Female aspies what were teenage years like for you

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In my last 2 years of school I was a rebel! I bunked science with a friend, and spent the whole hour putting on make-up in the toilets and talking about boys.
Also, I started to arrive to school without bringing a bag, and when I was in year 7 and 8 I always used to make sure I was properly organised. But in year 11, (my last school year) I used to bring my pens and pencils in my blazer pocket, and ask for paper to write on in lessons (even if I got told off) and not bring homework with me cos I never used to do it (it was too difficult, and anyway we never got homework in year 11 - we just had to revise at home), and I used to bring dinner money for lunch. And my mobile and MP3 was kept in my other blazer pocket.
I used to go around with my top button on my shirt undone, even though the teachers wanted everyone to have it done up but nobody listened.
And I never, ever dreamed of going into the school library! I'd rather hang out with friends on a bench or in the corridor.
And I used to get detention for being late to classes, and for not doing any given homework.
And I used to muck about in lessons so much that I was sent outside.
And I used to argue at my form tutor, and I even swore in front of her.
And I got Fs in Maths and Science. Ain't those the subjects what Aspies do well in? Not me though - I was the dunce!

And (knowing I was an Aspie) she said to my one day, ''Josie - I didn't think you would behave like that!'' She probably had never experienced any of that behaviour from an Aspie before!
So I don't know why I became so confident in my last 2 years of school. I even started having sleepovers at my best friend's house, and she even said, ''when we're 18 we will go clubbing and get pissed'', and I even said, ''count me in!! !'' and I meant it! So have I got AS, or Dyspraxia? Or just learning difficulties?

I developed an anxiety disorder when I was twelve (panic disorder) and I gradually got better as I started to get used to the changes in my life. The last times that I remember having a panic attack were when I was 17 and about a month ago. I still get a bit anxious, but it's not as severe as it used to be. I also developed anger problems which i haven't overcome. I had an on and off habit of getting obsessed with my weight (I sometimes still do, but not that badly). In fact, my family were frightened that I would develop an eating disorder. I got teased and harrassed and I was often lost in translation. I found school extremely stressful (which would excerbate my anxiety problems), but in the last few years of school, I didn't have many (if any) panic attacks. However, for the most part, I think my teenage years were okay. I had it easier in school than probably most of the people on this website as I went to a special unit for people with AS in my secondary school and therefore had a lot of support.

I made a few nice friends at school and kept in touch with older friends. I watched a lot of movies (my alternative to going to a stupid rave or bringing a fake ID to a bar). I read a lot of manga (but it was really bad manga). I liked the Blade movies (probably because it had vampires and cool special effects). I also became kind of obsessed with the work of Tim Burton and was really interested in learning about my AS. I also became very passionate about certain political issues and continue to be known as a very opinionated person.I listened to semi-decent rock music and totally looked stupid as a goth. I did sort of okay at school (though I was extremely dissapointed at the result of my higher exams). Teachers frequently mentioned how well behaved and hardworking I was in school. I didn't work as hard in my last year of school, though, because I went through an awful period of my life when I thought that I would have no future. Then i ended up in college studying a subject I love. So in conclusion, my teenage years were okay- could have been better.

PS: I forgot to mention that I was really obsessed with japanese culture at one point and tried (and filed miserably) to learn the language.

Okay, this, coming from a self-diagnosed Spectrumite:

What stands out most about my teenage years is that I remember feeling frazzled all the time, and on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Come to think of it, I had a breakdown early on in Junior High, and had to see the school psychiatrist for awhile. Nothing really changed; though I never had another breakdown, and stopped seeing the psychiatrist eventually, I always felt sort of on the verge of having one.

When I entered Junior High- (I guess it´s called Middle School now)- I was going through my Elton John phase, so I wore platform shoes and sunglasses every day to school, and told everyone to call me "Elton"....(yeah I was a little weird, but hey). In retrospect, I think I was hiding behind the identity of Elton- (who was also a loner as a teenager, apparently)- to make me feel less nervous. Needless to say, I was teased and bullied by many kids for being strange. But surprisingly, some kids found me interesting, and wanted to be friends with me. One girl even decided to be Bernie Taupin (Elton´s lyricist). So after a bleak and lonely existence in Elementary School, I finally had a circle of friends, and felt like I was a part of something! I remember, at the age of 13, thinking I had finally gotten over my inexplicable problems of childhood, and I had "arrived". HA!

This was short lived, of course. "Bernie" decided to go to another school, and when she left, I felt alone again; my friendships dwindled, I stopped being Elton, and it was back to hell, basically. 9th grade was one of my absolute worst years ever. I don´t even want to "go there".

Then in High School, I had essentially no social life, but I didn´t care anymore. I had discovered dancing: so while the other kids were dating, going to parties and drinking beer, I was in the dance studio working on my arabesque and practicing fouettés. I still felt overly stressed and anxious, like I was being pulled in too many different directions. I disliked school; it was just a big brainwashing institute, as far as I was concerned. I skipped out and smoked pot when I got the chance.

Oh, I remember as a teenager that people laughed at me for taking words literally, and not getting the double meaning of things. I felt rather stupid about this.

I was fine at school. I thought I had become really confident.
But now I'm 20, I've got worse. I've developed socia phobia - which I never had at school.
My Mum says it's because all the support I had as a child had stopped as soon as I reached 18, and I haven't had any help since from any social services. So ever since then, I developed a ''fear of people'' which I never had before.

Me and my stupid f*****g awkward ugly brain

When I was 13 and 14 was a very depressing time for me. I hated the way I looked. I went from a cute little girl to a fat ugly woman. I had nothing in common with anyone my age (this actually started a few years earlier). All the other girls liked boys they knew or celebrities. The only boys I liked were cartoon characters and I couldn't talk to anyone about that. Also, the problems I had with my grades got even worse.

Then I was kicked out of school and moved.

During the rest of my teenage years I became reclusive. The year when I was 15 was okay for some reason, but the years when I was 16 and 17 were really really boring.

I'm almost an offical aspie... find out tomorrow if they changed my dx...

Anyway it was hell...

Early teens, I was in special ed over several behavior problems part of the day, not a popular position, I only had a couple of people speak to me. Also in the classrooms I had to sit by the teachers instead of the rest of the class to isolate me.

I had one close guy friend, but late teens he said he hated me for some reason and I don't know why, only seen him once since and he wouldn't talk to me.

I had horrific rages/meltdowns whatever you want to call them almost everyday until I was 16. The other students learned my triggers and would trigger me on purpose.

I had to have aides follow me around in school, one of these aides was verbally abusive to me and I told on her, but nobody believed me and afterward she just got more abusive.

I was into birds... and told everyone about the birds, drew birds on homework, etc... the teachers thought it was great though and they even gave me bird-related stuff.

I had a strict grandma who raised me and I lived in the countryside, so I couldn't go out anywhere at all.

My only extracurricular activity was quiz bowl, which I was good at.

Lonely, depressing, no friends, illness, bullies. When I went to live with my dad (at 13), in 18 months I developed asthma, pneumonia, respiratory allergies, depression, an ulcer, and several heart problems were discovered when I was finally hospitalized. One of my punishments was not being allowed to see my very loving mother. Of those illnesses, most of them are still around in some form, even though I fight them.

Adult life is much, much better.

I don't remember much about high school. I was a stoner.

it was HELL

I'm still in the teenage years, but I'm out of high school. My life has been miserable since junior high. Since then I've been affected by fibromyalgia, hypothyroidism, migraines, VV, TMJ, costochondritis, raynaud's, acid reflux, IBS, depression and anxiety, not including the complexities that AS brings. The only friends I had treated me like a punching bag, and I was insulted on just about everything from teachers and peers. It sucks.

It went pretty badly.

I fit in as the 'funny' girl in elementary/high school, simply because I would constantly go off into these strange monologues for fun. I was pretty shameless back then. I had a few friends, but eventually began to manipulate them and pit myself against them when they all started dating, dressing differently and going to parties. I just didn't know how to follow suite.

Depression and anorexia hit, along with a severe obsession with high intensity exercise. I wonder why so many of us have gone through the exact same thing with body image. I also questioned my sexuality a lot throughout. I still do.

Okay I guess. I was homeschooled by then and the only bully I had to deal with was my neighbor's kid but eventualy we became good friends. Aside from a nervous breakdown due to some phyc meds and my mother thinking it was a good idea to make me earn my computer time. I made my own video games and not being able to do so made me a have a nervous breakdown. My coumputer also broke I had to go to the mental ward and the staff wasn't the least bit understanding. I recovered on my own when we finnaly figured out it was the medicine making me agressive and moody and when my mom let me have unlimited computer time and got my computer fixed. friend of mine who runs a meerkat rescue center in California has a friend who is an Animal Planet producer and when she shared a story I wrote with her and heard that I was Autistic, she wanted to make a documentary about the bond Autistic people have with animals which would feature me. They would fly me out to the meerkat lady's place and then to Africa to see wild meerkats and meet with this meerkat biologist. Animal Planet refused to do it because they were working on Meerkat Manor and did not want two meerkat shows at the same time. I went into a depression and a part of my soul died. I think that is what really made me have a nervous breakdown.


Aside from those expirences, I discovered another special intrest, Titan A.E.. I have wonderful memories of Titan A.E. and working on my power point video games. 2004 was the best year of my life so far. Yes, I did have a good time as a teenager. I never went to parties or had any friends (of the human variety at least), I didn't have any bullies to pester me.