blahblahsit wrote:
Speaking for myself, I learned a set of social routines that I store in my mental library and can access and run as needed.
"She is saying hello my name is eworuehfoweh and extending her hand." OK, say, "Pleased to meet you. My name is blahblahsit." Extend hand, shake hers with just the right amount of pressure to convey sincerity. Look her in the eye. Smile. Look for opportunity to go find quiet corner in which to recover.
My daily existence. AS never goes away, but things like creating elaborate scripts in my head has helped me cope with it. A bit of faking is necessary to get along with NTs. If you give them what they expect, then they will judge you less.
_________________
Given a “tentative” diagnosis as a child as I needed services at school for what was later correctly discovered to be a major anxiety disorder.
This misdiagnosis caused me significant stress, which lessened upon finding out the truth about myself from my current and past long-term therapists - that I am an anxious and highly sensitive person but do not have an autism spectrum disorder.
My diagnoses - social anxiety disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder.
I’m no longer involved with the ASD world.