I think I might be autistic, help me
I know self-diagnosing isn’t the answer, but looking back at my life and also at the way I am today, I can’t help but wonder.
Here are some of the things that make me question whether I might be autistic. I’m hoping to find some people here that I can talk to about this before I have the chance to see a psychiatrist who specializes in autism.
**- I’ve felt left out since childhood**
I didn’t have any siblings until I was 15, and before that, most of the kids I was around were my cousins. I was very often left out because I was “too sensitive,” always in my own little world, needed more time to process things, and I never really understood jokes or sarcasm. I could literally cry if someone said something mean about my cat, and people would make fun of me for it all the time.
At school, I had very few friends, and the few friends I did have would often ditch me to hang out with other girls. I never really felt like anyone actually chose me as a friend.
I was very academically gifted in primary school and was always top of my class. I already understood everything before everyone else, so I might have been annoying sometimes without realizing it. I ended up escaping into online games because that was where I could actually find friends.
I was also often quite rough with my classmates and would push them or mess around physically as a joke, but they didn’t find it funny at all. I genuinely didn’t understand why at the time.
**- Things got worse during my teenage years**
Then came adolescence and all the usual teenage problems. I was an extremely naive teenager and had a really hard time understanding when people had bad intentions.
I would inevitably end up becoming friends with the wrong people because I desperately wanted to belong to a group, to finally feel chosen. I was so tired of feeling completely out of sync with everyone else.
Of course, I ended up around people who had very bad intentions, and I would put myself in dangerous situations because I simply didn’t realize what was actually going on around me.
I would adapt myself to the people around me, copy their way of speaking and their social codes temporarily so I could fit into the group. I would even agree to do things that went against my own values just so I could have friends.
At that age, I still didn’t really have any actual friends. I had people I knew, but no one who genuinely cared about me.
**- As an adult, I started realizing that something might be wrong**
I’m 27 now and I still don’t have any friends.
I’ve been trying to analyze the situation and understand what’s wrong with me. I have this huge need for closeness and connection, but when people actually get close to me, I push them away.
I never know what I’m supposed to say or when I’m supposed to say it during a conversation.
At first, I can seem extremely comfortable and confident, but in reality I’m constantly thinking about the way I’m speaking, what my face looks like while I’m talking, whether I’m sharing too much or not enough about myself, and trying to remember to let the other person speak because sometimes I talk way too much and completely take over the conversation.
I still don’t understand sarcasm most of the time unless it’s extremely obvious. For example, one day my boss told me to throw a hammer from the floor above so that a colleague could catch it… and I genuinely thought he wanted me to actually do it. 😭 I embarrass myself like this pretty often.
I absolutely hate maintaining eye contact. I can sometimes be very comfortable speaking in front of people, but there is no way I can keep looking someone in the eyes while I’m talking to them.
I need clear instructions when I’m supposed to do something, and I absolutely hate being watched while I’m doing a task.
There are also certain subjects that, once you get me started, I can talk about for a VERY long time. I have some pretty specific interests, like the history and genetics of different populations. I’m genuinely fascinated by it and can spend hours researching and learning about it.
**What really made me start wondering about autism is my little sister.**
She’s 11 and was diagnosed with autism and ADHD, and I know there’s a strong genetic component to both.
When I look at my mom, I also see a lot of similarities with myself as an adult. She has very specific interests (music — she knows A LOT about it) and she doesn’t really have friends either.
Once I started wondering whether I might be autistic, I started researching autism and I relate to so much of what I read.
I’m planning to see a psychiatrist as soon as possible to get some clarity on all of this.
I’d really like to hear what you guys think, especially from people who have already been diagnosed, and just talk about it a little. I think it would really help me.
( edit : I forgot to add that I need 2/3 days after a family gathering because it drains the sh out of me )