Published on 12, July, 2020
I joined here around 5 months ago.
Since that time it's come to mean different things to me.
I think sharing experiences is invaluable but equally invaluable is the honesty I find here.
It's a place where we can talk about shared experience /our emotions/difficulties in a way that's impossible in the 'real' world - or at least if we speak about it there, it's unlikely to be understood.
It's a place to connect in a world where we often find connecting difficult.
I've received some PMs recently that have made me focus more on how very important this community can be to us as individuals.
Luna RIP called this her 'forum family'.
As a person who doesn't seek friendship (?or thinks she doesn't?), some surprising and valuable friendships have evolved from here for me.
How about you?
I find it helpful sometimes to ask questions to people who get it. In the same way I hope I can sometimes help others from my experience, mainly as a parent.
I can't cope with too much interaction away from home and lots of people are doing things all the time. I like that I can pass the time of day, maybe add to a lighthearted thread when I want to.
With conversations with people I know I can often wonder if I said the right thing. Having no commitment takes away that worry.
Sometimes I just read other comments. I couldn't get on here for two days which I missed.
I am another undiagnosed but guessed after my son got a diagnosis. Just good to know why I have had difficulties in the past. Then it helped me coming on here knowing how many others were like me with things I hadn't even realised were autistic traits.