I never knew anyone else with it growing up, but once I moved to University there were quite a few.
I wasn't diagnosed until I was 19. I always had trouble reading people; I'd never know when people were angry, or sad, unless they were crying or yelling. I would annoy and piss people off but not know why. Conversation was insanely hard; I could never think of what to say, or know when it was appropriate to jump in.
I had obsessive interests in things nobody else cared about; spiders, outer space, infectious diseases, giant monster movies. And I do mean obsessive. I would calculate the transmission and fatality rates of imaginary flu epidemics, just for fun. I was always smart for my age when it came to things like vocabulary, but the simplest everyday tasks, like shopping or ordering pizza, were just impossible.
Over time I gradually taught myself to recognize facial expressions, and body language. It's a work in progress, but I'm learning to manage my condition.
But you know what? I wouldn't change it if I could, cos it's a key part of what made me the person I am, and I'm happy with who I am.
So, do we have any Aspies in the VGChartz community?
And for those who do, if you could "cure" it, would you?
