Does anyone else feel like a lost puppy?

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What I mean by that is, I often feel awkward and scared and little and dependent. Especially in public or when I'm not feeling great either physically or mentally. I mean, sometimes I'll go to the grocery store and be all, "I'm totally an adult, yep! Look at me shoppin like a normal person, feelin great, doin an awesome job!" But many times it's kinda the opposite. I'll feel like a small child in a big, scary place, nervous and confused and unable to function without an adult around. I hold my fiance's hand wherever we go. I always make him walk in front while I'm pushing the cart. I practically hide behind him while he orders food for us at restaurants. When I was a teenager, sometimes I'd go to teen gatherings at a big church or school, but if none of my friends were there I'd find someone I vaguely knew, or even make a new friend, and literally follow them around everywhere because I just wouldn't know what to do with myself. When I was at a huge comic book convention with my fiance and his boss, we were all walking down a corridor when my fiance suddenly had to go to the bathroom. So I was left standing in this random corridor, and the boss was standing only about 15 feet away from me, but I was feeling too alone so I went and stood right next to him. In my head I was begging him not to wander off, because I probably would have cried and/or made him come back.

So yeah, pretty much how a lost puppy would be. Not at all how grown-ass adult people act. I'm guessing this isn't entirely abnormal for someone with Asperger's, but I feel weird and a bit ashamed about it, so I'm wondering just how common it is to be exactly like this.

TBH I'm closer to feral I take my time stumbling around patiently waiting to encounter friends. Beyond that I'm just great at dissapearing...

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I can relate to most of that, especially the bit about following people around. I'm like that too. In fact, I think I've actually been compared to a lost puppy at some point... I played trombone in a jazz band for about four years and we'd play at music festivals a few times each year. If I didn't have a person or group to cling to during the festivals, I'd just stay and sit in the same room the entire time until our next performance, rather lost and confused about what to do (even going into a sort of partial shutdown in some cases). School outings were a similar scenario. That being said, I still managed to enjoy myself ~90% of the time.

You're not alone. I feel like this pretty much all the time...

When told that I was looking lost, I usually answer: that's my default expression.

Resting lost-face.

More like a feral kitten, but yeah, I can relate to the OP. Unfortunately, it doesn't really "fly" at age 51. People tend to be more understanding of the shy, quirky twentysomething girl and more judgmental as we age into "should know how to dress/behave by now" middle aged female. I've finally accepted that I have to find ways to live with this, as "growing out of it" has not happened, and it is not for lack of effort. I have found that if I try too hard not to look scared and lost, I wind up being offputting because I then look aggressive or hostile. *sigh*

More like a stray dog than a lost puppy.

I used to feel like that but getting on anxiety medication helped me feel less stressed & scared in situations. I started pushing myself more & built up some confidence.

I feel that way quite often, only I don't have anyone to hide behind.

I wonder if this lost puppy thing has something to do with seeking out other NT's to use as social proxies.

I've been the opposite for a good part of my life ...
trusting that the world is good,
I naively went off adventuring on my own
and it's a miracle I was never hurt or killed ...
my guardian angel was working overtime.

I've had people ask me if I were afraid to travel alone
and my answer would be,
"If I waited until I had another person to go anywhere with,
my whole life would be spent hiding under the bed afraid ...
and I won't live like that."

I still travel on my own
but I don't take so many crazy chances.

...

As for comic book conventions,
I am the colorful, mischievous Q.
I once crashed the battle of the bands,
Klingons vs. Federation
and got up and danced in front of the stage
so I could be the center of attention.
That was at a Star Trek con called Starbase Indy.
There's a video of that historic occasion on YouTube.

...

Yes, in unfamiliar situations, I definitely have the lost puppy vibe. I'm fine at university or the local grocery store, or other familiar places that I frequent regularly, but anything novel leaves me anxious and confused, and if I don't have a friend or family member with me, I'll stand awkwardly in the corner, or watch everyone around me frantically and copy whatever they're doing, not really having a clue what's going on. My family even treat me like a lost puppy, not letting me go anywhere out of their sight alone because they know I'll get lost, and telling me what to do and where to go along the way so I don't get confused. With strangers, my mom or my sister talk for me, without my having to ask. I wish I could be more independent, but at least I have a system that works for the time being.

I just feel lost. Most lost though when amongst family. I should fit in there, but it's hard. At least with strangers, I can tell myself I have a real reason to feel lost. But, yeah, lost, scared and confused most times. When alone though, I feel my best.

I'm another one who feels lost around my family. Sometimes it's a lost feeling and other times it's a stray feeling. That lost feeling crept in as a child.

Good to know I'm not the only one haha