22.
“It can sometimes feel impossible having autism. I wish more people understood that it’s not just about the social stuff — the bigger issue is that we have to block out most of our surroundings and automate as much as we can just to exist in any space at any moment. All sounds and pictures blur together. We actually stop being able to understand. It’s scary. It feels like Christmas morning inside a haunted house 24/7. I’m stuck here. My adult life revolves around coping and trying to find relief. That’s autism.”
“Myself, and those like me, 100 percent understand people, ourselves, and how the world works. We are very much aware. We just don’t share because, in real-time, our nervous systems are betraying us. We have to block most of the outside world out and limit our interactions. It’s hard. We are trying to live despite the worst odds. Dating is mixed into all of this. It’s the cosmic joke on top! I rarely do it, but I keep myself open, hoping one day someone will see me, feel me, and make space for me. I may be atypical, but my need to be heard, seen, and valued is the same.”
—Anonymous
Source: https://www.buzzfeed.com/ravenishak/autistic-dating