This is relatable. I’m was diagnosed ASPD as a child, but never had any follow-up treatment or therapy. One noteworthy aspect of my transition into adulthood is the sheer amount of deliberate practice that went into learning how to properly socialize. Standing on the other side of all that effort, I feel that I’ve become more empathic than half my neurotypical friends and family members, quicker to accurately and elaborately imagine (in a humanizing fashion) another person’s perspective. People regard me as eloquent and charming to be around, confident and outgoing, etc. Honestly, it’s just a lot of hard work. My tendency is toward seclusion, I’m strongly introverted, and social gatherings of more than, say, three-to-five close friends can easily spike my blood pressure.
When it comes to certain things, I’m definitely having a qualitatively different experience than some of my more neurotypical friends. You brought up lying and that’s one good example. I think that a common manifestation of neurodivergence is an obsession with the true shape of things, so that it’s easy to become hyperfocused, to a detriment, on distinctions that seem very important to the individual.
This is relatable. I’m was diagnosed ASPD as a child, but never had any follow-up treatment or therapy. One noteworthy aspect of my transition into adulthood is the sheer amount of deliberate practice that went into learning how to properly socialize. Standing on the other side of all that effort, I feel that I’ve become more empathic than half my neurotypical friends and family members, quicker to accurately and elaborately imagine (in a humanizing fashion) another person’s perspective. People regard me as eloquent and charming to be around, confident and outgoing, etc. Honestly, it’s just a lot of hard work. My tendency is toward seclusion, I’m strongly introverted, and social gatherings of more than, say, three-to-five close friends can easily spike my blood pressure.
When it comes to certain things, I’m definitely having a qualitatively different experience than some of my more neurotypical friends. You brought up lying and that’s one good example. I think that a common manifestation of neurodivergence is an obsession with the true shape of things, so that it’s easy to become hyperfocused, to a detriment, on distinctions that seem very important to the individual.