Recently assessed

The things that I say I can't do are really just for illustration of my particular combination of traits, for the most part I don't have a need or a want to do them.

When it comes to other people, I've started to tell some individuals that I have no idea what they're thinking so they should just be up front with me.  It makes life a bit easier - I have enough of an mental overhead just trying to interact with someone without having to worry about extra unknowns.

That's okay, perhaps there will be other articles that you could relate to. I understand what your explaining my partner also says similar things. One thing I always ask him when he says he can not do/feel something is, do you want to? Do you want to feel empathy to the extent to others do? Do you want a relationship? Do you want to add you feelings to things in a artistic way?

I think from the point of view from someone with out AS to understand that you want to do something or feel something is enough, I know finding a way to express the fact you want to unless your comfortable with saying out aloud might prove difficult, my partner uses text. And even if I don't feel he loves me or cares about my problems knowing he wants to comforts me. 

This might not be enough for everyone though. Regarding you pushing people away my partner does the same every month I call it his aspergers period, so every week or two I spend a few days with my family to give him time and space to himself and he also goes out while im there to, as do I. 

You not having relationships with people may not all be down to just you, other people need to know what you want exactly to understand how to maintain a relationship perhaps if they have not known about your AS or not understood it that may have been the problem in the past.

Communication is key, even if you have to write them a letter, end them a email or text helping them helps you. 

This is only if you want relationships with other of course. 

Also just to let you know if there is anything that I say, that doesn't make sense or spelling is incorrect I have dyslexia. 

Thanks for the reply.  The link made intereseting reading, but I could not relate with the majority of it.  Please don't take this a negative comment, I understand that people on the spectrum are so varied that I wouldn't expect to relate to everything.

The author has obviously manage to cultivate and maintain relationships sufficiently to have a child and get married, neither of which I could possibly contemplate - I cannot tolerate other people for long enough (that's assuming they haven't wandered off first).  I have the rather annoying contradiction of feeling alone, but not liking to spend extended time with other people.  I've read many times that a common misconception is that someone with autism has no or little empathy, but for me this is actually the case - if someone's emotions are borne out of logical reasons then I can at least understand, and perhaps even predict them, but that's my limit.

I am also not at all artistic, when I have learned to play an instument it has been much like a computer would do - I can make sounds, I can read music, I can reproduce something that I have heard, I can recreate someone else's inotonation and phrasing, I cannot create, I cannot add my own "feeling".  I do however take pleasure from music, but mostly in an abstract way - lyrics mean nothing to me unless they are funny, it's all about the sound and my interpretation of it.

There I go again.  

Hi dan welcome, 

my Partner was diagnosed 2 years ago hes 30, he had the same response as you, i suggested reading other peoples stories. he sent me this if you would like a read it, it obviously spoke to him in some way. 

www.aspennj.org/.../a-letter-from-an-adult-male-with-as.pdf

And regarding you talking about yourself to much, dont worry about it to much even people with out aspergers, AS etc can talk for hours about themselves. 

Have a nice day.