Friends deserted me since ASD diagnosis

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These days the stigma to autism is psychopathy, and I'm more scared of psychopaths than I am of those with learning difficulties so feeling like I'm tarred with the same brush as psychopaths is very unsettling for me. Even other Aspies sometimes compare autism to psychopathy, and it makes me not only hate my ASD but also doubt my ASD.

I honestly don’t believe that people associate autism with psychopathy often.

I was diagnosed two years ago, at age 60.

Other than those who treat me and others who are part of the autistic community, here are all the people in the world who know I am autistic:

My wife
My ex-wife
My two daughters, three step-daughters and two daughters in law
One (1) of my five brothers

Not my parents (aged 88 and 83), not my other four brothers and all of their families -- I only told my oldest younger brother because I thought someone in the family should know and he'd keep it to himself -- nobody at work, no friends, no church members.

You only have to innocently or naively tell one person who happens to be the wrong person to tell and it can blow up on you.

I am lucky. I don't need support so much as understanding.

I always considered psychopaths to be charming, manipulative, easily able to infiltrate social groups and deeply invested how others perceive them.

Almost the complete opposite of autism. I think it's considered by mental health professionals to be a very distinct disorder far removed from autism too.

That is saddening. I would expect that people whom you know would recognise that you are the same person and that nothing has in fact changed? Sorry to hear. It is good that your family is completely accepting of your diagnosis, however.

Real friends don't turn against you for petty reasons like that. I'm very impressed with your family, though.