Published on 12, July, 2020
Hello to anyone that reads this . I was diagnosed with aspergers back in 2018 but i guess my struggle has been since i was born.
im 25 now and for a while now i’ve found myself struggling to iniatiate and hold friendships , everyday i spend my time indoors not talking to anyone and find my self spending time scrolling through social media or playing video games to fill my day .
i struggled with my emotions whilst i was in school and college so never had friends from either guess i left a negative impression of myself . i think im quite “nerdy “ but have alway’s struggled finding friends in those hobbies , im very much into gaming and have found myself wanting to get into something called warhammer 40k.
spending my days feeling like a ghost in solitary confinement is starting to severly effect my mental health to the point everyday i want to cry and feel like I shouldn’t be here .
my question is , is there anyone who has advice on what i can do to cope with this or ways i can make friends ?
I know with autism/aspergers it’s a struggle but surely being this alone isn’t normal ?
Hi Goblin and welcome to the community!
I'm sorry to hear about your mental health issues and loneliness. Many of us here struggle with making and maintaining friends, so you're definitely not the only one.
The NAS has some great resources, which you might find helpful - they include guidance / advice along with signposting to further sources of support:
NAS - Making friends - a guide for autistic adults
NAS - Loneliness
There are also resources covering mental health, including "depression" and "seeking help with mental health":
NAS - Mental health
If you haven't yet done so, I suggest discussing how you're feeling with your GP, who may be able to offer support (which might include medication and/or therapy, for example).
You might also like to ask your GP practice about getting support from their social prescriber, who can help to address your loneliness and lack of social interaction - this is something that I plan on doing myself soon, following my own diagnosis about a year ago.
Finally, please do stick around here - you're already among new friends! :)