If/when not diagnosed, how did you explain your symptoms?

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For those of us (mostly older) who weren't diagnosed when young or were never diagnosed, most must have had some explanation for what we were experiencing.

For example, in my case, here are some of mine:

1.) Being an only child (during the baby boom).
2.) Having a high IQ.
3.) Having been brought up in a non-religious household.
4.) Not sharing what was the predominant ethnic background of most people in our neighborhood.

In particular, I was certain there were qualities that made me different from (if not superior to) the people I grew up around. I was sure that if my family moved, I would find myself among friends. I'm sure other forum members had the same thoughts when young.

I attributed my differences to some of the same reasons, or similar reasons...

1. Only child
2. High IQ/gifted
3. Not allowed to socialize much outside of school
4. Grew up in a rural area a bit behind the times of society
5. Never especially liked popular/mainstream culture in general
6. More artsy or scholarly tastes and interests than most others
7. More old-world, European tastes vs. American culture
8. Surrounded by religious people but I rejected that religion from a very young age
9. 3 years at private school made me different when I went back to public school

Or to just put it very simply...I thought it was all because I was surrounded by rednecks, hicks, and bible beaters. I thought that if I could just move away somewhere completely different, I would find my own people. Then I thought that if I could find the right kind of community of people online, I would find my own people.

I explained I was dyslexic & ADHD because I was diagnosed with that in kindergarten. I didn't understand or knew how to explain anything else about my issues.

I was the youngest of 4 children. Here were some of my explanations:

1) Depression. I started suffering from this when I was 13-years-old and was bewildered and confused that nobody else around me seem to have the same feelings.

2) Being an introvert. I liked to be alone. I was particularly introspective as a teenager and spent a lot of time processing events through daydreaming.

3) Shyness. I suppose nowadays it would be called social anxiety. My mind would go blank around people and I couldn't think of anything to say.

4) Low self-esteem. I felt weird, ugly, fat, a loser, etc. It probably didn't help that my 3 older brothers kept on telling me I was all those things throughout my childhood.

5) Feeling like I didn't matter. At times this almost turned into a belief that I didn't actually exist in other people's minds: out of sight, out of mind, quite literally.

6) Asperger's itself. My mum suspected this first. If I'd had internet access 20 years ago and visited Tony Atwood's site (in particular the section on girls with Asperger's), I think I would have been far more likely to recognise myself. As it was I just looked through the literature and thought I didn't have half of those traits. My mum was unsure as well.

1. Only child
2. Didn't socialize with my peers
3. Only seemed interested in rocks.
4. Had severe 'unexplainable' temper tantrums.
5. Extremely Hyperactive/couldn't sit still during class.
6. Grew up in a country-based area.

That's really all I can think of. At the time, I was diagnosed with ADHD. My autism didn't come until I was about twelve.