Hey I am offically diagnosed with autism for a bit over a year... but I have had adhd diagnosed my entire adult life and ocd and gad and am also disabled...I hate that my stuff sounds like a cvs receipt but the point is I have always been "odd" and considered somewhat special needs as much as most audhd girls/afabs aaaaaaare? but like formally this was more of a formality... I also SUPER have always had arfid but even getting that diagnosed was oddly wild as a woman they like refused it for so long and I literally eat like a hand full of things and snack foods! I was just introing and wondering how other women/afabs found this space! Thanks for your time everyone! idk if question or discussion is the right flait SORRY! ♥

My life sucks.

I don't know. Where do I even begin?

I feel like I've become increasingly isolated over the years. I don't have much of a social life, I don't really go anywhere, and I don't have many people to talk to.

I'm 25, and I feel like I've spent most of my adult life going in circles.

I'm unemployed. My freelance graphic design work has dried up, I dropped out of university multiple times, and I've lost touch with most of the people I used to know.

I used to make enough money from freelance work to get by reasonably well. Things have gotten pretty tough. I depend on my parents, and without their support, I'd probably be homeless.

I can't afford to buy many things, whether that's clothes, technology, or anything else that would make life a little more comfortable. I've tried different hobbies but nothing really stuck

It's difficult to imagine building an independent life when even the basics are difficult to afford.

I also have autism, which adds another layer of difficulty to an already complicated situation. I struggle to socialize, make connections, and put myself out there.

I know autistic people can have relationships, careers, and fulfilling lives, but sometimes it's difficult to imagine that happening to me.

I feel like I'm starting considerably behind other people my age when it comes to relationships, social experiences, and just generally figuring out how to live.

Sometimes I genuinely feel like I'll never have a girlfriend. Ever. I've pretty much given up on the idea of finding love, or even making new friends.

I don't have much money, I don't have a career, I haven't had much luck with relationships, and I don't enjoy the place where I live.

I live in a mining city of roughly 500,000 people. Can't say I like this collectivist hellhole.

Let's start with the weather. Summers are unbearable, it barely ever rains, and there's not much to enjoy about the climate in general.

The job market is terrible. If you don't work in the mining sector, you are screwed. Your options are mostly lousy informal jobs that might not even pay minimum wage (which is already ridiculously low).

Want an actual decent job? Good luck. Your best bet is probably working for the government.

Higher education is free, which is nice, but don't get too excited. If you're interested in anything outside engineering or the humanities, chances are you'll have to attend a private university.

And then there's mental healthcare. It's bad. Really bad. There's one autism specialist in the entire city, a couple of specialized centers (which seem to focus primarily on children), and practically nothing available for autistic adults. Whats available costs something like 600-700 dollars in my countrys own monopoly money.

It took me years and roughly a dozen psychologists before finally getting my ASD diagnosis in January 2026.

The local football team sucks, and somehow ticket prices keep getting more expensive. I can't even afford to go watch my local team, not even when they're playing in a lower-tier competition.

Then there's the water. I honestly don't know what's going on with it, but I don't trust tap water at all.

There's practically nothing to do around here unless you enjoy going to bars or nightclubs. Want to see a decent band? Too bad. Barely anyone worth listening to ever comes here.

We used to have a comic book store. Used to. It went out of business. Lmao.

I tried getting into fitness, too. I joined a gym, but I never really managed to put on much muscle. As I became poorer, I could afford less food, which obviously didn't help. Eventually, I stopped going altogether.

The city itself is ugly as hell. Functional, sure, but aesthetically speaking, it's a depressing place.

And if you don't have a university degree, forget about finding a decent job.

Sometimes it feels like this place has absolutely nothing going for it.

I don't know. Sometimes I genuinely struggle to imagine a future for myself here.

Maybe moving somewhere else would help. Maybe moving to the capital, although there's the risk of ending up in some slum. Maybe moving to another country, somewhere like Canada, would give me a fresh start.

I picture myself spending the next 40 or 50 years alone, poor, and pretty much stuck in the same place.

I know that's a pretty bleak outlook, and maybe I'm being overly pessimistic. Maybe I'm depressed? I honestly have no clue. Getting proper mental healthcare around here is already difficult enough.

I don't know what comes next. I'd particularly like to hear from other autistic adults living in third world/developing countries

How did things turn out for you?