Self Diagnosed Aspie Girl Saying Hi

[MischievousMochi]

Hi everyone

A few weeks ago a video of Tony Atwood's presentations on women with aspergers popped up on my youtube feed. There weren't any videos in my history to prompt this. (Other than me watching a Steven Universe Future episode on loop for a few hours the day previous.) Some of it resonated with me and I could recall specific times in school that coalesced with his examples. From there I fell down the rabbit hole of female aspie vloggers, a lot of online articles, and several scientific journals from 2013 to current thanks to my sister being in college and having access to that database. I've had a lot of fun reading the articles and compiling the info I've gleaned from them and then finding their sited sources and repeating. The Aspergirl book really hit home for me. It seemed to highlight and properly put into words the oddities in my life.

Your neurodiverse (Aspie) score: 120 of 200
Your neurotypical (non-autistic) score: 99 of 200
You seem to have both neurodiverse and neurotypical traits
My AQ Score- 32

I was a lone wolf girl in high school and chalked my lack of social normities after graduation to not practicing in high school. I made it my mission in college to polish my social skills by working my way up from nerdy clubs to more professional organizations. I found it difficult to blend in with anyone outside of a nerd group or the STEM field. And due to a car accident placing me in the hospital for the first half of the semester and my dad refusing to let me drop for fear of it turning into a gap year or not returning to higher education at all, I was dismissed from the college of engineering. I resigned to finishing up what time I had left with a multidisciplinary studies degree and ended up in a dead end admin job that I hated since it caused meltdowns every few weeks. I chalked my meltdowns to general depression and poor eating/sleeping habits. Plus my dad's "it's all in your head" and "rub some dirt on it" mentality made me reluctant to reach out for help. My coworkers would often go out to eat for lunch break and frequently forget to invite me since I didn't fit in with the cliques or follow the pecking order. The job after that I had an observant coworkers who introduced me to their partner who knew I could excel in the IT field.
I started as a data center technician a few weeks ago and feel like I've found a job that keeps my interest, challenges me, and really encourages growth.

I know self diagnosing is a starting point and not to stick to long term. I'm looking forward to going to get a professional diagnosis once this CV19 blows over. Until then I'll be devouring scientific journals and posting on here. I'm looking forward to being part of this community and hope to give some good vibes and posts.

Also does anyone use gifs or images when they post? I have a tendency to create a wall of text, from other forums I'm on, and I like to break up the word vomit with some relatable images that time the theme of the paragraph/story. I looked through a few posts and didn't see any.

Here's a list of some of my quirks (apologies for it getting so long)

• I enjoy getting philosophical
• I have an over reactive imagination (and am working on my first book of a trilogy I finished fleshing out)
• I come off as emotionally naive, honest, and overtly loyal to the friends I have
• Take things at face value the majority of the time
• I have hashimotos (autoimmune comorbidity)
• I have anxiety and depression (usually either towards the end of my cycle or during an autoimmune flareup)
• I'll bounce from being overly joyed and having too much energy one week to being lethargic, depressed, and having a sense of impending doom
• I've become better at masking by finding new social groups through meetup and mimicking (I force myself to go out at least once a week so I can better my social skills, learn some life lessons, and post something about it on social media so people don't thing I'm a total shut in)
• I thrive at home and consider it my safe haven/ fortress of solitude
• I have difficulty with executive functioning (I have an alarm app for morning and evening routines plus lists for everything else. I can't get anything done outside of work without one)
• Difficulty listening to others. Like my ears selectively shut off and I have to consciously focus on the conversation
• Stimming - people use to point out the leg bouncing, toe tapping, and swayng so I tap my index and middle fingers on my thumb's fingernail
• inappropriate social interactions (usually at work or with a new social group I've been with for an extended period. I'm unsure when I've reached friend status with some folk)
• hyperfocus/obsess on a topic for about two weeks then I'll drop it like a hot potato
• Issues with grooming. I feel like I'm in drag when I wear makeup, but do so anyways since I use to get the "you look tired" response from previous coworkers
• detail orientated with journals and lists - I have a dream journal, burn journal for random thoughts, bullet journal, etc
• Obsessively collects books. The public library sells their old books downtown plus goodwill has a good selection. I use either goodreads or the amazon best seller ranking so I can gift them to a friend or sell later
• imaginary friends (had them even in college since I still didn't understand the hanging out with friends concept well)
• Friends with older females (and a few aspie men)
• Bullies - went to a small middle school and highschool and followed mostly the same group of people. I usually shut things down really quick by asking uncomfortable questions like if their parents are treating them right. I think I pulled that idea from an episode of full house. I got elementary bullies to stop with the powerpuff girls episode with cooties)
• Feeling exhausted by social situations - I schedule at least one social outing a week or else I feel like I start reverting to my gremlin state
• selective OCD (sorting candy e.g. Halloween candy by type, gummies and skittles by color/flavor. not sure if there's anything else like that. Those are examples my family would make fun of me for growing up)
• IBS (ties into autoimmune comorbidity)
• difficulty filtering background noise while in conversation
• Highly empathetic, sometimes to the point of confusion
• highly susceptible to outsiders' viewpoints and opinions
• view things and others as an extension of self
• animals > people
• sensitive to substances (foods, alcohol, hormones, caffiene, etc.)
• Try to help, offering unsolicited advice
• Codependent behavior
• Confuses appointment times, numbers, and/or dates
• Remembers things in visual pictures
• Memory for certain details
• Tendency to overshare

 

[Rasputin]

Hi everyone

A few weeks ago a video of Tony Atwood's presentations on women with aspergers popped up on my youtube feed. There weren't any videos in my history to prompt this. (Other than me watching a Steven Universe Future episode on loop for a few hours the day previous.) Some of it resonated with me and I could recall specific times in school that coalesced with his examples. From there I fell down the rabbit hole of female aspie vloggers, a lot of online articles, and several scientific journals from 2013 to current thanks to my sister being in college and having access to that database. I've had a lot of fun reading the articles and compiling the info I've gleaned from them and then finding their sited sources and repeating. The Aspergirl book really hit home for me. It seemed to highlight and properly put into words the oddities in my life.

Your neurodiverse (Aspie) score: 120 of 200
Your neurotypical (non-autistic) score: 99 of 200
You seem to have both neurodiverse and neurotypical traits
My AQ Score- 32

I was a lone wolf girl in high school and chalked my lack of social normities after graduation to not practicing in high school. I made it my mission in college to polish my social skills by working my way up from nerdy clubs to more professional organizations. I found it difficult to blend in with anyone outside of a nerd group or the STEM field. And due to a car accident placing me in the hospital for the first half of the semester and my dad refusing to let me drop for fear of it turning into a gap year or not returning to higher education at all, I was dismissed from the college of engineering. I resigned to finishing up what time I had left with a multidisciplinary studies degree and ended up in a dead end admin job that I hated since it caused meltdowns every few weeks. I chalked my meltdowns to general depression and poor eating/sleeping habits. Plus my dad's "it's all in your head" and "rub some dirt on it" mentality made me reluctant to reach out for help. My coworkers would often go out to eat for lunch break and frequently forget to invite me since I didn't fit in with the cliques or follow the pecking order. The job after that I had an observant coworkers who introduced me to their partner who knew I could excel in the IT field.
I started as a data center technician a few weeks ago and feel like I've found a job that keeps my interest, challenges me, and really encourages growth.

I know self diagnosing is a starting point and not to stick to long term. I'm looking forward to going to get a professional diagnosis once this CV19 blows over. Until then I'll be devouring scientific journals and posting on here. I'm looking forward to being part of this community and hope to give some good vibes and posts.

Also does anyone use gifs or images when they post? I have a tendency to create a wall of text, from other forums I'm on, and I like to break up the word vomit with some relatable images that time the theme of the paragraph/story. I looked through a few posts and didn't see any.

Here's a list of some of my quirks (apologies for it getting so long)

• I enjoy getting philosophical
• I have an over reactive imagination (and am working on my first book of a trilogy I finished fleshing out)
• I come off as emotionally naive, honest, and overtly loyal to the friends I have
• Take things at face value the majority of the time
• I have hashimotos (autoimmune comorbidity)
• I have anxiety and depression (usually either towards the end of my cycle or during an autoimmune flareup)
• I'll bounce from being overly joyed and having too much energy one week to being lethargic, depressed, and having a sense of impending doom
• I've become better at masking by finding new social groups through meetup and mimicking (I force myself to go out at least once a week so I can better my social skills, learn some life lessons, and post something about it on social media so people don't thing I'm a total shut in)
• I thrive at home and consider it my safe haven/ fortress of solitude
• I have difficulty with executive functioning (I have an alarm app for morning and evening routines plus lists for everything else. I can't get anything done outside of work without one)
• Difficulty listening to others. Like my ears selectively shut off and I have to consciously focus on the conversation
• Stimming - people use to point out the leg bouncing, toe tapping, and swayng so I tap my index and middle fingers on my thumb's fingernail
• inappropriate social interactions (usually at work or with a new social group I've been with for an extended period. I'm unsure when I've reached friend status with some folk)
• hyperfocus/obsess on a topic for about two weeks then I'll drop it like a hot potato
• Issues with grooming. I feel like I'm in drag when I wear makeup, but do so anyways since I use to get the "you look tired" response from previous coworkers
• detail orientated with journals and lists - I have a dream journal, burn journal for random thoughts, bullet journal, etc
• Obsessively collects books. The public library sells their old books downtown plus goodwill has a good selection. I use either goodreads or the amazon best seller ranking so I can gift them to a friend or sell later
• imaginary friends (had them even in college since I still didn't understand the hanging out with friends concept well)
• Friends with older females (and a few aspie men)
• Bullies - went to a small middle school and highschool and followed mostly the same group of people. I usually shut things down really quick by asking uncomfortable questions like if their parents are treating them right. I think I pulled that idea from an episode of full house. I got elementary bullies to stop with the powerpuff girls episode with cooties)
• Feeling exhausted by social situations - I schedule at least one social outing a week or else I feel like I start reverting to my gremlin state
• selective OCD (sorting candy e.g. Halloween candy by type, gummies and skittles by color/flavor. not sure if there's anything else like that. Those are examples my family would make fun of me for growing up)
• IBS (ties into autoimmune comorbidity)
• difficulty filtering background noise while in conversation
• Highly empathetic, sometimes to the point of confusion
• highly susceptible to outsiders' viewpoints and opinions
• view things and others as an extension of self
• animals > people
• sensitive to substances (foods, alcohol, hormones, caffiene, etc.)
• Try to help, offering unsolicited advice
• Codependent behavior
• Confuses appointment times, numbers, and/or dates
• Remembers things in visual pictures
• Memory for certain details
• Tendency to overshare

MischievousMochi, welcome to this forum. I am impressed by your self-directed research. You certainly do sound like you have ASD1, which was formerly known as Asperger's. However, you should talk to a doctor and trust your instincts if you want to pursue the diagnosis. However, most people on this forum would advise you to be careful not to share this information with your employer or co-workers. However, I was diagnosed with ASD, General Anxiety Disorder, and mild depression in January, and I made the decision to advocate for others with ASD by sitting on an adult Autism Panel. However, I am 61 and have been continuously employed the past 35 years. So, I decided that it was a risk I was willing to take.

By the way, I have all but two of the characteristics you listed. I also have food sensitivities and autoimmune issues, and take nutritional supplements due to gene mutations that reduce my ability to metabolize certain vitimins naturally from food. Where you have a high level of compassionate empathy, I have virtually none that I can tell. Also, while you are highly susceptible to other's viewpoints, I have difficulty reading people or understanding their feelings. You will find that there is a lot of variation in ASD symptoms from one person to the next.

I do feel empathy for your experiences in college, as it sounds like your father got too involved in your decision-making. And changing your major didn't really help much. I am glad that you found work that you like though.

 

[MischievousMochi]

MischievousMochi, welcome to this forum. I am impressed by your self-directed research. You certainly do sound like you have ASD1, which was formerly known as Asperger's. However, you should talk to a doctor and trust your instincts if you want to pursue the diagnosis. However, most people on this forum would advise you to be careful not to share this information with your employer or co-workers. However, I made the decision to advocate for others with ASD decision by sitting on an Autism Panel at my employer. However, I am 61 and have been continuously employed the past 35 years. So, I decided that it was a risk I was willing to take.

By the way, I have all but two of the characteristics you listed. I also have food sensitivities and autoimmune issues, and take nutritional supplements due to gene mutations that reduce my ability to metabolize certain vitimins naturally from food. Where you have a high level of compassionate empathy, I have virtually none that I can tell. Also. While you are highly susceptible to other's viewpoints, I have difficulty reading people or understanding their feelings.

Hi Rasputin!
Thanks for responding

since switching jobs my doctor is no longer in network. I'll be switching over to one my friend recommends since they take those with autoimmune disorders seriously. I haven't told many people about my self-diagnosis. Although, my coworkers partner pointed it out to me when they asked what my current obsession was and I name dropped Atwood. He seems to be familiar with those one the spectrum and has been supportive in my research. Plus we speak the same nerd/tech lingo.

Another reason I'm wanting a diagnosis is to CYA (cover my toosh) with my current job. They have a program in another state for hiring people on the spectrum so I'm not worried about discrimination. But in a previous job of mine I had a manager that purposely set me up for failure, made me late for meetings, would call on the phone asking for one thing, then emailing something completely opposite of what she asked so she has a paper trail of me looking incompetent. She didn't like me pointing out the hostile work environment my coworkers under other management were facing. This was also before I was diagnosed with hashimotos which was causing brain fog for me. I just want more documentation to CYA in case there may be shady management in my new job. Everyone seems nice at work and once training is done for me I'll be moving to the night shift. I've heard my current manager is lazy and likes to nitpick so I'm keeping my head down. They got kicked off the night shift recently too. My friend has vouched for the management on my shift so I'm excited to be out of any danger. Plus they may be on the same shift as me and will more than likely act like an over protective older brother to me lol.

It's been hard finding the right foods. I have to take vitamin D supplements so I don't get plantar fasciitis or get SAD (seasonal affect disorder) in the middle of the summer again.

Having over-reactive empathy isn't fun let me tell you. It leads to either over-mothering someone or to a semi-codependant relationship. But my love of solitude has prevented any toxic relationship from starting. Makes me wonder if I'm Asexual lol.

 

[Rasputin]

We should compare notes some time. I also take vitamin D due to a vitamin D receptor gene mutation. However I avoid dairy products because I have hyperoxaluria which causes calcium oxalate kidney stones to form. I also produce high levels of uric acid, and was diagnosed with hyperuricosiuria, which is associated with Hyperuricosuric Autism. I also have a homozygous MTHFR gene named C677T which I believe may be associated with hashimotos, which you have. I had major food allergies and anemia growing up.

Anyway enough of this. I have to get some sleep now. It does seem like we are a lot alike though.

 

[Aspychata]

Hey welcome. Sounds like you are scaling your mountain but you have knowledge and seem very intelligent. Glad you can talk to us about your employment struggles. It helps me understand we all struggle at jobs.

 

[Thinx]

Hi and welcome. You have researched very thoroughly. I'm glad to hear your work situation has improved, having work you enjoy and are good at can be a really important way to cope as an Aspie. I hope you enjoy it here, people are friendly.

 

[Giraffes]

Hi you have done so much to research the condition and analysis of the aspects that feel like you, my diagnosis was late in life and self funded as my GP in the uk didn't regonise my Autism i read a book by Tony Attwood and saw myself clearly for the first time. Like yourself i have extreme empathy with the same outcomes and am hypersensitive to others view/opinions, i intend to check out Aspergirl book and hope it explains why Autism often presents differently with men and women, i'm so pleased you consider self protection step in regards to employment good on ya, i have experienced huge waves of anxiety and depression due to this aspect of life, i so don't speak the nerd/tecno launguage that some on the Spectrum do my IT skills are rubbish but do share your love of lists, structure and 'getting into the details of stuff.

 

[MischievousMochi]

We should compare notes some time. I also take vitamin D due to a vitamin D receptor gene mutation. However I avoid dairy products because I have hyperoxaluria which causes calcium oxalate kidney stones to form. I also produce high levels of uric acid, and was diagnosed with hyperuricosiuria, which is associated with Hyperuricosuric Autism. I also have a homozygous MTHFR gene named C677T which I believe may be associated with hashimotos, which you have. I had major food allergies and anemia growing up.

Anyway enough of this. I have to get some sleep now. It does seem like we are a lot alike though.

Hey welcome. Sounds like you are scaling your mountain but you have knowledge and seem very intelligent. Glad you can talk to us about your employment struggles. It helps me understand we all struggle at jobs.

I haven't been able to see my GP about the dietary issues. It's a long story, but I was diagnosed only a few days before I was let go from from the toxic job, so it's been trail and error for me with the Whole30/AIP diet.

I found out about the vitamin D deficiency when I did a full vitamin blood work done along with my TSH, TPO, T3, and T4 blood work.

To be honest I lost my insurance with that job, was stuck in a clerical loop hole with the Tex Wrk Force Commission and whatever insurance you receive after laying off. And by the time I was able to try and enroll the deadline had passed. And the next job I received was as a contractor. And when I signed the paperwork they said I wouldn't be able to afford their health insurance since it was a legal formality that they offer it and it's usually military that they hire. So I was told to opt out of insurance and was unable to find my own. All of the options has such high deductibles and non-existent co-pays that it was more affordable to go without.

@Rasputin I'll have to take some notes from you as well on what type of tests to ask my GP for about food sensitivities.

Thanks @Aspychata . I feel like a an adept metaphorical mountain climber at this point. It's been one thing after another. And at some point I ran out of fritters to give and just roll with the punches. Worrying didn't seem to get me anywhere. Researching and reaching out to others seemed to get me out of one hole and over another mountain. People do see like an extension of oneself. I know there are some cultures that think this way. They usually a SME in what you're looking for or have such a different life experience that they open up doors you didn't even know were unlock-able.

At a certain point of all the duckery I've gone through I'm convinced I died all those years ago in the car accident and I'm either in some sort of simulation to ride out what would have been the rest of my life or I'm the protagonist of some messed up show. Like that one with American show with three different story lines that somehow makes everyone cry each episode. (I don't know what it's called or have watched it because I'm not a sadist lol) Life at this point feels like a modded out version of skyrim with better graphics. There's more content and more baddies to face. But to take them down required wizarding like either studying for a killer spell or reaching out to someone more knowledgeable. (You can tell I've used a lot of escapism in the past, but life at this point is engaging enough for me to be conscious of it and actively cause mayhem for those in my path)

Hi and welcome. You have researched very thoroughly. I'm glad to hear your work situation has improved, having work you enjoy and are good at can be a really important way to cope as an Aspie. I hope you enjoy it here, people are friendly.

Thanks One of my special interests is hording knowledge so researching has really paid off. I'm excited that this job takes care of me. Looking forward to seeing the rest of the community here and being part of the friendly bunch.

Hi you have done so much to research the condition and analysis of the aspects that feel like you, my diagnosis was late in life and self funded as my GP in the uk didn't regonise my Autism i read a book by Tony Attwood and saw myself clearly for the first time. Like yourself i have extreme empathy with the same outcomes and am hypersensitive to others view/opinions, i intend to check out Aspergirl book and hope it explains why Autism often presents differently with men and women, I'm so pleased you consider self protection step in regards to employment good on ya, i have experienced huge waves of anxiety and depression due to this aspect of life, so I don't speak the nerd/tecno launguage that some on the Spectrum do my IT skills are rubbish but do share your love of lists, structure and 'getting into the details of stuff.

I thank the start for a wonderful person like Tony Attwood. I think the AI in the youtube algorithm was trying to give me the nudge towards aspie awareness. I managed to grab a book of his from the story around March 16th before the madness happened. And a friend of mine was playing pirate and got me all the pdf and epub files of all the other relevant aspie literature that's out there.

Aspergirl gives a lot of first hand examples of apsiegirl experiences, but does not go into the science of brain chemistry or how our neurons are laid out differently to that of our male aspie counterparts.

I've been stepped on too many times to not take precautions. I've worked with small family owned businesses, retail, non-profit, public sector, private sector, and now IT. I've been in each spot long enough to learn what I've needed to and get a well enough grasp of the work environment and culture before getting bored and moving on. Thankfully with my current place the tech updates every few months and there are a plethura of certifications to take once I get my sea legs.

I didn't speak a lick of nerd/tech lingo going into college. I was pretty sheltered until then, but was unleashed once I had a laptop in my possession. The main reason I wanted to learn was the conversations the nerds had were interesting, the job markets would always be growing in their field, it would help me land something that would do a good job at paying off my crippling student loans (and my degree really doesn't go towards my current job unless you count sociology not that I took a course in how tech affects society).

Lists are amazing! They're like a quest list on any good adventurer story. And research unlocks tasks/lists to level up your life. They certainly help when fleshing out magic structures or world building for writing books. Or how to go through the proper legal channels to tattle on doctors for negligence. For example, the doctor that diagnosed me with hashimotos told me that they didn't know what it was, how to ease the symptoms, and to come back in a few years when my thyroid was dead so they could give me hormone replacement meds for it. I had similar issues with a blood work tech calling me pretending to be one of the doctors and saying that having a TPO above normal levels was normal, then admitting they were a tech and didn't know what the numbers mean. And with a recorded conversation, a lengthy story of all the issues, phone records, and time stamped papers of all the visits that facility did some 'restructuring' of their staff.

GP's take more paperwork finessing than a specialist since you have to contact your state medical board. And if you don't have a strong enough case you can always ask the board about the doctor's licenses. There should be a certificate proving they're knowledgeable in respects to ASD for adults. And if not don't be afraid to follow up so you can rest easy knowing that this will cause them a similar amount of distress that was dealt to you.

(sorry for the chaotic energy. I'm sorta done playing nice to those in positions of authority. It's fun to beat them at their own game. I hope I can help more folk here stand up for themselves and give them some proper tools in their arsenal to handle the nasties.)

 

[Giraffes]

Thank you so much for a link to Tania Marshall and providing another level of understanding to ME enjoy your day

 

[Aspychata]

Quite a interesting storyline you are engaged in. You have a facil way of delivering the news whether good or not so great.
Think the biggest thing females walk away with in life is the shock of the amount of baddies that circulate around us. As you said you have been stepped on one to many times. Truly you start to believe that only the strong and possibly the truly corruptible eggheads exist on the planet like that zombie game (have you played?) where they win and declare zombies ate your brains.
Sometimes like Freakconomics, you actually have to become adept at seeing the correlations and figure out what you aren't being told which l am finally getting comfortable with.
Anyways- may you no longer be a doormat but a person of considerable stealth and velocity and may the baddies shiver and quake as you tackle your next climbing excursion.

I love mochi. I miss the packages and the fresh mochi. Are you a mochi fan?

 

[Nitro]

Hi MischievousMochi

 

[tree]

 

[Judge]

Looks like you've been quite busy in becoming self-aware of who- and what you are. -Bravo.

Most assuredly you've come to the right place to explore what you already know. Reading dry medical data goes only so far compared to frequently interacting with your own kind.

Welcome to Autism Forums.

 

[Pats]

Hi and welcome. It certainly is eye opening to finally realize what your struggles and quirks have always been about.

 

[Nervous Rex]

Welcome, @MischievousMochi. Whether you are formally or informally diagnosed, I hope you find this site as welcoming and helpful as I have. There is a thread for nearly every discussion topic you can think of - and if there isn't, you can start one.

 

[clg114]

Welcome to Autism Forums!

 

[MischievousMochi]

Thank you so much for a link to Tania Marshall and providing another level of understanding to ME enjoy your day

Happy to share any handy links with others that come my way.
Have a good one

Quite a interesting storyline you are engaged in. You have a facil way of delivering the news whether good or not so great.
Think the biggest thing females walk away with in life is the shock of the amount of baddies that circulate around us. As you said you have been stepped on one to many times. Truly you start to believe that only the strong and possibly the truly corruptible eggheads exist on the planet like that zombie game (have you played?) where they win and declare zombies ate your brains.
Sometimes like Freakconomics, you actually have to become adept at seeing the correlations and figure out what you aren't being told which l am finally getting comfortable with.
Anyways- may you no longer be a doormat but a person of considerable stealth and velocity and may the baddies shiver and quake as you tackle your next climbing excursion.

I love mochi. I miss the packages and the fresh mochi. Are you a mochi fan?

I've learned to compartmentalize a lot of my less positive stories. In the past I've been hung with certain situations and at a point obsessively with said situation for months. It finally took a try at journaling to calm that part of me down and have a proper way to analyze those feeling. It's like bringing that part of you out of the ether and into reality. Where you can go full Frankenstein and dissect your monster.

It's been ages since I've played plants vs zombies! I played it a lot when it first came out, but deleted the app after a few weeks. I usually find a iphone friendly rpg app that I can sink some time in or a slow paced game that can be played for a minute or so when there's downtime at work.

There's plenty of unspoken rules I'm still grasping at. One of the benefits of being a book hoarder is finding all the good business and language books that people toss out. All those self help books similar to Dale Carnegie's "How to Win Friends and Influence People." "The Happiness Trap" and "You Are A Badass" were some great ones for self reflection. Although the latter one needs to be listened with the audiobook since the author over uses tone and inflection to get the point across.

I'm a big mochi fan. A lot of big chain grocery stores are starting to sell them, but none of their brands hold up to the mochi icecream that my favorite japanese grocery store does. They also sell red bean paste mochi which has a weirder texture. Plus I've also started collecting squishy mochi toys like the one in my profile pic.

Hi MischievousMochi

View attachment 61717

Hi Hi

View attachment 61718

Looks like you've been quite busy in becoming self-aware of who- and what you are. -Bravo.

Most assuredly you've come to the right place to explore what you already know. Reading dry medical data goes only so far compared to frequently interacting with your own kind.

Welcome to Autism Forums.

Becoming self aware is like figuring out you're no longer a muggle lol

I'm looking forward to being part of interacting more with this community here

Hi and welcome. It certainly is eye opening to finally realize what your struggles and quirks have always been about.

Who doesn't love finding the solution to a problem?

Welcome, @MischievousMochi. Whether you are formally or informally diagnosed, I hope you find this site as welcoming and helpful as I have. There is a thread for nearly every discussion topic you can think of - and if there isn't, you can start one.

Being an info connoisseur, I'll be viewing heavily the list type of topics and will most certainly starting ones I can't find.

Welcome to Autism Forums!

Thanks Happy to be here

 

[Judge]

Becoming self aware is like figuring out you're no longer a muggle lol

Yup, something like that.