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Hello

LateToTheAlphaQuadrant

Hello everone, I'm glad I found this part of the forum and the explanation about your posts being moderated as newbie. I dived in earlier and replied to a post where I though the OP was really struggling. When I got a message to say my post was being moderated I worried a bit. I thought I'd said something wrong and was too autistic for a autistic forum! Sweat smile

Anyway, I got AI to help me choose a username, it suggested it after I told tem a few interests including liking watching Star Trek: Voyager. Loved the suggestion so went with it. 

I'm 52 years old and female. I wasn't diagnosed autistic until a couple of years ago. It was actually being on another forum where there was lots of 'Am I autistic?' type posts that I kept thinking, 'Hang on a minute, I do that! and that, and that!' I was just sent a letter after the two assessments to say I was autistic, a link to a website and that was it. I didn't do much about the diagnosis since then as I have lived my life so long I didn't realise a lot of my day is actually taken up by being autistic! I discovered this a day or so ago by having a convesation with google about sleep. I learned I wasn't lazy, I have sleep inertia, that I can't sleep earlier as autistiic people have an later circadian rhythm, that the need to stretch my legs in the night that wakes me when I do sleep is restless legs and a lot of autistic people have it. That I get 'stuck' mentally and physically, task changng problems, relaxing problem...etc 

I went a bit nuts on Amazon and have ordered a book, weighted blanket, a visual progress bar timer and a Ono roller. I already had one weighted blanket and a squeazy/stress ball to all try and help. 

I have agoraphobia (Panic attacks away from home.) so don''t go out. I spend some of my time (And I have discovered it's a form of stimming.) knitting. I make Christmmas decorations, chocolate orange covers, dragons, I knitted my sibling a 2 ft gargoyle for their birthday. Laughing (They loved it, haven't come up with a name for it yet though.) Robins, snowmen, elves...I would say I've never knitted a scarf but that would be a lie, my sister in law asked me to make her three dogs a scarf with our local teams football colours when our team was in some cup or other. No, I don't follow football. Stuck out tongue winking eye 

I think Ive waffled on enough for now. Joy I look forward to 'meeting' fellow forum users and engaging with some chat. 

Parents

  • Hello and welcome from America, LateToTheAlphaQuadrant!

    I like lists, so I’ll list my replies:

    1. Totally understand being freaked out by the moderation thing. I’m glad that didn’t scare you away! For some context, we had a pretty gnarly bit of time where the site was getting blasted with scams, but the moderation of new accounts has completely stopped that.
    2. I LOVE my weighted blanket. I think mine is a 20 lbs? It’s hard to sleep without it now lol.
    3. I also discovered my Autism by comparing my experiences with another individual online. Unfortunately, the person who made me consider it is infamous and not a very upstanding person, but… Hey, at least I know now, right?
    4. I feel like agoraphobia is immensely common on here to different degrees, so you are in good company.
    5. One note on AI: That can be a bit of a sensitive subject on this forum. A lot of us (not me) utilize AI for personal reasons, but in general the community doesn’t really like it when AI content is directly put onto here. In short: We want to hear from you personally, not you through a robot! It sounds like the mods are working on an official rule on how AI can be used on here. I’m not trying to scare you out of ever using AI, just be aware that some people are sensitive to interacting with AI directly.
    6. As an FYI, we have loads of females around your age on here! Actually, strangely, I feel like that is the strongest demographic on here lol. I’m a weirdo because not only am I American, I’m also one of very few males in their 30’s to poke their head in here.

    Best wishes!

  • in reply to profdanger

    Hello Profdanger and thanks for your message! Grinning Firstly thank you for informing me about AI and I just want to assure you and others that my posts are me and authentic. I only used AI for my username. I wouldn't use it to make posts. I hope that's helped anyone wondering. 

    Thank you for letting me know that agoraphobia is quite common on here. I am usually the only one and made to feel shame for my condition-even by medical professionals- "Can't you just come out this one time?" As if I'm just being a pain on purpose. 

    Oh shame to hear about the scams but good the moderation is stopping it! 

    Good that your weighted blanket helps sleep. I must admit, it did help mine apart from when I got too hot in the night and kicked it off. Joy 

Reply
  • in reply to profdanger

    Hello Profdanger and thanks for your message! Grinning Firstly thank you for informing me about AI and I just want to assure you and others that my posts are me and authentic. I only used AI for my username. I wouldn't use it to make posts. I hope that's helped anyone wondering. 

    Thank you for letting me know that agoraphobia is quite common on here. I am usually the only one and made to feel shame for my condition-even by medical professionals- "Can't you just come out this one time?" As if I'm just being a pain on purpose. 

    Oh shame to hear about the scams but good the moderation is stopping it! 

    Good that your weighted blanket helps sleep. I must admit, it did help mine apart from when I got too hot in the night and kicked it off. Joy 

Children