Published on 12, July, 2020
Hi, I was diagnosed a week ago as autistic at 40. I'm still processing it, Ive been up and down but on the whole I'm feeling good. I'm looking for support groups/meetups in the Nottingham area.
I've got forms from the local NHS autism team for post diagnosis services. Other than those things I'm not sure what else to do.
I love music (listening and playing), cars (mostly pre 90 back to pre war, VSCC etc), and making/repairing anything... I feel happy in my shed! I also love martial arts but found the social side of it very difficult.
Thanks
Welcome aboard!
I tend to find happiness in fixing stuff, making things and being in the garage when things get too much. I find Big DIY projects are a breeze, but social situations can be a nightmare.
I tried some martial arts when I was younger but like you found the social end of it too hard and the need to be there at specific times etc. same with any hobbies , I tend to find ones I can do solo, with some casual interaction at most, if there's a social aspect or groups/teams involved I'm usually put off.
It's funny, when people find I'm into something and try and get me involved. I know they're being nice but I run a mile most times and make a thousand excuses to swerve it.
I've tried traditional jujitsu, BJJ and MMA. I struggled in jujitsu as it was always socially hard, BJJ was very much 'banter' based which isn't really me, but with MMA I was part of a small group which I could cope with. The group size stayed small for a few years and I got up to purple belt which I was very pleased with but then the group folded which was a shame!
Doing some tinkering in the shed with some music on in the evening is great.