What advice would you give to your younger self?

Get some Bitcoins xD

Buy Apple shares

I'd probably give myself the line I heard once in a videogame: "The more crutches you have, the more it hurts when they're kicked out from under ya." I reckon if I had known to take more opportunities earlier on to grow some independence and not rely on my childhood 1:1 support or my parents managing near everything in my life then when I became faced with the realities of what is yet to come I'd be more prepared rather than freaking out and having absolute dread over my future survival. At the moment I feel like I'm running low on time and am a million miles from where I need to be, if I could use that time again I could have gradually got where I needed to.

I'd also try to tell myself what my diagnosis is about, what little I know of it now at least. I had been diagnosed as a young child and whilst I had 1:1 support I almost thought it was just because I was 'a bit naughty' in primary school and because support suddenly stopped after college and my parents didn't talk to me about it and seem to treat it as if it's all over now I spent a lot of time not understanding and struggling with myself and putting myself down. I would have also had a head start on overcoming or finding ways to help get around a lot of my issues. I might have even been communicate this with my parents if it were closer to or during when I already had support who could essentially back me up to say 'yeah, this is a lifelong thing, and he might need some guidance to get to that independence'.

To make sure everything I do is fun. 
and to avoid getting a proper job for as long as possible.

Stop trying so hard to be outgoing and extroverted, stop trying to fit in, stop worrying about making an impact. Try and make friends with the quiet kids and choose a career path like librarianship or archives. Just because your family is loud you don't have to be. 

It's made interesting reading for sure and offered more inspiration than I thought it would

Thank you LoonyLuna for bumping this back up + everyone for the new replies.

It's good to see these old threads added to and to read the comments

I was the same at 20.  But I did go on to have friends later in my twenties and in my early 30's. So there's hope for you yet.

But what can you do?  Apart from realise that you have Autism and be kind to yourself.

This is a good point. Kindness to yourself is important. For me it's been the difference between being happy and miserable. I feel my life is a bit of a waste but I'm trying to make a positive impact while I'm here. I'm 20, reclusive and no friends.

I've been in a very reclusive stage again for most of my 30's . I'm now 41 and I'm sure in ten years my current time in life will feel like a waste. But what can you do?  Apart from realise that you have Autism and be kind to yourself.

This is my trouble as well. It's easy to look back and think how differently I could have done things but if I could turn back the clock the chances are my anxiety would still dictate everything I did and thought and nothing would be done differently.

Don't be a people pleaser. Do what you want, not what others want, it's ok not to be ok... You don't have to be ok all the time, when things get bad remember that it's just a bad day and there will be a good day again soon. Treasure the time with those you love, no one is forever.

This is something I wish I'd been more aware of during my teens. I was a people pleaser then, I always did what others wanted and I tried to be ok all the time and gave myself little time to be myself. It caused more harm than good.

I can only think of very negative answers to this.

I would advise myself to get out more but at the time I did not feel like doing so.  

Hold your head up high and proudly march to the beat of your own drum. Don't be afraid to be you. 

And lastly, in the words of Bob Dylan, keep on keepin on.

I'd tell him, You are absolutely right in your assessment of this country in comparison with the one you just visited and several others that you will visit.

Emigrate whilst you still can, this place offers little in the way of opportunity for people like you, and will not get any better.

Don't give up on yourself.

I'm a people pleaser but it does more harm than good.

It doesn't matter what others think of you, it just matters what you think.

Advice to my younger self. Hold on tight, this might get bumpy!

Yes a lot of the same as i get older i only do the jobs that are urgent and decent people who deserve and can pay for my work ethics  i have nearly died on some jobs for the sake of 200 pounds sometime i rapidly stop working nowerdays for people who have little patience  and carnt wait they see you as there slave i soon stop working for them i have walked off jobs were they were very nasty and nearly got into fights on a site with labour's who worked for same agencey it was simalar in army every day a struggle but very rewarding in the long term.