Aliyah

I switched to soya milk from cows milk years ago and I felt much better for it. I only use milk in tea anyway rather than drinking it on its own. Soya milk also curdles in coffee, but is somehow fine with tea. You have to experiment with the brands as they all seem to taste different. I only use either Sainsburys, Waitrose or Holland & Barrett's own make. Anything with added flavours is just weird in tea. Nowadays when I have to drink tea with cows milk when out, it tastes disgusting to me. Cows milk seems a bit more palatable if heated first and put in coffee. If I wanted to drink milk on its own (rare) I'd probably choose chilled almond milk.

Hi Kimberley, and thanks for the welcome.

I'm glad Pearl that you and others here are around my age too (although I'm not sure how mature I am - just been around a long time ), as I was finding a lot on the internet about children and needed to speak with adults who have AS. I also watched a lot of youtube videos from many different aspies too. I just mainly needed to connect with others in similar situations, share experiences and I feel I can probably get all the help/support/advice online anyway. I am still taken aback that there is actually a word for being like this, and that it is shared by so many. When I first read the list of symptoms I thought "hey, this isn't a medical condition as most of that even applies to me." Which prompted much online research to find out more. Yes, lifevoyager, everyone DOES seem very friendly here, and I'm glad I found this place. It's a start.

Hi Kathryn, yes I did enjoy a brief spell in the park, sitting in the sunshine and just watching the fountains. Can't get vit D deprived by staying indoors all the time, plus I needed to go out and buy food as the cupboards were bare. Hi Jannih, good to meet another London gal in my age group, and many thanks for the welcome !

I can relate to what most of you are saying about phone calls, and I didn't realise this was such a common experience. Usually I let everything go on the answering machine anyway. It does feel like an intrusion whether it's about making or receiving a call. When making a call to somebody I know such as my sister, I usual begin with "is this a good time to talk?" She is the only one who refuses to use email, and there is only one other person who dislikes email because he can't, being dyslexic. He is trying to get me to go on Skype as well and there is no way I feel comfortable with that, so I'll have to decline. I've even lost friends communicating with me because I wouldn't use instant messenger, and I've never felt ok about texting either. I responded to a text once that was a year old, thinking it had just been sent. Also tend to leave my mobile at home as I'm not on 24hr call like a doctor, and just take it if away from home for a few days when I know I'll need to be contacted. I've not even used any of the free calls each month and I got it last Easter, so its more for other peoples' benefit than mine. Being a volunteer on the committee for a tenants association I've had to make monthly phone calls to remind people of the meeting and I tend to dread phoning but it has become somewhat easier over time. One person in particular has a landline that keeps breaking up (she dropped the phone so it doesn't work properly) and I often spend minutes just saying "hello can you hear me?" or ringing her back and trying again - it is the most stressful experience ever! Last time I had to ring her the call was diverted to her mobile as she was on her way to Scotland. I spoke to her and told her the date of the meeting had changed to 21st, yet on 21st I was told by the Chairperson that she'd had no idea the meeting was that day and had only discovered us by accident gathering outside the pub (where unfortunately the meetings have to be held due to lack of any other venue). He seemed to believe her rather than me and I felt furious that I'd gone through all that stress and anxiety for nothing! I'm thinking of resigning. My whole involvement with the T.A (and I mentioned a bit more in my meet and greet 1st post) and not just the phone phobia, is all getting to be too much. On the plus side, I DID get to make friends with a neighbour who I seem to get along very well with, but she doesn't want me to resign and leave her on her own there. (sorry to get so off topic) So I'm sort of in recluse phase at the moment, avoiding everybody.

Thanks Pearl and Karen for the welcome. And also for explaining about the location - I'm sure I'll be making my way up the mountain in no time at all.

Why does it say Norfolk Broads next to my name? Is there anywhere I can change the location ? Can't find a button for it. Thanks

Hi everyone, I'm a female (54 and still young) currently living in London. I only heard of the term Aspergers on another totally unrelated website, and when I casually googled what it meant I was taken aback as much of it described me. I am not going for an official diagnosis because, apart from just 'knowing' and not needing the label confirmed, I just don't want to spend the time and energy or go through the hassle of doing that, especially as I've survived this long without diagnosis anyway. I had a major meltdown in the pub a few days ago (where we hold our monthly tenants meetings) because of sensory overload etc and ended up storming out. I asked them at the bar if they would turn down the music and they did slightly for a few seconds, only to put it back up again, so I couldn't tune into what anyone was saying (and I was supposed to be taking the minutes). Other factors were added to the meltdown, and since then I've been taking refuge in my flat, not going out at all for the next few days. I will emerge today to take a walk in the park, but just wanted to say hello on this forum first. Apart from being highly sensitive to noise, I also have the eye contact problem and often say things that others would consider to be socially inappropriate. I also sometimes repeat what others have just said and even what I've just said, plus don't always have control over the volume or tone or my voice. The only friends I really have now are those I've made online. Fortunately I enjoy my own company and can spend long periods of time alone (which I need anyway), but still like people and enjoy the company of others, although group situations feel more challenging than one to one conversations. I sometimes get accused of interrupting, and then I get overly stressed when I experience their annoyance as I'm not deliberately trying to be rude. I used to have a phone phobia but am getting a bit better at that, yet still try to insist on email contact for everything. I'm not physically clumsy and don't have all of the symptoms, but can relate to being obsessive about focusing on one interest for ages at a time. I've managed to reach a place of self-esteem despite everything. I'll not go on, just wanted to give a bit more background than just saying hello. I'm relieved that there are others who may be like me who have similar challenges. I suspect my father may have had Aspergers too, and it is all starting to make more sense to me now. Grateful for this messageboard.