Book "Aspie and Me" by Laurence Mitchell

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For Laurence Mitchell, originally from Finchley, he sought to combine the life he has had with his imagination to create a psychological thriller based on his true life experiences of bullying, sexual abuse, and discovering he was autistic aged 49.

Laurence says: "What my psychological thriller really illustrates is the mental challenges that can beset people with communication difficulties, those who think differently or have autism. It shows that, if unrecognised, this can cause a tsunami of anxieties in all types of relationships, be them personal or business, but equally can be seriously dangerous."

The story of Aspie and Me follows Laurence as he discovers his Asperger's syndrome, which provides relief in showing him why he spent years feeling different from others.

But the book also chronicles his turbulent life from childhood to adulthood: relationships with teachers at school, bullying, sexual abuse and a tragic marriage to a woman with bi-polar disorder.

"I hope my book raises a serious awareness to the far-reaching consequences that abuse of any sort can have especially on people who think differently, how their lives can be devastated and how this can carry through into their adult years," he says.

"My writing my book is not just about a book but also a self help platform aimed at helping men who may have been through similar trauma as I have."

Laurence launched an online platform alongside the book release in order to bring light to the issues raised, and enable those struggling with similar difficulties to comment, post, and watch videos and read advice he shares from other places.

He even created videos to talk through his own processes, some of which he learned spending six months at a special school following his diagnosis.

He says: "The platform has online chat for anyone who requires immediate advice. The idea is that the reader can tap into the story and recognise events that may be prevalent in their lives and learn strategies to help their situation. When I originally wrote my book I created hundreds of comments to help people, including about my diagnosis."