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?
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