Newbie, just diving in to say hello...

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Quickie about me: late 50s, male, British, and self-diagnosed as somewhere on the autism spectrum (probably Asperger's).

First time I've ever admitted to anyone I'm probably an aspie. Not sure how I feel about it (have never felt comfortable about labelling myself).

Hi drawinglobster,
I just joined WP as well, 29, diagnosed aspie.

I self diagnosed when i was 26 and then went on to get a formal diagnosis, i can't say that it really 'helped' me, but it definitely lead me to some helpful websites, books and information.

How long have you felt that you were different, or had some idea that maybe you were on the spectrum?

I'm not sure when I realised I was different; maybe in my early teens (early 1970s). I remember trying to talk to my maths teacher about it, in my late teens, but he responded "Oh, well we're all different!" and I never tried again with anyone.

And I'm not sure when it dawned on me when I might be on the spectrum — maybe 15–20 years ago. Only became pretty certain in the past 5–10 years after doing those online tests.

Were you (or are you now?) worried about getting a formal diagnosis? I was always worried about doing that in case it affected employability, insurance etc. (I'm retired now, so it matters less, but still, I'm only "outing" myself here for the time being.)

Hello drawinglobster,

Glad to have you with us at Wrong Planet. I was also recently diagnosed with high-functioning Autism and more specifically Asperger's Syndrome. I'm a 42 year old guy and this forum was the first time I admitted to anyone that I am Autistic too. It was very scary and disorientating at first and this entire process has actually caused something close to post-traumatic stress disorder.

I used a strategy of arrogance and denial to deal this problem but now that I'm full-blown admitting my condition I can begin to find remedies to cope with this seemingly overwhelming neuro-developmental condition.

Stay glued to these forums because on the whole the people are pretty nice and supportive.

Enjoy!

Well for me, getting a diagnosis was less about the label and how it defined me, but more about having a way of understanding myself.

Like if you go to a mechanic and say and say that you think your exhaust is broken, he will diagnose the specific problem and from there can use the right tools and skills to fix the problem.

For me the label "high functioning autistic" was a way of getting a starting point to understand where i am, where i want to go and what my limitations are.

I've only told 2 people that i got a formal diagnosis, my mum and my girlfriend and they are both supportive. I haven't ran into any trouble getting jobs so far in my life but i definitely think i struggle more than the average employee at my store. I don't really talk about my diagnosis because there is a lot of misunderstanding and it avoids a whole lot of explanation if i just keep quiet. I got the diagnosis so i could make my own life more enjoyable.

Just want to say: thanks everyone for the warm welcomes.

Welcome, welcome. My patrilineal ancestors came from Yorkshire.

Go Rhinos!