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Low self-esteem and loneliness

violetdr3amer
over 3 years ago

Hi everyone, 

I am really struggling with low self-esteem and loneliness. I'm 32, I was diagnosed when I was 30.

I have always known that there was something 'wrong' with me, and have been trying to get a diagnosis since I was 18, but have been fobbed off by doctors and just given antidepressants (they work for a while but then stop working and I have to go up a dose, and when I reach the highest dose, it starts affecting my IBS). I have always struggled with holding down jobs; when I was younger, I was able to hold down a job for 6 months to a year, but as I got older, the time got less and less. I am now on benefits, I haven't worked for 2 years now and I'm studying at college online.

I also have a lot of social difficulties. I've moved around a fair bit, and have a long history of being ostracised by groups of people, to the point where they warn others to stay away from me because I am a "psychopath". I do have good friends somehow, but they are very few in number. I am scared of meeting new people in case they also ostracise me or reject me. I've also had pretty rotten luck with relationships and I've given up hope that I'll ever be in a serious relationship.

I don't have particularly good social skills - I have been criticised for "oversharing", my meltdowns don't go down so well and people generally find me weird and odd. I also have a pretty childish sense of humour, which people find annoying.

I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong and how to combat this... at this point of my life, I think it's safest if I just keep to myself (which is kinda boring and depressing). Years of failure and social rejection have chipped away quite a lot at my self-esteem.

Parents
  • over 3 years ago

    Sorry you're not in a good place. I've also been called weird and childlike. ASD was only mentioned to me in November, I'm trying to get a diagnosis now. I've always told myself that if people don't like me, then I wouldn't like them anyway. I have 1 friend and 1 work colleague who like me, and my husband. Nobody else can seem to put up with me, and that's when I'm being really careful not to show my real self. Perhaps they can see I'm being dishonest in a way. There is nothing wrong with you, you're an amazing individual with unique experiences and outlook on the world. I'm here if you ever want to chat, or vent.

  • over 3 years ago in reply to P

    Thank you for your kind words x

    Yeah I think that's it, I have to hide from most people. I am not good at being inauthentic though so I find the easiest thing for me is just to stick to my few good friends. I have one friend who is also a female with ASD, and she pretty much keeps to herself, she has like 4 friends and her partner and that's it. 

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  • over 3 years ago in reply to P

    Thank you for your kind words x

    Yeah I think that's it, I have to hide from most people. I am not good at being inauthentic though so I find the easiest thing for me is just to stick to my few good friends. I have one friend who is also a female with ASD, and she pretty much keeps to herself, she has like 4 friends and her partner and that's it. 

Children