new guy here with questions

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where to start...

well here's the deal.
up till i was ~17 i was a totally normal person. had tons of friends, was always having a good time with friends every day, looked forward to weekends, etc etc.
up till around the middle of my senior year in high school, i was 100% never self-concious, had no fear of being around people, and was completely care free.

nothing happened, there was no trauma or life changing event, im not even sure when exactly it started.

i get completely nervous and self concious around people. including my best friends whom i've known my whole life. when i walk into a store, i start sweating if people are looking at me. my heart is beating like mad just typing my damn PIN number in. i cant look anybody in the eye when i speak to them. i get clumsy if people are watching me. i always, ALWAYS assume that people assume the absolute worst in me, like if i walk into a store i wonder if the guy at the counter thinks im a thief, if i walk into a bank, i wonder if the teller thinks im gonna shoot and rob the place, and if i see more than one person looking at me and talking i automatically assume they're talking s**t about me. i know deep down people arent always assuming the worst in me, but it's always in my head regardless. i feel like im always trying too hard, i get nervous just when another car pulls up alongside me at a stoplight. if my choice of food is between going into a publix/walmart or a drivethrough, i will always choose the drive thru, not because of laziness, but because it minimizes being in the 'public eye'.
and all this nervousness and self-conciousness gets magnified 100x if im anywhere near an attractive female. im not the best lookin dude, but im alright. my real personality is actually very well liked, i just seem to not be able to break out of my shell.

another thing i think is wierd, is that i seem to be able to completely see through most people's personalites, like i can tell if someone is real or fake. i can tell why someone acts a certain way, if theyre trying to show off, or act tough, or have people feel sorry for them. it's usually very easy for me to tell when people are lying or making stuff up.

i thought maybe if i started smoking cigarettes it would calm me down but it didntnt seem to help. it calmed down but didnt really change anything. after smoking for 4 months i was able to completely easily quit 5 months ago without even thinking about it. is that normal???
and when i've had a few drinks, im just awesome. i can talk to anyone, male or female, whether ive known them 5 minutes or 5 years. my self conciousness is still there to a certain degree, but im able to ignore it for the most part.
i've finally gotten sick and f****n tired of my problem, just last night i went to go hang out with my best friends ive known for a long time, and was sweating like a pig for no reason and causing a lot of awkward silences.

i've never talked to anyone about this, and it all just looks ridiculous now that i've put it in black & white.
i want SO MUCH to not care at all what people think of me,(except my friends), and not care if people are watching me.

so, my question is, WTF is wrong with me. do i sound autistic?

i'll also add that im a 20 year old, proffessional mechanic by trade. I also drive a beautifully restored mustang.

and btw, 'boostjunky' is a reference to cars, i dont do any drugs at all.

Sounds like paranoia to me. Have you considered talking to a psychologist about this?

Also, mustangs are awesome.

hello

Please see a professional ASAP.

You would have had autism your entire life--it does not "set in" suddenly.

If your issues didn't begin until late adolescence, it may be schizophrenia or a related condition. The earlier you seek help, the better.

Best wishes!

It's my understanding that autism is present from early childhood.... if you only started having the problems so much later, it's more likely to be another disorder that presents similarly to autism.

It would really be a good idea to see a psychologist & get evaluated. It may not have to cost $300 ~~ maybe there's a clinic with a sliding scale near you? They might determine a lower rate for you if your income is within their guidelines (whatever those may be).

GP ?

i wouldnt say this started overnight, eventually i just noticed that i was acting this way.
i've got a bit of a temper and i usually have to have things just 'so'. for example, if im working on a car i dont let it leave until everything under the hood is perfect, if there is some small detail that i dont have time to repair, it just bugs the hell out of me.

ever since adolescence i was this way only around girls, but now im this way around everyone.

y halo thar car lubber!

General practitioner. IE... the doctor you go to for yearly physicals.

I hate to be the one to tell you this, but it sounds like a mild or prodromal form of schizophrenia. You should be evaluated by a psychiatrist. Schizophrenia is best to treat early. It's thought early treatment delays or halts the changes in the brain associated with it.

But first, see your general practitioner for a full workup, vitamin levels, thyroid panel, CBC panel, etc.

I'm not going to read a post that large without appropriate punctuation, but from skimming it you do not have autism. Autism is life-long and presents before the age of three. Autism is an impairment in social interaction -- lack of eye contact, not responding to other people appropriately, not being able to read body language or people's intentions, adherence to sameness and fixations -- refusing to go against routine, against things changing, obsessive interests. seeing things black and white and often sensory dysfunction -- no tolerance to loud noises, not touching others, or the complete opposite with touching everything and being obsessed with loud noises, stimming (rocking, handflapping), amongst other things.

Did you even read anything about autism? What brings you here? Check out schizophrenia and learn to google, kthxbai.