Hi I am a 21 years old female who was diagnosed with Autism at 10 years old.
My whole life I have been happy to be autistic and content with my life, but since finishing education I have been feeling very lost. I am unable to work and currently volunteer which I love, but all my friends and people my age are at university and have jobs and go clubbing. I feel very left out and lost as can’t do the same things as them. And even though I love my life I can’t help but feel left out, jealous and like a alien compared to them. I have great friends who include me in there activities but i just feel so different to them. I also have a good group of friends who are also autistic but I also don’t fit in with them either. I find myself not fitting in anywhere and I haven’t met anyone who has a similar autism to me, i am very chatty and love being around people which I know is uncommon for autistic people, i often get told I don’t act autistic or look autistic which doesn’t help as I feel even more unusual, I am just very good at hiding it.
Has anyone else felt like they don’t fit in anywhere and if so do it get better?
Is it common to feel like this after you finish education like you can’t catch up to other people?