Published on 12, July, 2020
Hi everyone,
I joined a few weeks ago but - as is my habit - I had to read a hundred or so threads to scope the place out and decide whether you were friendly or not before I could think abut introducing myself!
I don't yet have a formal A/S diagnosis. People have suggested to me on a number of occasions before that I may be on the A/S, but I've never really thought anything of this, assuming that I am both too social and too disorganised and lacking in routine to be autistic (misinformation and stereotyping having done its job effectively).
However, I have now been referred by my GP for assessment following a... let's call it a mental break, but knowing more now it looks to me very much like autistic burnout.To be honest, I would be very surprised if I didn't end up with a diagnosis - I've built up quite an evidence file against the DSM-IV criteria these last few weeks.
I love researching random subjects, and have been doing a lot of reading and reflecting on A/S following this recent turn of events.
There are lots of things that I do which I had previously just naively assumed everyone else in the world also did, but which I now read are quite unusual amongst neurotypicals (e.g. scripting most conversations I have in advance; choosing the words when I speak based on a preference for how the shape they make "feels" in my mouth; inability to remember things I have been told even seconds earlier balanced out by an inability to forget almost anything I have ever seen or read even decades later).
There are a lot of other things I do that I had always just put down as quirks or never really thought about before, but which seem quite autistic on reflection. Hundreds of these, but A few gems, such as:
In retrospect, I'm not quite sure how I managed to go so long without considering A/S as a possibility...
Anyway, that's enough of me justifying my right to be here for now!
I am a lawyer by training, but I work in the public sector currently.I am in my thirties, married with two children.I live in the South West, and would be interested in connecting with anyone local.I am interested in lots of things and there are too many to list, but particular non-work and non-political loves (in order of less weird to more weird) include:
My current ruling obsession, which I share with my children, is anime, specifically Naruto.
You may have already noticed, but I sometimes have a slight tendency to overshare
I'm looking forward to being part of this community, getting to know people here and hopefully learning a bit more about myself at the same time.
the formatting of this is horrendous and pains me deeply. Next time I will not mess around with the default settings! :/