASD, ASCS and Aspergers

  • That's super helpful, thank you