All posts by CaptainAlexioC

Long time no speak, but I appreciate the shout out! I was diagnosed with the exact same condition at least 20 years ago. I wasn't aware that I was different until my adolescence when my parents told me about the diagnosis, although they lumped me in with having Asperger's as a stepping stone to coming to terms with it. I kind of just brushed it off and thought that I would learn how to behave 'neurotypically', that I would just learn to act like everyone else. Never happened, despite trying to ignore it.

As of now, I've come to realize that it matters in the workplace, that people around me need to understand the way I function when it comes to completing tasks. I'm a slower learner, because I like to understand all the details before I get into it. It feels like it puts me at a disadvantage, and that I don't get to show my true potential, so I am hopeful that making sure people know, will ensure that I do. I consider myself an organized and methodical person, and people outside of work have observed and pointed out this.

I can definitely relate to you on the empathy part. Without bragging, I definitely feel like I have a heightened sense of empathy compared to the people around me. Sometimes it feels like a weakness when people take it for granted and causes me distress in those scenarios.

That being said, while I feel like I need to accept that it is an aspect of me that does matter, there is more to me than being autistic and I think people need to look past that one aspect of me. As you say, we're all not the same, we're unique individuals with our own goals, values, traits and interests.

I'm considering seeking an updated diagnosis, I've heard that due to increased understanding, psychologists have dropped the PDD-NOS terminology in favor of more nuance. At least my one friend who is a psychologist himself, says so.

Chairman Drek from Ratchet & Clank. Polluted his own home planet just so he could craft a new one from the fragments of other planets, solely because of money.