“I feel different”. Maybe you grew up feeling isolated from your peers. Perhaps you tried hard to connect with them, but it didn’t seem to go well and you felt lonely and alienated.
You might have different interests from other people, or more intense interests. You might prefer to spend time doing your hobbies rather than socialising.
If you often feel “different” from others and are struggling to understand why, have you considered that you might be on the autism spectrum? Understanding that you might be autistic can bring a great feeling of relief and comfort as you discover there is a reason for your feelings and that there are other people in the world who feel the same way as you. Once you understand your problems, you can create strategies to support you in life and you will be happier for it.
Other problems experienced by people with autism include:
Sensory sensitivities
Autistic people are often over- or under-sensitive to light, touch, sound, smell and taste.
Communication
They may misunderstand what people mean or feel that other people misunderstand what they mean. They may have trouble interpreting tone of voice and body language as well as knowing how to use their own.
Struggles with adapting to change
They may like routine and structure and feel very anxious when things are different.
Anxiety
They may feel anxious on a daily basis. They may experience social anxiety around people.
Exhaustion after socialising
Autistic people can find socialising exhausting. They may need a large amount of time alone to recover each day.
Organising, planning, prioritising and remembering things
These skills are known as executive function skills. Autistic people often struggle with these things, which makes day to day activities difficult.
If you can relate to these problems, perhaps you might be on the autism spectrum. Have a look at our resources to discover more:
