Hey

Post Reply New Topic

Hey... I signed up here almost 4 years ago, but I never really stuck around so I figured a new introduction would be appropriate.

About me? Well I'm 23 now and work as a software developer for a small company. I live with my parents in a small town somewhere in the middle of the Netherlands. I sort of turned my hobby into my profession as I do some programming in my free time aswell. Other than that I pass time by playing various video games (mostly single player) like Left 4 Dead, Metro 2033, the FEAR series and various strategic games like the Red Alert/C&c series. Ofcourse I waste plenty of time watching tv aswell.

Though sometimes I think I do these things (programming / video gaming) to more or less escape from the rest of the world, not because I necessarily enjoy it.

I got my ASD diagnosis when I was 18 or 19 after I ran into some problems with some of the classes I had to take in college. These problems mainly had to do with social anxiety and stress. After I got my diagnosis I was offered a social skills training. I did that but I don't think it really made much of a difference. I managed to push myself through college and after four years I graduated. Like eight months later I got a fulltime job which I've had for a little over a year now.

I realize I'm quite lucky in the extent that I have finished college and have a job etc. but I feel like my life is sort of empty. I don't really have anything going on in my life besides work. No friends or anything, it's just work all day, get home, too tired to really do anything productive, waste some time on the Internet / watch tv and go to bed.

It just feels like meh, not fulfilling, dissapointing. A bit of a feeling like "This is it? Is this what life's going to be like for the next 40-some years?". I think my autism is largely responsible for this emptyness in the sense that it makes it really hard for me to make changes in my life as it is hard to motivate myself to go out and do new things / change things. On top of that anything "new" causes lots of stress / anxiety so by default I tend to stay away from change.

So yeah, I'm here now to try and learn more about how autism affects me and what I can / should change to improve my life.

Though, I'm a bit shy so I'll probably mostly be a lurker but maybe I'll drop a post here 'n there.

Welcome to WP!

i got married at 52. i dated lots, often asking guys out. the school of hard knocks taught me social skills.

you might benefit from trying some ways to meet people - multi-player games, a photography class, hanging out in a bookstore or coffee shop, even asking for advice on the best brand of peanut butter in the grocery store.

i used to have social phobia. as i got more mature and learned to accept myself as i am, that went away.

welcome to WP.

Thanks for the welcome

I've been toying with the idea of going swimming once or twice a week for a while now. Just to get some exercise and to have something to do (and get in shape a little, I'm a typical skinny geek). Now if only I could get myself to actually go do it...

A nice side effect would be to meet people through that, but I am not sure if swimming is a good way to meet people. Does anyone have experience with that?

Luckily my social anxiety isn't as bad it used to be. Having a job has really helped with that (i.e. it forced me to do stuff). I regulary voice my opinion to my colleagues and I went from breaking out a sweat when I had to use the phone to talk to a customer to being pretty much indifferent towards it (though I still prefer e-mail to communicate).

Hey there,

Welcome to Wrongplanet! Good to have you aboard.

Welcome to Wrong Planet!