Finally Finding Myself......

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Greetings everyone. I'm not really new to the community. I've been reading the site since before my diagnosis back in April-May 2016. I don't think I was fully ready to start communicating with those like me. It's completely new and different. I mean, I've always known that I wasn't "normal" since I was a child but finding out it has a name and then exploring it can be quite exhausting.

To start, I am a 36 year old male originating from the "Deep South" and now live in the North West. Living in the south made it difficult to get diagnosed or even become aware of who I am due to the fact that there are not that many people there and social interaction is few and far in between. If it stayed there, I doubt there would have been a professional out there that could have diagnosed me. Who knows.

As far as work, I am in the IT Industry in a company that is in the Semiconductor Industry. It is actually the first job that I have felt completely supported. I have fully disclosed my diagnosis with my colleagues and have also been given accommodations as well by the company. They all are very supportive at the moment, which is very nice. I was reluctant to ask for accommodations but I found myself having problems assimilating to the environment and was afraid that I would repeat the same mistakes I have made in past jobs that caused me to lose said job. So far, though, things are going well.

Prior to my diagnosis, I worked at another place in IT and met an interesting co-worker. It turned out that they had Asperger's as well. After getting to know them, they sent me to one of the Asperger's test sites. Lo and behold! I found out that I was on the spectrum! This did not surprise my coworker and nor did it surprise me. Of course, though, I did not jump on the chance to get a professional diagnosis. Probably because I feared that they would say "Nope, you're not an Aspie." Eventually, I sought out a professional and I am now a card carrying member (even though I wasn't given a card ) of the Aspie community.

It was a struggle up until my diagnosis. My wife and her family doubted that I had this due to having learned how to mask things over the years. We fought a lot because of my inability to read her or her family's moods and did not know how to respond in certain situations. It took awhile, but I convinced my wife to start doing research on it and she finally started seeing that I was, in fact, an Aspergian. Things started to be a little better. Of course we still fought but it became less and less.

Anyways, I think I have rambled enough in my introduction. I am looking forward to more interaction in the community and hope to be able to provide help to others.

Sincerely,

No longer lost aspergian guy.

Hey leodfelion welcome.

Welcome to Wrong Planet!

Welcome! The locals seem friendly

Welcome! Congratulations on finding out who you are.