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New and looking for some support

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starrytigress
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25 Oct 2021, 5:52 pm

Hello,
As I said above, I'm new here. I'm 31 and I was diagnosed two months shy of my 18th birthday, so I spent more of my life not knowing I was autistic than knowing. My official diagnosis at the time was Asperger's Syndrome. I don't really know any other autistic people, I have some co-workers, but I don't feel close enough to them to talk to them about emotional things. There was a support group I tried once, when I was 19, but out of dozen or so people there, I was the only woman, and I felt uncomfortable. I think some of it is because I was barely diagnosed a year ago at the time and most of the people in the group were diagnosed sometime in elementary school.
The pandemic has hit me hard, as I'm sure it has plenty of other people here, but I don't have anyone else who is on the spectrum that I can talk to about this, and while the neurotypical people in my life are very accepting, sometimes it's hard to explain how my brain 'mushes' when I get stressed, or why I can be fine one minute and a sobbing mess the next, or why, a year and a half on, I still can't commit to social engagements like I did before the pandemic.
So if anyone would like to commiserate, or at least let me know I'm not alone or that what I'm feeling isn't wrong, that would be wonderful. Or offer some coping advice. Or at least let me know where I can post these questions for further discussion.



Double Retired
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25 Oct 2021, 8:04 pm

Welcome to WP! I think you will find some nice people here.

In 2019, when I was 64, I got a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder, Level 1 (Mild), with a notation that I also satisfied the criteria formerly associated with Asperger's Syndrome. By my calculations I spent 97% of my life not knowing...though for the last decade or so I had a strong suspicion that there was some real difference.

But, don't worry, there are other folk on WP who are more like you in age and gender. (Though I'm not the only old guy wandering around!) :)


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AnonymousAnonymous
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26 Oct 2021, 2:26 pm

Welcome to Wrong Planet! :)


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Tim_Tex
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26 Oct 2021, 2:34 pm

Welcome to WP!


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autisticelders
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27 Oct 2021, 6:33 am

welcome, you are definitely NOT alone!


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