Published on 12, July, 2020
2E means you re intellectually gifted as well as having some sort of neurodiversity aka ASD, ADHD, dyslexia etc. I am AUADHD myself and always been above average in academics. Most people seem to think I'm very capable of handling myself but I really struggle with day-to-day tasks. I am completely timeblind so rely on my outlook calendar and auditory reminders for events. I also have a hard time interacting around neurotypical people as I can't seem to relate to them. Small talk drives me crazy . The feeling that I don't really belong makes me feel depressed and anxious. However, I know that I am actually in quite a decent place, have stable income and I have very supportive parents (can't say that for the rest of my family though!) I just want to feel less alone.
I regularly had the experience of being top of the class at school. I went to grammar school and left with what one of my teachers said were "the best A level results in the history of the school" (5As, 6 if you include general studies, plus an extra A at AS level). Then I went to Cambridge and wasn't anything particularly special.
As a kid my intelligence was recognised and my autism was not. I knew I wasn't good at anything social so I leaned into the academic stuff that I was good at, hoping it would make up for my deficits elsewhere. Adult life has not really worked out as I hoped.