Published on 12, July, 2020
Hey just signed up, and I'm completely lost..... I was advised a few weeks ago to try socialising for the first time in over two decades. The advice came from a suicide help thingy, but I don't feel lonely, I've never really had friends, and making them is a foreign concept to me. Should I just give it up, and continue to isolate?
I don't suppose you’re wrong, though the entire suicide thing is mostly because I'm sick of being a nutter. Well this entire thread has been something new. Yay me.
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Hi. This does seem like a nice little space. I rather like the 'hibernating' thing.
Thanks for the encouragement. I suppose it really is worth a try.
Welcome
The best thing about this community is that there is no pressure to post unless you want to. It doesn't even have to be a social space unless you want it to be. There is a lot to be gained from just reading the experiences of other autistic people and the recommendations they may make.
It may help you feel part of a community just to be here. Making friends doesn't have to be a goal by which you should feel any expectation to measure yourself against.
Stick around and keeping reading. Maybe you will want to join in with discussions or maybe not. Either is fine.
I don't really feel lonely either and I'm not really sure I fully understand what it feels like. I think that is partly due to alexithymia (which most autistic people have to some extent) and partly that I'm just so used to being alone.
This is an interesting article I came across today, which discusses how social connections can be very different for autistic people.
https://www.autisticrealms.com/post/autistic-community-connections-becoming
The great thing about this community is that you can phase in and out of quiet times - sometimes people even add 'hibernating' temporarily to their user name just to indicate they're feeling the need to re-charge in full solitude until further notice - and everyone will understand. There's none of that neurotypical 'keep posting or there's no point in your being here' thinking, just acceptance of you on your own terms. So why not have your cake and eat it?
Welcome, Coffin planes... :-)
If you're talking to a suicide help thing, it seems safe to say that the way you've been living isn't working for you. It couldn't hurt to try something new?
No. Don’t do that. You have made the important first step by putting this post on here. Try and stick with it but it okay to dip in and out on here as you see fit. Everyone is great and I must say it’s been very good for me personally to know that others have the same or similar experiences sometimes.
welcome by the way!!