JDShredds
Well-Known Member
(With a slight monologue... because... well I don't need to explain that).
I had this idea of giving people a run down of my life story and why it led me here, but then I realized... calm down self. There's time for that (I'm sure this will end up longer winded than I planned, as always happens).
So, in short: Hi. I'm Jeff. I'm from Nevada, USA, am in my mid 30's and only recently discovered (with absolute certainty) that I'm on the spectrum. In fact, its been the greatest "Ah-Ha!" moment of my 3 1/2 decades of life. It explains literally everything from my earlier memories to my adolescence and teenhood to my struggles to function as other adults do.
It started with a question, and then a test (and then every type of test you can find online), and then obsessive research for a week and a whole lot of "moments" during the process of accepting it (a mix of lows and highs). This was a bit over a month ago. It checked every box from every stage of my life and I couldn't believe when I found people telling their story that was EXACTLY my story. Down to the finest details, thoughts, experiences and struggles that I'd never shared or been able to articulate. These were all from Aspies telling their story.
I'm currently reading Tony Attwood's "The Complete Guide to Asperger's Syndrome" with the revised intro including the DSM-5. Every page cements it further.
I've also learned that merely by chance, my two best friends of 20 years both suspect they're on the spectrum as well. Anyone else have this kind of experience? Like the rare friends you DO make that stick end up finding out they're on the spectrum too? In my case, none of us have many friends at all, and the other friendships we do have tend to falter. Another note: these are long distance friendships, yet the only ones I've made that stuck the test of time.
Moving forward, I'm entertaining my options of seeking formal diagnosis, and whether or not in my circumstances that will be beneficial (in case you're curious, I'm confident I'm an Aspie, which would probably be diagnosed here in the States as ASD1 since they've bundled it all together like that). Of course, the entire process of that makes me feel seriously uncomfortable, but what else is new?
Anyway, I just wanted to get this over with (I put too much pressure on it at first) and start getting to know the people in this community. I also think I just needed time to absorb the new reality. Which isn't actually new or different. I've always been me. But now I understand so, so much more about why. Half of its a curse, but half of its a gift. It all clicks now.
-Jeff
I had this idea of giving people a run down of my life story and why it led me here, but then I realized... calm down self. There's time for that (I'm sure this will end up longer winded than I planned, as always happens).
So, in short: Hi. I'm Jeff. I'm from Nevada, USA, am in my mid 30's and only recently discovered (with absolute certainty) that I'm on the spectrum. In fact, its been the greatest "Ah-Ha!" moment of my 3 1/2 decades of life. It explains literally everything from my earlier memories to my adolescence and teenhood to my struggles to function as other adults do.
It started with a question, and then a test (and then every type of test you can find online), and then obsessive research for a week and a whole lot of "moments" during the process of accepting it (a mix of lows and highs). This was a bit over a month ago. It checked every box from every stage of my life and I couldn't believe when I found people telling their story that was EXACTLY my story. Down to the finest details, thoughts, experiences and struggles that I'd never shared or been able to articulate. These were all from Aspies telling their story.
I'm currently reading Tony Attwood's "The Complete Guide to Asperger's Syndrome" with the revised intro including the DSM-5. Every page cements it further.
I've also learned that merely by chance, my two best friends of 20 years both suspect they're on the spectrum as well. Anyone else have this kind of experience? Like the rare friends you DO make that stick end up finding out they're on the spectrum too? In my case, none of us have many friends at all, and the other friendships we do have tend to falter. Another note: these are long distance friendships, yet the only ones I've made that stuck the test of time.
Moving forward, I'm entertaining my options of seeking formal diagnosis, and whether or not in my circumstances that will be beneficial (in case you're curious, I'm confident I'm an Aspie, which would probably be diagnosed here in the States as ASD1 since they've bundled it all together like that). Of course, the entire process of that makes me feel seriously uncomfortable, but what else is new?
Anyway, I just wanted to get this over with (I put too much pressure on it at first) and start getting to know the people in this community. I also think I just needed time to absorb the new reality. Which isn't actually new or different. I've always been me. But now I understand so, so much more about why. Half of its a curse, but half of its a gift. It all clicks now.
-Jeff
