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Autism and loneliness

melal

Hello all,

I hope that all of you are doing well. I wanted your advice because sometimes I feel lonely as an autistic person. It feels like nobody truly understands you or how you function even if you try to explain. Sometimes people don't even bother to listen which is even worse. And you see all over social media that we are just 'stupid' and people online being like 'that one autistic kid in my school', and do not get me started on the advocacy of applied behavioural therapy and people just trying to 'take the autism out of us' which definitely doesn't help either. I have noticed a pattern: when you are perceived as 'not fitting in' or 'different', no one truly gives you the chance to be 'normal'.  I would really appreciate any advice about how to cope with it. 

Thank you so much for reading and am looking forward to any responses!  

Parents

  • I'm sorry to hear how you're sometimes feeling. Unfortunately, it's not uncommon for us to feel lonely and isolated. I’m currently working on the same isue myself.

    You might find some of the advice in these articles helpful:

    NAS - Loneliness - includes links to other examples of autistic people's experiences of loneliness and how they cope.

    NAS - Making friends - a guide for autistic adults

    You might like to consider asking your GP to refer you to your local social prescriber. I've had a course with ours and found it helpful.

    Their role is to develop a personalised care and support plan that meets your social needs, as well as your practical and emotional needs.

    This could include helping you to find friends, local groups, or socialising activities, for example. The article below explains more (it relates to England, but the same model operates throughout the UK):

    NHS England - Social prescribing

    You might also be able to find some socialising opportunities via the the NAS's directory, or through a local NAS branch:

    NAS - Autism Services Directory

    NAS - Branches

    As a final suggestion, you could search on Facebook and/or Google for any local groups that might fit with your interests and hobbies.

  • in reply to Bunny

    Thank you so much for the advice! I will definitely read the articles on loneliness by NAS and read more about social prescribing! I am sorry too that you feel this way sometimes too. We are never alone that should always be the moral of the story! 

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