Context: I am a male between the ages of 30-40, born and raised in a middle-class Mexican environment. As a computer engineer, my life has revolved around analytical thinking and problem-solving. In my family, mental health discussions are uncommon, and none of my relatives, including myself, have ever been formally diagnosed with autism.
I've taken various IQ tests, yielding results ranging from 130 to 160 points. Intrigued by certain behavioral patterns, I started suspecting that I might be on the high-functioning autism spectrum after encountering information about autistic traits. Despite this self-awareness, mental health conversations remain taboo in my cultural context, hindering any suspicion from older family members.
Social interactions are a challenge. Starting conversations feels daunting, and I often misinterpret social cues. Ironically, I can talk endlessly with close friends, but joining new groups feels impossible. Sometimes, my directness is mistaken for rudeness, although I never intend to upset anyone.
Intense focus consumes me. Programming or drawing can easily steal hours if I'm not careful. While hyperfocused, I struggle to multitask and may seem oblivious to my surroundings.
To delve deeper, I've engaged in autism-specific assessments, such as the AQ (https://embrace-autism.com/autism-spectrum-quotient/), where I scored 42 points, suggesting some degree of autism. Interestingly, a psychoanalyst friend of mine disagrees with the notion.
Seeking a formal diagnosis feels unnecessary for now: My financial limitations, I don't feel like it affects me a lot and I don't want to have any medication anyway. However, I'm curious about what would happen on this market.
I'm willing to answer questions if they're not too personal (or clarify/specify anything) in case it's useful.
This market will resolve when (and if) I get an official diagnosis, otherwise it will never resolve.
PS: I used LLMs to help me write this (despite I like writing short stories) because it felt impossible to organize my mind lol
@ADings I'm unsure if "noticeably more", I can reply to more specific questions if you want. That said, I will try... thinking about the non obvious smells, the detergent aisle in supermarkets makes me feel bad, not sure if dizzy or nauseous, but I can't go through it without feeling sick. Certain sounds make me react in a way people call me exaggerated, I'm cringing now just imagining them (for example the sound of a wet plastic bag). Lights are also problematic but I'm not sure if more than usual. I've noticed high contrast (either black on white or white on black) is very tiring and stressful (I thought it was dark on pure white, but I got an amoled phone and I've tried to use the full dark mode and that's intolerable after a while).