What would you do differently if you could start over?

I wish that I would have spent less time on trying to make others happy or worrying about what others think of me. I wish I spoke up more and advocated for my needs.

I'm trying to do this more in my 30s.

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JPWhoo · 36-40, M

I kinda wish I could just start over with the knowledge that I’m on the autism spectrum so I could have started getting help when I was a kid instead of waiting until I was 36. I’ve gone through decades of unnecessary loneliness, put downs, and romantic frustrations, and I didn’t have a clue why any of it was happening until about a year ago.

Wiseacre · F

@JPWhoo this is actually not unusual...a friend of mine was diagnosed at 47

JPWhoo · 36-40, M

@Wiseacre Eh, maybe it’s not unusual for people on the spectrum to not find out they’re on the spectrum until their 30’s or 40’s, but the vast majority of people aren’t on the spectrum at all. It feels very lonely, and it has created plenty of uncommon problems for me. For one, I’m still living with my parents who are in their 70’s, and they’re worried that when they die I won’t be able to support myself. Also, I’m not the kind of guy who never wanted to have kids. I’m almost too old to even hope for that now, and I’ve never even been in a relationship before. Not even like back in middle school or anything, never! Maybe the divorce rate is high, and a lot of people never find their “soulmate” or whatever, but everyone has had someone once or twice who loved them or at least shared a mutual attraction with someone for a little while. Not me though.