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How close are you to your family?

I have actually become closer to my family since my diagnosis at age 56. They used to think I was stuck up and uncaring because I would rarely visit and wouldn't have much to say when I did. Now that they know that these behaviours are not because I didn't care, but because I have so much stress in social situations that I just can't handle more. This diagnosis has allowed me to enjoy the time we do have together without the pressure of trying to be something I'm not. The wonderful part is that, now that I don't feel that social pressure, I am actually able to relax and spend more time with them, and even to enjoy myself.
 
My family cares about me but they don't understand anything about me. I often feel like I hate them. I want people that I can be close to.

The way most people percieve the parent-child relationship is ********. There's such a distance and I see many people not too close with their parents. Even the act of keeping secrets, the mistrust etc from parent to child is abhorrent. Yet most people still claim to like their parents, as it's cultural to like them no matter what. But i guess most people have so little depth to their personality that it isn't hard to form a relationship based on conformity.
 
I have no connection with my mother or anyone on her side of the family currently. Including my half brother and sister. My sister sleeps in the room next to me, but we may exchange 3 sentences to each other over a period of 1 week. My father puts a house over my head, and gives me food to live off of but other than that...he doesn't do much for me. He tries to change how I am constantly and never helps me with my problems. His girlfriend and her son is the same. My grandmother along with my father wanted to change how I am and I have to try to "act like I am not autistic" around her. My grandfather I have a decent relationship but he is either home with my grandmother or at work 20-30 minutes away at our family business. My grandmother has always struck me as slightly odd and annoying (its hard to explain why, that would require a whole thread in itself) so I don't have much of a relationship with her either. I don't have much of a relationship with anyone. The only person I have to go to for major problems is my friend who I have big feelings for and have for two years. The only problem is that friendships rarely last a long time for me. We are getting really close (she may be my girlfriend in a matter of 2-3 months) and part of me really wants that, and part of me is scared to death about that as well.
 
Eh... me and my brothers get along pretty well, but my half brother we're not that close (in talking about our lives and what goes on) but my other one we talk about quite a bit (he was the first one I told that I think I have a form of autism..).
And my mom, ever since she's been with this new fiancé we hardly talk about important issues.
Sister, we fight.
 
I get along great with all my family, but I don't truly get too close to anybody. I can talk to my mom for 2 hours at a time because we are so much alike but there is still a bit of a wall there. My dad and I have a good time joking around, but there has always been a huge barrier between us that I'm not sure where it is coming from.
 
I wouldn't say I'm close to my family as a whole. There was a period after my parents' divorce where both sides of the family blamed each other and everyone was stressed out. I don't think it's ever really repaired itself.

However, I do try to spend a lot of time with my brother who's visually impaired and struggling because he supported me when I was younger.
 
I see my mother nearly every weekend. We hardly have anything to talk about, and I usually don't say much at all. I see my siblings maybe every other month or so. I don't feel close to them at all, allthough trey're ok. I used to be kinda close to my father, at least I thought so. He died a couple of years ago. Least we used to talk, which I can't really say about my mother, sister and brother. But now I feel there was no real connection between my father and me. We were never on the same wavelenght at all, when I think about it now. He was just some guy, a good guy though. I must say the closest relationship I have with my mother. I think she must be the only person I can say I love.
 
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