Published on 12, July, 2020
I never thought about ASD or whether or not I may or may not have it until a year or two ago when my sister said she thought I may have Aspergers (she has a son that was diagnosed with it some years ago). Others had made similar comments before but I immediately dismissed them. I was just a geek. Nothing else.
On and off since then I've thought about it and thought that maybe my "geek tendencies" could be ASD, maybe.
I started realising things like the fact that I never look people in the eyes (I watch people's mouth when they speak). I've always struggled to make friends, only had a few growing up and haven't really had any through my adult life (I'm 44). I get obsessed with ideas and can concentrate to the exclusion of everything else. I research anything I am interested in - as an example, I decided to plant a cherry tree in my back garden. By the time I'd chosen one to buy I could tell you all about the different varieties, how they are pollinated and even the different types of root stock. I'm good with numbers, programs and I always joke that I think in straight lines and most other people think in squiggly lines. Unsurprisingly, in a test of logic and reasoning I tested in the 95 percentile and I have real difficulty breaking the rules.
I know I have always been different. Other people and their emotions confuse me. Communication is not my friend, although I've learned as I got older to get much better at faking it (I think). I was once described as being "honest to the point of tactlessness".
Rather than go on and on, I would just like to say that finding this forum and reading through the other posts has been a god send. Reading everyone else's story, I can see commonality that I have never seen before and potential indicators that I have never considered - like "mirroring" to fit in - that pretty much describes my life. Someone else mentioned fixating on a problem and excluding everything else (I'd never heard of anyone else that matches my level of concentration like that until now). Reading the struggles and stories that other people have I can relate even if I have only mentioned the "surface" stuff above.
Even if I do nothing else beyond hanging out here and reading posts, I think this forum is going to help me understand more of who I am and maybe the version of me that I try my best to pretend doesn't exist isn't quite as weird as I thought.
Welcome to this forum
Hi!! Welcome 'home'. :) embrace that part of you. Don't shunt it.
Welcome home, Ducky and Jock.
Me too. Recent joiner, lots of relatable posts.
Hello and welcome! Great to hear you’re finding the forum helpful. I only joined a few weeks ago and, like you, I’ve already read so many posts that were completely relatable.
Welcome :) I hope this forum helps you learn more about yourself.
Welcome, Thanks for the detailed intro. I recognise much of your experience! The forum has certainly helped me to understand more about ASD, and the more you understand the easier it is to navigate a world planned, organised and run by neuro typical people!
Welcome to the forum, Jock. Glad to hear that you're enjoying and learning from it.Best wishes,Kevin Mod