I regret not joining Wrong Planet back in 2018

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I was diagnosed with aspergers back in 2018 at the age of 16-17. I am a classic case displaying most of the typical symptoms that would present themselves. My diagnosis journey started back in late 2017. I was playing a game with an online friend and we got on good at first but eventually he got sick of my ramblings and called me "autistic" and blocked me. I remember feeling terrible about this and I realized that something was wrong and started crying realizing that my struggles socially and academically were not entirely my fault despite trying my best. I didn't know anything about aspergers at the time and assumed that it was a form of mental retardation because I was ignorant on it. I then had a theory that it was ADHD (which I still believe I have) and that if I could someone get study drugs I could perform well at school at the very least.

I started to research ADHD like a maniac and pressured my family members to help me pursue a diagnosis. I eventually went through the CAMHS service in Ireland as I was still under 18 at that time. I tried to make my case for ADHD to them and my father tried to make the case also but they concluded it was most likely aspergers not ADHD from my history when they discussed it amongst themselves during their meeting and told us on our next encounter with them. I remember going on the ADHD subreddit on reddit and telling them I had ASD/aspergers not ADHD and they all wished me good luck. The asperger subreddit was good as I was with like minded people however it was much more depressive and less proactive than ADHD and I think this is due to how autism in general is more inhibiting than ADHD in a lot of cases especially since there's an overlap with both of them.

They told me to join a forum they called "Wrong Planet Autism" and wrote it on a leaflet. I avoided doing so due to my belief that this forum would be too "mainstream" for me at the time so I never gave it a chance or signed up. This was to my detriment as they told me nothing about autism. I knew a lot about ADHD, however it was hard to learn about aspergers from videos. I watched many hours of content online but they only gave a surface level of the condition. They talked about how people with autism lack empathy without talking about theory of mind, they didn't talk about how autism effects employment or the overlap with ADHD etc. I'm not knocking them they are just trying to make entertaining videos it was my fault for trying to get information off them but I should have done deeper research. I didn't get the ADHD diagnosis or drugs so I just assumed that if I had autism then I should just let "live and let live" instead of actively thinking about it so I didn't think about it for years.

I met someone online in recent years who is an adult and most likely has autism also and he's trying to get a diagnosis. We started talking and his depth and understanding of autism was extremely deep. I learned everything I know about it from him. After talking to him a bit I felt extremely guilty that I hardly did any research on proper autism/aspergers/asd despite being diagnosed for it for years. I tried to pretend I didn't have it and overcome it which wasn't a good idea. I decided to make an account on here tonight and the forum is actually very good and has a diverse range of opinions, experiences and tips on handling living with the condition. I really regret not becoming part of this community sooner.

Welcome to Wrong Planet. I hope you find it a pleasant place to frequent.

You'll find an assortment of neurodiverse people here, including many on the Autism Spectrum (including me!).

I mostly learned about Autism using the Internet and that was what motivated me to get a formal diagnosis...when I was 64. Because of my age the diagnosis was not so much a warning of problems in my future but rather insight into problems in my past. Autism has always affected me, even before I got the diagnosis, and still does affect me, but I have built myself a good life (some parts of which took longer than others to construct). Perseverance, patience, and thoughtful decision-making served me well. I encourage you to persevere, be patient, and try to make good decisions, as well. You might go far. (And, yes, Autism made much of the trip unpleasant...perseverance was necessary.)

Welcome to Wrong Planet. Yes we have a wide range of different perspectives about Asperger's Syndrome. The condition not only produces many problems but also provides us with a set of skills. The trick is knowing how to take that skill set and maximize its value in order to overcome our weaknesses.

Hi and welcome.

I hope you find some helpful information here.

Welcome aboard.

Welcome to WP!

Welcome to Wrong Planet!