Wanting to meet autistic people to build a friendship with

Welcome Chloe! 

I'm not diagnosed yet but have started my pathway to referral, I have a meeting with my GP next month and am collating a pack of research to show my difficulties. 

I'd also like to make friends with like minded individuals. I find that it's much harder to meet a wider variety of people offline. 

I know, there should be an online guidebook or a handbook on how to become your authentic self.

What I've learnt through therapy is that learning how to socialise "better" could mean I'd be masking more for other peoples benefit and not my own. So it's more, how do I unmask with my "safe" people and have them meet me in the middle.

There seems to be a common experience when people find out they are autistic. I could use a guide with some pointers on how to handle things.

That has to be a good phd topic for some young psychologist. 

I agree! Surrounding yourself with people who love and support you and your diagnosis is important and it shouldn't be exhausting to have a relationship with others.

If you ever want to send me a message to chat more please do 

That's round about the same waiting time as my area too. I'm glad you got through the referral stage as apparently it's quite difficult to get on a waiting list (it all doesn't make much sense).

I've found open communication and honesty is a great start to interacting with others but it's finding the right people who will educate themselves about autism and more specifically how autism presents itself in you to have that communication with. Through my experience so far, learning who your "safe" people and "unsafe" people are is very important to know so you're not overly exhausting yourself by interacting with them.

I agree, it changes your whole view on your life, childhood and into adulthood and then present. Also how you interact and noticing when you're masking/unmasking is a validating experience.

I'm glad talking to other autistic people on here is helping you and hopefully it will continue whilst you're waiting for your formal diagnosis.

When i contacted the GP and got the initial referral, the wait list was 2 to 3 years .... so i have a way to go yet.  

If you manage to figure out how to interact with people, please let me know! :-) 

I was fairly sure i was autistic for the last couple of years. i am very surprised at the psychological difference in how it has affected me, now that i am certain. That realization that i am completely lost when it comes to meaningful interaction with people.  

This board is really helping though ... knowing there are others out there who experience the same thing certainly make me fell more normal and less 'broken' somehow.

Hello Chloe,

I'd really like that and thank you . Don't be concerned about NTs . You do what makes you happy and enjoy yourself . Be interested and patient with yourself , that's the most important 

I don't think I've listened to that one! I love quite a few but I'd choose She Bangs

Private emotion

I love Ricky Martin! Which song is your favourite?

Ricky Martin favourite Spanish pop singer. Also music from the 80s,90s and 00s

Me too but I mostly listen to rock/alternative and more specific types of music such as, early 2000's pop and Spanish pop

Hi Tamsyn, thank you! It's nice to meet you too and thank you for commenting, I hope you're well!

Hi, thank you for commenting!

Oh that's pretty recent too, I'm glad to hear that! I can understand not wanting to waste your energy on NT's who don't like you or want to understand you, I'm trying to be more like that by not being affected by other peoples lack of interest or patience.

Well I'm here if you ever want to chat! We can chat about our special interests or anything really! 

I'm sorry that's been your experience, it's quite difficult to be diagnosed by the system (which makes no sense to me). Do you know how long the waiting list is in your area? As I know it's different for everyone.

Self diagnosis is completely valid and hopefully you have found clarity with that knowledge as you know yourself best! I can understand that, I'm still figuring out how to interact with others, it's especially hard to interact with others who haven't done much research to educate themselves to help us feel accepted during our journey.

Different types of genre 

Hi Chloe Nicole, welcome to the forum, it's nice to meet you.

Online shopping , Yes but I don't like shopping in public , too much sensory interference and I don't like being around NT's

Does anyone else find shopping therapeutic?

Hello and welcome ! 

I was diagnosed in December 2022 . I am no longer a mystery to myself but a solved case .

So I can shut myself away , read books , play my guitars , listen to music, watch movies and documentaries and not make an effort anymore . If NT's don't like me and my collection of quirks then tough ! but it would be nice to have a companion, someone like me. 

Hope you find this community and forum useful