Feeling Isolated And Unable To Relate To Fellow People On Th

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Hi there im Dylan a 23 year old socially isolated autistic man from Ireland I suffer badly from anxiety,depression and OCD all my life I have struggled socially at home im fine talking but depending on the group im either really quiet or sometimes feel trapped and unable to talk.

I got very depressed during my late teen years most likely because I always felt isolated, during the lockdown I noticed my appearance changing probably most likely due to lack of sleep balding,looking older etc.

At the moment im doing a colledge course that caters towards people with mental health issues and learning disabilities and find for the first time I am able to socialise and come out of myself.

It’s a long story but I just feel like despite some good times having my mental health has consumed me and fear of looking worse due to my balding and bad teeth along with still struggling socially makes me feel alone especially because I see others on the spectrum having great social lives.

I have tried a few hobbies such as cards and board games but get frustrated due to how expensive they are and not understanding how to play.

I tried online chatting but it was a disaster leading to mostly people getting annoyed at me for not understanding the social ques.

Welcome to WP! I hope you find it pleasant.

Don't set your expectations too high, though. We're not all in the same room discussing the same thing.

Hey Dylan, I just wanted to say that there are plenty people on the spectrum who are feeling very lonely too and don't have a (great) social life at all. I suspect that you may be very focused on the things you don't have?

I applaud you for trying out new hobbies and for doing the course and having come out of your shell more since then. Those are big wins. Do you view them as such, I wonder? Life becomes a little easier once we are able to be kind(er) to ourselves.

Boardgames are one of my cyclical hobbies. I suggest starting with the game Sequence (at Boardgame Geek). There aren't any rules you haven't run into with old-school standard boardgames. I've got friends who hate all the intricate modern games, but this one is different enough for me & the same enough for them.