Hello everyone, I figured I would introduce myself. I am in my early 30s, and had only discovered that I was "on the spectrum" about 2 and a half years ago. I am high functioning, so all through my life I just thought I was a little weirder than everyone else. This is all a bit personal, but I feel like sharing in hopes that maybe it will help others as well as allow me to vent. I actually found out that I had this because of My Little Pony (there is a big stereotype about MLP fans being autistic, I can vouch that this is true for a very high percentage of the ones I have met). I talked to a new friend who I found out had it and found that I shared many characteristics. Upon further research and quizes I saw I was very high into the Asperger's diagnosis. So many of my characteristics that I just assumed were quirks ended up being linked to this mind condition (btw I hate when people call this a disease). It wasn't just the social awkwardness or the difficulty looking into people's eyes. I had a lot of sensory issues stemming from when I was a child. I still do as an adult, for instance bright lights drive me completely mad, and I am extremely sensitive to sounds (feels like my ears are magnifying the actual sounds).
As a kid, nobody really knew about autism or asperger's, and really this was only detected for severe cases of kids that couldn't function well. I DID have to take occupational therapy as a kid because I was so uncoordinated. I have to admit this kind of traumatized me. I was in 1-3rd grade, and being taken out of class for this just made me feel even weirder than I was. When I did find out that I was on the spectrum, I later found out that my sister went to my mother to say she thought I was years ago, but nobody ever told me... Finding out that I am on the spectrum I feel has put a lot of answers to my questions about myself. ASD has contributed greatly to poor relationships and performance in my life. I have been through bouts of severe depression, and am honestly chronically depressed (just sometimes I am doing better than others).
Anyway onto fun stuff. I am a software engineer. I enjoy MLP, Star Wars, Star Trek, SciFi, programming, technology and animation. I also really love lifting weights and working out, a hobby I have started almost a year ago with great results! I am not too sure why I am here, but I felt this need to reach out. Anyway hello to you all!
11 Dec 2015, 3:33 pm
