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MisterChristian
Butterfly
Butterfly

Joined: 30 Nov 2015
Posts: 13
Location: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

27 Jan 2016, 6:41 am

I don't know if this is the right place to ask this question.

I have Aspergers syndrome, was diagnosed officially at two years of age.

Well, I have been suffering a very intense desire for attention and acceptance online. In real life, I don't really care, because I am happy that people IRL know the real me, and appreciate it.

Yet when I am overseas where there are hardly any friends to see in real life, I tend to go on places like Quotev and the like, looking for 'friends' to feed my attention supply. I want to feel like I am someone of high value. I don't want to feel like the 'greatest person on earth' or the like, like a narcissist would, but I want to feel accepted in general.

When a girl online shows me affection, I reel with pleasure. I feel like I am somebody because someone sees me and gives me that attention. I guess it probably stems from my pitiful sense of self.

In real life, I have very few... true friends. Yet the true friends I do have are best friends for life, essentially. And my true friends tend to be guys.

Any way I can cope with this desire for attention without hurting others' feelings? [I flit from one person to the next without much thought. It's like second nature to me. Yet it's because I'm just seeking attention. I don't know the person. I can't easily imagine what they're feeling. Essentially, it takes me longer to process how they would feel about the whole situation if they knew my ultimate intention, versus giving into the desire to get mass attention. It's a really hard battle. If I could process the situation before making a choice, I'd simply tell them that I'm seeking attention and I need to stop talking. Or something like that.]

I'm freaking out. I don't know what to do. If you have any advice, thank you.



kraftiekortie
Veteran
Veteran

Joined: 4 Feb 2014
Gender: Male
Posts: 87,510
Location: Queens, NYC

27 Jan 2016, 8:46 am

How did you wind up in Riyadh? That's probably an interesting story in itself.

I'm thinking you're either some kind of engineer, or in the military.

As for "friends online," I would just wing it. Not think about it too much.

Just talk about what you're interested in. What are you interested in?

The weather is nice in the winter in Riyadh. It's pretty hot in the summer, though!

Have you ever taken a trek into the desert with a camel?



MisterChristian
Butterfly
Butterfly

Joined: 30 Nov 2015
Posts: 13
Location: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

29 Jan 2016, 5:03 am

I wound up here four times. Dad's work. I'm not employed.