Hey there, I've just registered recently but have visited on & off for the past couple of years, some very interesting reads here. I can relate to an awful lot of what I've read from other users on here but I'm unsure if I have autism or whether I was just born with a very strange brain disorder that I don't have a name for yet.
Anyway I realized I was very different at the age of about 10 or 11 years old & since then have tried my hardest to disguise/hide/act as if I was "normal" (you know what I mean), I think I even fooled myself in the end. I guess I pulled it off to an extent when it came to adults, teachers, parents (it was all blamed on dyslexia which I'm now told I don't have), in secondary other children knew I was different even with all my efforts to fit in - I got the mickey taken out of me on a semi-regular basis which I found very frustrating. Had major depression since the age of about 19 after having to quit an agency admin job due to sheer exhaustion. That's all in the past though, I'm 23 now & need to get on with life, I got over the worst of it just over a year ago & I currently do a couple of days voluntary work each week.
I've found it harder & harder to function as I've got older, which I didn't think would be the case, so now I've decided to give in & admit I have the problems I do & try to be happy with who I am & hopefully make some friends in life who have similar problems. I'm so glad this place exists.
Thanks 