Highly Sensitive Person and Autism

Thanks for this Kiki. I've read all the descriptors and it's confused me. They all seem to be the same autistic traits that I have and so I'm confused now whether I have a different condition.

HSP doesn't take into account other things like executive dysfunction, rigidity of thought, repetitive behaviours, special interests, alexithymia,  regulation of emotion. Communication difficulties could look the same but have a different root cause (eg autism / socisl anxiety).

Ah, you see, I never thought of myself as having EF issues, communication difficulties or any of this.  Plus I regarded my interests as simply interests and not "special".  So the whole concept of being a HSP delayed my realisation that i'm autistic by years.  And this also meant I failed to identify that the rest of my family are autistic too.  Particularly as a parent, I let others down.  No identification equalled no support or awareness and lots of judgment, criticism and blame.  We ended up being pushed into crisis situations before autism was even mentioned.   

I'm dealing with a lot of anxiety, paranoia and loneliness right now.  I keep thinking things refer to me that most probably do not.  I have the constant need to communicate but no real life friends to talk to.   Just feeling very vulnerable.  There must be some sort of guilt too.  Or a self perception of myself as this horrible person.  Because of past mistakes i have made.

Would love a neurodivergent therapist..

Yes, I'm very leery of psychologists & other MH professionals myself and really wish that, in the past, I'd simply talked to a trusted friend instead.  The numbers of neurodivergent counsellors are growing, though (there are a couple of FB groups which relate) plus if you can talk to your friend then, over time, that might prove more helpful to you.  In addition to this group, Mind and any others which appeal, of course. 

I am scarred by my encounters with child pyschologists when i was younger. They knew what was up with me but chose not to help.  This was the 90's.  I have my Brazilian female friend but i am trying to pull her so want to advertise all my weaknesses to her so much.  Maybe i could talk to my online friend Richard about it. I did raise the subject of how i was feeling with him the other day.  But we are two ASD males and we usually discuss current affairs, film and music.

I am scarred by my encounters with child pyschologists when i was younger. They knew what was up with me but chose not to help.  This was the 90's.  I have my Brazilian female friend but i am trying to pull her so want to advertise all my weaknesses to her so much.  Maybe i could talk to my online friend Richard about it. I did raise the subject of how i was feeling with him the other day.  But we are two ASD males and we usually discuss current affairs, film and music.

I'm dealing with a lot of anxiety, paranoia and loneliness right now.  I keep thinking things refer to me that most probably do not.  I have the constant need to communicate but no real life friends to talk to.   Just feeling very vulnerable.  There must be some sort of guilt too.  Or a self perception of myself as this horrible person.  Because of past mistakes i have made.

Would love a neurodivergent therapist..

Yes, I'm very leery of psychologists & other MH professionals myself and really wish that, in the past, I'd simply talked to a trusted friend instead.  The numbers of neurodivergent counsellors are growing, though (there are a couple of FB groups which relate) plus if you can talk to your friend then, over time, that might prove more helpful to you.  In addition to this group, Mind and any others which appeal, of course.