Hello - Exploring

Post Reply New Topic

Hello! I'm F, 35. I have always felt off, and am now exploring the idea that I may be a part of the autism spectrum (please feel free to correct my language if I speak of this weirdly anywhere - this is all new to me!). I had never considered the possibility of being autistic until recently (the last year or two). The autism I had experience with knowing about was low-functioning, which I'm not.

I was diagnosed with ADHD many, many years ago. That makes this more complicated.

Anyway, yeah, I'm thinking that I might be autistic, in fact, everything I've researched has just kinda been a hit over the head. I had a friend reveal to me that she is neurodivergent and I then expressed to her that I was thinking that I might be autistic and she was like "Oh yeah, definitely!" lol.

I've looked into it and a lot of it just matches me - the social awkwardness, the lack of ability to read people very well (I have learned to read a little better, but I still struggle), the aversion to touch, the way I get caught up in expecting strict routines and get really upset when they get out of line (I especially do this with work, and that can be problematic. I have had to run to the restroom and have a breakdown [mainly of crying] more than once when things got overwhelming), the way that I am extra sensitive to light (more sunlight than artificial light), and the way that I am extra sensitive to the textures of foods, etc.

I could go on for a while. Looking into this - a lot of the oddities of me that have been a mystery for years line up with autism. However, I have not been diagnosed. I expressed it with my counselor, she is not able to diagnose it herself. The screening she gave me was pretty clear. She told me that she could refer me to some clinics/people who could diagnose me, but it would be expensive, so I put it off. I'm moving states soon, I don't have money to throw around. I will hopefully look into it sometime after the move when things have stabilized.

Anyway... I've already posted a whole book! I do that.

I'll share some general things: I love music, music history, and history in general. I play the oboe and bassoon among other winds. I also like some video games like The Sims, Animal Crossing, and Pokemon. I like collecting classic MLP toys, hence my current avatar. lol (hard to say that's "classic" now. I was in high school when G3 started. >.<). I love dogs, and animals in general. (I don't know that I'd classify any of these as hyperfixations. I need to understand more about that term before I use it).

I'm still, at 35 figuring out what I'm going to do with my life. Long story...

Anyway, I'll stop there. Nice to meet you all! =) Hopefully I haven't bored everyone to tears already. I'm so wordy!!

welcome

Ahoy-hoy.

Hi there.

Don't feel bad, I'm 44 and in the same boat

Do you have a favourite historical era?

Thanks everyone! =)

I see, I'm sorry. It's rough! I wish I had gotten things together sooner. I want to have a child, but don't know when things will be stable enough in my life for that, and I can't really afford that time as I'm already 35!

Between high school and a couple of years ago I was not in the right mind. I lived in the past. I was not taking care of myself, I was not thinking seriously about a future career. I feel like I have reawaken in the past few years and am now having to grapple with all of this.



I've always been fascinated by ancient times through the early 19th century. I don't know why that is, not great times, for sure (to put it lightly). A lot of my interest in history is cultural - music, architecture, fashion, art, etc. and I think that has a lot to do with it. I listen to music from all over those times and love their architecture, fashion and art! I'm just enamored with it all. Weird, I know.

Welcome to WP!

Welcome.

WELCOME to Wrong Planet ...hope you find this a nice place to visit..

Welcome! Im 48 and finally have been diagnosed with autism and ADHD. It is a relief to know. And if it fits, it fits. It definitely cant hurt to learn more. I hope you find all you need here.

Welcome to WP! I hope you like it here.

I also hope you have found these online, unofficial Autism tests:
- Autism-Spectrum Quotient Test (AQ)
- Aspie Quiz ^{Registration is not required to take the quiz!}

Welcome to Wrong Planet.

After reading your introduction, I think you have found the right place. I have Asperger's Syndrome, or Aspie for short. Your introduction describes many of the attributes of Aspies. Generally our intelligence level can fall off the charts.

So to begin with, I will say that humans are much more complex then anything that has ever existed on our planet and perhaps the entire universe. This is because we have developed multiple brains. Before age 11 or 12 we are children and the two sides of our brain, the left dominant side and the right side of our brains exist together. But then we undergo a physical change. But for some of us, that never happened. I am still a young child deep down inside me. I am 75 years old and I am a child. I am a little bit like Peter Pan. The reason why is because I died when I was young. I was attacked by a large bull. It weighed over 1,000 pounds while I weighed around 15. It was like being attacked by a dinosaur. I died and my dominant brain died. My parents brought my body into my home and placed me on my bed. I stood next to my dead body. A voice came out of no where and said "Live or Die, Choose?". I couldn't stand the utter fear in the hearts of my father and mother, so I said "Live". The rest was history. I came back but not as a left dominant brain but rather my other side, the right side. And thus I have lived my life. But as such, I never grew old deep inside me. I am still a young child.

So many of the things you discuss is similar to other Aspies.

You follow a linear path rather then a parallel path. It is core of our ability to think. (But if someone breaks up the linear path, it can cause a type of breakdown or stress and anxiety.)

You are sensitive to light. I wear an interesting form of sunglasses. It blocks light unless the light is either vertical or horizontal. It is similar to the type of sunglasses used by police many years ago. It is a form of one way glasses.

You talked about never being diagnosed. In general, diagnosis are done on children but generally not on adults. There are several good tools that can provide you an online diagnosis. Take a few of them and see what they tell you.

You talked about hyper-fixations. Yes, something gathers our interest and we explore it and do a deep dive until we understand. We self learn and become subject matter experts. Think of Sherlock Holmes, he is a good example of hyper-fixations.



If you want to dig a little deeper into how humans contain multiple beings that exist within us, I would recommend a book called "Whole Brain Living" by Jill Bolte Taylor. This was her second book. At around age 35, she suffered a severe stoke. It was a brain bleed right through the middle of her brain. It separated the right and left sides of her brain. She survived barely this fatal near death experience. But when she came back, she became an entirely different person, a right side dominant brain. She describes in her book, the four beings that exist in every human brain. It is a very interesting book.

Welcome to Wrong Planet.

hi and welcome, its a great group, glad you found us!

Welcome!

At your age a diagnosis can be useful knowledge but not everyone can afford to get one.

Aside from knowing there may be little or no practical benefit at your age.
Telling your employer you have autism is likely to be of little benefit.
Autism isn't like Down's syndrome in that there are very similar traits that allow normal people to make accommodations.
Instead, telling someone you have autism just confuses them. If you need accommodations you should just tell them what you need. Most of the time they don't want or need to know more.

You don't need a diagnosis to avoid stressful situations.

Most of us don't like crowded stores. So go when it isn't crowded!
If the store is too crowded I'll turn around and leave!

Plan ahead so you don't have to buy stuff at the last moment.
I have cans of SPAM to eat when I run out of fresh food.

Welcome to WP!

Welcome to Wrong Planet!