Is there hope or should I just give up?

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@Sweetleaf:

I know it won't fix everything in my life since even my older cousin and his girlfriend have tiffs every now and then but atleast I'd feel less lonely and I would have someone special to share things with. I do realize my depression does need to be managed but I wish I had more positive vibes in my life. Most people I know or encounter in public are very negative and stuck in future thought mode.

If you were asking about people expressing interest in me if I wore a t-shirt, I would sometimes get told 'Cool shirt' but it never led to a date or anything. When I would ask or look up dating advice, clothing style was often brought up. Some as*hole told me to 'clean yourself up' and posted links to men's polo and button up shirts. Someone was also telling aspie guys to dress up more fashionably and blah blah blah. My mother also would make me wear button up shirts to work because she was so paranoid I would get judged by my fashion style (Just simply t-shirts and jeans). I had a co-worker who wore heavy metal t-shirts and grew his hair long who was well liked and advanced to other positions at that job. Me? I got bitched at for stupid things and I am still in the same position I've had for almost ten years now. I realized how wrong my mom was and I now wear whatever I want for my own reasons.

The exercise thing came from being shamed by my mother for being overweight (She's really judgemental) and dating advice that was actually punishment in disguise. I also live in the Bible Belt and men are expected to be iron pumping jerks or they are not 'real men'. The culture here is very mentally unstable.

I agree that church and bible study were dead ends for me. The people there tend to already have company with them and I was again forced by my mother to go. I did grew up going to church (I live in the Bible Belt after all) but my faith fell apart when the depression really kicked in. The guys in the Bible Study I couldn't connect with because all they cared about was sports and there were hardly any girls in the group. I didn't fit in at college either but it's a long story and it brings up a lot of painful memories so I don't want to go there. I also find it hard finding others with similar interests because most of the culture in the Bible Belt revolves around football fanaticism, country music, hardcore drinking, hardcore smoking, reckless driving, and being a jerk in general. I am the complete opposite of those things. I tried dating websites but I never got any messages.

There's no hope for me but maybe there is for you.

There's hope for everyone! Here, have a kitty:

Some have told me I need to see the bigger picture when it comes to dating but they never explained it to me and I couldn't find an explanation on Google or anywhere else. Can someone help me out with that?

My own thoughts on that:

Having a significant other is nice, but there are a lot of other important things in life. You need to keep those in mind too and focus on the ones that are achievable right now. You also need to consider what you do have already!

Anyway, it sounds like you're not in a good environment right now. Maybe you should make getting out of there your goal. What's in the way of doing this, exactly?

What makes you say that?

Also keep in mind a lot of people have financial struggles, overbearing parents or other family issues and still can get relationships. I mean at times I've made the mistake of thinking adults must have it all together, free of any parent drama/issues but that's not true at all a lot of peoples parents still try to interfere a lot even after you grow up.

I'm lacking in finances, I don't have a degree for a better job nor do I have any job training, and my parents are overprotective even though I am 27.

None of these are insurmountable problems. That's the important thing to remember. They are not small problems and may in fact seem huge, but they can be solved.

It sounds like you are currently employed, so you can start saving your money and looking at what you'd need to move somewhere else. Put together a budget and stick to it, setting aside what you can with each paycheck. If you work for a company that has locations elsewhere, you may be able to transfer there (you still in Texas? Check out Austin... quirky, weird place... probably a lot more autism-friendly). Yes, parents can be overprotective... but you're your own man and if you can put yourself in a position where you do not require their help they can't stop you from doing what you wish.

I'm making it sound easy. It very likely isn't, but don't trick yourself into thinking this is impossible. If you can't get what you need where you are now, it may be a good option.

When my depression was really kicking in was also when I first learned about AS. Unfortunately, it didn't help much. I read so many stories from guys older than me who said they still didn't have a girlfriend and were still isolated from society. With each passing year, those fears seem to become truer. I sometimes get scared there are no single girls left because I've fallen behind so far.