Hi everyone! I'm new today.

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Hi All!

I am posting to say hello and thanks for all the info I have learned so far by reading the posts on this site.

Received a diagnosis of AS today and would have been a lot more freaked out if I had not found this site a few weeks ago.

My psychologist said congratulations when he gave me the diagnosis this morning and had a beaming smile! Not sure that I feel like I want to celebrate as it all feels very confusing!

Can I ask - do things get better? I had a breakdown last year due to work stress and relationship problems which led to my diagnosis today. I am hoping that I can learn what it means to have AS and use this knowledge to rebuild my life...like no more stressful teaching or managing staff (what was I thinking?!).

Looking forward to hearing from you (but feeling nervous about posting).

Hi & Welcome,
Well it is a piece of news finding out. Its pretty normal to have mixed feelings. From an objective standpoint, it is at least knowing the truth and it usually does explain some things.

Welcome to Wrong Planet!

Welcome

Hope you'll like it here

Hi CyBeanie and welcome!

Well, hopefully now you know you'll find ways to improve your life.
I've been feeling much better since I found out! It's like everything's finally fallen into place.... my successes, my failures and why I've always felt like I've been all alone among an alien species.

I would imagine teaching must be quite a difficult profession for an aspie and managing staff can't be all that easy either?
I teach myself... I'm not a professionally qualified teacher though, I just teach English as a foreign language to adults. Even that was difficult to start with. The job I did best was as a technician for Kodak. I won a prize for being the best performing technician in the UK in that job! That's where my main strengths lie.... anything to do with logical reasoning. That said, I much prefer the job I'm doing now even though it was a bit of challenge at the beginning.

Maybe now you'll see your own strengths and weaknesses in a different light and maybe that will help when it comes to making decisions about your future? In my case, being an aspie has given me strengths and weaknesses in roughly equal measure. I don't know if you've seen the list but there's been some pretty clever apsies through the years!

I never know how to finish well at the end of a ramble... lol! I'll just say good luck and I hope that finding out and finding this place helps to change your life for the better.

Thanks for all the replies and the warm welcome.

I do feel better finally knowing what lies behind the difficulties I've always experienced. I guess that it is just going to take time to get my head around it all and work out how to move forward from here.

Stringy - I never how to sign off either!

Hi CyBeanie
Welcome! Yes, I believe it does get better as you come to realise how special you are! Teaching and managing staff, that must have been utterly exhausting for you. Now take good care of yourself.

SyAn - Thanks so much for your kind reply.

Been there, done that, know what it feels like. Hope you find something that you love doing soon - until then (and afterwards too) hang out with us at the WrongPlanet ☺️

Just joined the forum myself today. in fact I'm the post below you. I'm a high functioning autistic which is very similar to be honest I think just saying you have an ASD pretty much covers it as we are all really different in my experience. You'll always be autistic but thats not a bad thing. I found finding out helped me put into context alot of things that had happened in my life a I was diagnosed when I was twenty-seven though I kinda knew alot earlier. As time passes you learn techniques to help you cope with the world. most neurotypicals aren't even aware of my state of being. Just because you have an ASD doesn't preclude you teaching people. I'm an IT professional and often have to teach people new skills. Knowing really helps. I personally don't regard autism as a disability it's just the world designed for the other 99%. You will get better at coping unfortunately most of the literature is written by non-autistic people and in my experience isn't helpful. however you just found a place full of experts and from what I read so far they will look after you. I'd say early on the key is not to try and define yourself in terms of autistic and non-autistic traits. I did at first and found it made think of myself as defective. Just accept that you are same person that were before the diagnosis and work from there. It can be tough but it's always rewarding I wouldn't change who I am for the world.

Ditto!

Learning about my condition has helped me enormously. I already knew what my strengths and weaknesses were, I just didn't know why and I guess I always felt that the way I was was my own fault... like I had a choice in the matter.
Whenever I experienced problems communicating and relating to other people, in my head it was always my fault or their fault... always somebody's fault, somebody to blame. Now that's all gone and what a difference it's made! Now I just accept my condition and try to compensate for my weak points and so far it's going very well.

Welcome quetzalcoatl!

I am Tyler I am 23 and new to wrong planet. I could use advice on how to make good friends, and eventually have a relationship. Right now I feel lonely and down. I feel people look at me differently. I could really use people to chat with me to give me some suggestions. I recently achieved my Associate in applied science and would like to continue on with my education. But friends and having a girl friend is as equally important as school to me. Any suggestions??

Hi Tyler. Congratulations on your achievement!

From my own experience, I have found it easier to meet people through my work and other interests. I met my husband at work and we both like similar things so get on well. I have one friend who was a work colleague. I still find it hard to be social with both my husband and friend but I think they understand me better now.

Try not to feel down, I am sure that there is someone special out there for you - it just takes time.