Any other aspies here?

[Oneironaut]

I was diagnosed with Aspergers at 10 years old. I’ve lived a relatively normal life, and most people don’t know. They just think something is “different” about me. I also have very intense, narrow interests, making it hard to focus sometimes at work (unless if I’m doing computer programming, in which case I’m intensely focused and into it).

I’ve pretty much “grown out of” some of the more glaring deficiencies I’ve had (especially social problems). I was unable to look people in the eyes or hold a conversation for more than a minute previously. I was also overly timid well into my twenties, and would struggle to speak to people. My difficulties also gave me social anxiety, which made my problems worse. I didn’t know (and sometimes still don’t) the minute social intricacies that people take for granted.

Meeting new people is still intensely hard for me, but I’ve improved by miles. I find social interaction much easier now. I still get “drained” very quickly in crowds, and need to retreat to the safety of a quiet area. I’m the type that frequently takes breaks to find the animals at a house party and give them a good belly rub.

Nobody knows, as I don’t want to be treated any differently. I have a fully functioning brain, but people tend to have no idea what autism really is. Message boards are a great medium for me, because I’ve always been terrible with talking, but am perfectly fine with writing. Thanks for reading!