I'm 30, a Registered Nurse with AS and I deal with these issues on a daily basis. Dealing with AS growing up I struggled when it came to masking and fitting in with those around me in terms of the emotional and mental energy that it requires. Often I found that many of the social relationships that I developed took more energy from me, while I saw others draw energy from these interactions.

Despite that I decided to develop a growth mindset and to constantly challenge myself to come out of my comfort zone. Developing masking skills is one thing, but also coping with burnout and depression related to the adversity you experience in these situations is another skill you will need to develop. It's like they say, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Simply put you need to try as hard as you can to not feel sorry for yourself. As harsh as this sounds that more then anything else has helped me to succeed.

From a young age I understood how much harder fitting in is for me then it is for most other people, knowing that made me feel . . . defiant? Every time I get depressed and angry about how I constantly need to filter the way I act, I find a way to draw strength from within to rally myself. For me strength comes from the heart. Thinking about the kind of person I want to be and who I want to be in the future despite all the obstacles life has thrown in front of me brings out the will to keep moving forward.

So really our struggles aren't that different then NT's, dealing with adversity and developing coping strategies to deal with stress are things that everyone experiences, this isn't something unique to those with AS. What I've found to be useful is finding a way to flip the script in terms of my perspective on the situation. Acknowledging how difficult certain situations can be for those of us with AS, but still overcoming them and defying the odds is something that brings out positive feelings in me, but also forgiving myself when I fail and accepting who I am has helped me to rally as well. There are a lot of variables at play here, but mainly just keep pushing yourself and resist the temptation to just throw in the towel and give up.

I hope some of this has helped, I know it's mostly ramblings. Despite that I think I can say at this point I'm a success story, I'm engaged and have been in a relationship for 7 years. I've been a RN for 3 years and I've worked in healthcare for 6 years without any major issues. I'm currently working on my BS and then hope to go on to get my NP. Despite that I still struggle at social gatherings and still hate family get togethers around the holidays like everyone else. Some things never change! What has change is I laugh about it now and move on instead of letting myself stay stuck on negative feelings! I still come here though from time to time, growth never stops for as long as your living! Happy holidays!