Advice for an Undiagnosed Aspie?

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Right now, no one knows I have AS and I don’t have a formal diagnosis. I’m working towards one though.

Does anyone have any tips for just getting through life without any help? I have ear plugs and a few stim toys but that’s really it. I struggle with auditory input every day along with visual and tactile input, and I have trouble communicating when I get upset or stressed. But I feel guilty when I leave situations bc the sensory is too much, because everyone thinks I’m being antisocial. And they don’t believe me when I try to explain that I’m not being antisocial.

I’ve just been a ball of stress lately tbh.

A few general thoughts...

* Don't aspire to get through life without any help. Everyone on the planet needs some sort of help along the way. Ear plugs & stim toys are a form of help and good things to have in the proverbial "toolbox".

* You don't have to tell people specifics, but can say something like "I'm a better auditory learner", "I have sensitive hearing" etc. at your discretion if you feel the situation needs explaining.

* If you can, try to select an environment that minimizes stress. For example, if you have sensitive hearing, working in a restaurant with noisy people and clanging plates is probably not a good choice. Unfortunately the majority of businesses are noisy, so it's about minimizing rather than eliminating the sensory overload. Get quiet breaks in as possible.

Clearly , environment is very important to you and audio overload can be very uncomfortable , painful even . For me , it's like listening to 4 radios tuned to different stations at the same time . Try to control your environment as best you can , headphones are helpful and simply knowing when it's time to remove yourself from the situation is key . If people think you are being anti-social , give them a plausible excuse as to why you need to leave ( headache , upset stomach , phone call etc. ) . As much as I hate to say it , a white lie in this situation is far better than trying to explain whats really going on inside you to someone who is probably incapable of understanding it .

From what you have said so far , I think that you are very likely on the spectrum but a formal diagnosis can be very helpful and help you get the learning environment you need . Hope this helps