Probably An Aspie

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Hello,

For a number of years i thought i had a schizoid or avoidant personality disorder but last year i looked into aspergers syndrome and the criteria for AS fits like a glove. One of the things that really stood out was the issue of clothing sensitivity, which is something that has bothered me since all the way back when i was a child.

I'm in my mid 30s now and i'm fairly certain that i've been affected by aspergers syndrome for about 30 years.

I seem to have grown up in a time when awareness of autism disorders was very low and as a result i've spent my life feeling like an alien on my own planet, with no idea why i didn't fit in until last year. Perhaps, i could've been helped and taught a few things that would've made life a bit better.

I've never done well socially, and when i was finished with education i accepted that i didn't really belong with people, so i withdrew. It wasn't fair on others to have to deal with me, especially as most people seem wary of me, and social situations are tiring and scary for me too. If people aren't trying to avoid me then they're usually making fun of me, which i don't cope with very well. The only social interaction i've had since college are my family and co-workers.

I've been alone for about 15 years now and i'm approaching the life expectancy or age which i've recently read that people with autism disorders die. Since i was about 10 i've suffered from depression and bouts of self harm, with the depression ranging from mild to severe over the years, but recently it's been quite bad. People at work have been picking on me and i don't know how to cope with it. They know they're upsetting me and my sadness seems to encourage them even more.

None of the ways out of my current situation are ideal. If i die my family will suffer. If i quit my job i'll lose what i do have. If i find a new job(not that there is anything else) i'll have to deal with the horror of meeting new people who could be even worse.

I rarely even make use of social media but because of my current situation i thought i needed to reach out to others like me. Maybe here i can learn the things that would've made growing up easier and i might be able to cope with people, good or bad, better.

Thanks

Welcome to Wrong Planet!

Welcome to WP.

Autism doesn't lower life expectancy except for the indirect effects of social isolation. Epilepsy does lower life expectancy however.

Depression of not part of ASD and something you can get help with.

Welcome. I saw a video of a talk recently where the presenter said the average life expectancy for people with autism is 56, but I don't know where she got that statistic and I don't even remember which video it was. I think leading a healthy lifestyle is the important factor in contributing to longevity.

I too think that you might want to seek out counseling. Since you think you might be autistic, I would recommend you google the autism society in your state and start there. Not only are the professionals with training to work with autistic adults, they also do assessments.

Everyone is welcome on Wrong Planet whether they have autism or not. Many people here are self-diagnosed. Unless someone is diagnosed autistic as a child, I would venture to say nearly everyone who is diagnosed as an adult starts out with a self-diagnosis. Some choose to stay that way and don't have a desire to seek a professional assessment. That's ok too. Just remember to continue to refer to yourself as self-diagnosed and do not refer to yourself as autistic unless you're professionally diagnosed as such.

Hopefully you find support here.

Welcome aboard, Sorrowfell.

Welcome to Wrong Planet!

This site is populated by many people who are older than their mid-30s. I would give very little credence to an article that claimed that the average life expectancy of people with autism is their mid 30's.

Most Autistics are High Functioning Autistics or Aspies (those with Asperger's Syndrome). We endure significantly more stress than the average person. As a result STRESS should almost be our middle name. Stress is cumulative in nature and if left unvented can transform into distress, such as anxiety, trauma, depression, self harm. So in general if you can learn ways to vent stress energy effectively, then your body will return to homeostasis and your symptoms of distress will dissolve away.

Thank you for the welcome.

Welcome to Wrong Planet.

There are a lot of us who are well over 35, so I wouldn't worry about that. Hang around here, ask questions and you'll find a lot of us are struggling with the same things you have brought up. I'm glad you are here.

Welcome to WP!