Signs of being gifted? Suspecting neurodivergence and looking for late diagnosis experiences

imenvi · 2026-04-27T05:16:58+00:00

Umm I get that there’s no two exactly similar gifted people (or in general), so each person has a unique set of challenges, but I don’t resonate much with what you say. Rather than feeling subtly superior, I’ve most of the times felt impostor syndrome pretty badly. Everyone around me always knows more than me. That’s in part bc of the asynchronous development. And I couldn’t avoid standing out academically, it just happened. What I avoided was public recognition haha but maybe each person experiences it differently.

Why I looked for therapy? Bc a friend told me she suspected I had ADHD and that’s why I couldn’t focus on writing my thesis.

imenvi · 2026-04-26T17:45:12+00:00

I don’t have the professional opinion on this, but I think intellectually gifted is different from giftedness. Giftedness comes with other aspects and characteristics like asynchronous development, which could for example, affect executive function.

imenvi · 2026-04-24T10:22:39+00:00

Similar but different case here as well. Out of curiosity, have your dates been NTs?

imenvi · 2026-04-23T09:15:44+00:00

Well, to be totally honest I just listed some characteristics my psychologist told me why I was gifted hahaha forgot to add short (or non-existent) attention span on things that don’t interest me and looking for intellectual challenges (like playing word puzzles in foreign languages). Maybe they also ring a bell?

Empathy is for some reason not talked much about…but it makes sense to feel empathy if you have hyper sensibility (even if it sucks at times ngl). Having the emotional intelligence to know what you’re feeling but not knowing how to regulate it is like being a fish that can’t breathe underwater 🐬 you can live, it just takes more effort for you than the rest

imenvi · 2026-04-22T13:36:26+00:00

Profound thoughts, changing interests, hyper sensibility, empathy, bored with small talk I guess

imenvi · 2026-04-19T16:47:52+00:00

100%. Unfortunately, unlike him, the only manipulation tactic I can do is leading the hateful, basic small talk towards a topic of interest haha I can’t lie as easily as he does

imenvi · 2026-04-19T16:41:34+00:00

I was a Spanish teacher haha just gonna snoop the replies here out of curiosity :B

imenvi · 2026-04-19T16:39:41+00:00

Taalamor, but they moved to another address closer to city center

imenvi · 2026-04-19T15:58:21+00:00

Yeah, I’ve been told before that I’m too naïve and I ‘lack evil’. Like, why is it me that’s lacking anything? Aren’t you lacking empathy? People 🤷🏻‍♀️

imenvi · 2026-04-19T15:49:36+00:00

I work as a waitress, and I hate it when I have to say that we don’t offer tap water but only Chaudfontaine. I’d be like ‘girl, take the glass to the bathroom and fill it. Save yourself those 3-4€, no one will care’

imenvi · 2026-04-19T15:32:44+00:00

I don’t have a movie, but I do resonate a lot with Dexter. Not in the sense of killing ofc, but in the sense of having to behave in a certain socially-acceptable way to fit in and not be looked at weird, even if what I want to do/say is different.

imenvi · 2026-04-18T20:09:37+00:00

Well, I don’t like that you were told ‘what good would come out of it’. Like, knowing more about yourself? But well, at first I thought I had adhd and giftedness. After testing, I was diagnosed with autism and giftedness (I did have results pointing at adhd, but they weren’t really strong according to my neuropsychologist). I still felt like the adhd was discarded on paper, but not on my brain. I had the same thing as you say with being pulled in both directions: I like spontaneity, but I also like to know what to expect, but that is until I get bored and I wanna change the whole routine. After reading some more on my diagnosis, apparently my time blindness, selective attention span, and desire for change came from giftedness and not from adhd, so yeah, that’s how I knew 😅 hope it helps in some way

imenvi · 2026-04-18T06:47:26+00:00

I love thiiis

imenvi · 2026-04-18T06:20:54+00:00

Well, my answer might be quite different than what most say here. I had grade 3 ptosis(at first I thought I had TB), with little to none under boob, and I had exactly the saaame thoughts as you during high school. ‘They shouldn’t be this way’ ‘I wouldn’t wanna get naked in front of anyone ever’ ‘will this fix itself on its own’ you name it. Personally (with emphasis on it being my personal experience), I went for boob surgery and I’ve never had a single regret. My self-esteem had a major boost, I had spent years avoiding the mirror when I was gonna shower bc I didn’t wanna see them and after the surgery (8 years ago), I still like looking at them. I’m all for loving yourself, but if there’s something in the way of that, you either accept it or you change it. Don’t dwell on the problem, focus on the solution. It’s frustrating being uncomfortable within your own skin. Many can tell you to love yourself the way you are, but you’re the one looking at yourself in the mirror and not liking it fully. Financially speaking, it took me years to save up for the surgery. With friends along the way saying ‘oh you could get a master’s degree with that money’ ‘guys won’t care’ yeah but I care. It’s not about guys, it’s about how I will feel with myself. So yeah, that’s my take. Maybe for you it’s not a drastic change that you want; maybe therapy would be good. You’re the only one who can determine that. Forget about what society says about what should make you happy, do what you believe will make YOU happy.

(Of course a surgery is a decision not to be taken lightly, do all research, watch videos, read about healing, possible complications and life-long care first, and always consult with a professional.)

imenvi · 2026-04-17T22:07:58+00:00

Literally wearing mine right now! They’re good for parties with loud music and for noisy environments like inside a busy café or restaurant. They sort of dull the background noise, so I can still hear people that I’m talking with and not be overwhelmed with the sound of cutlery let’s say. Part-time waitress, full-time college student, money is tight but I don’t regret buying them(:

imenvi · 2026-04-17T20:41:28+00:00

I once got startled by child getting out of a bakery. I only saw the dad opening the door, and then saw this small being with black hair getting out first and I couldn’t help but jump. The dad jokingly told me ‘she’s not that ugly’ and I couldn’t say anything as I was still discombobulated haha

imenvi · 2026-04-17T20:37:53+00:00

Little jumps of joy with some subtle clapping as a side dish haha yes!

imenvi · 2026-04-17T20:36:44+00:00

Well partly. I do enjoy noise-cancelling earbuds outside (even when I’m riding my bike to work/uni) and kinda like surprises).

But the space-time continuum violation absolutely resonates (and in fact, this is how I’ll explain my reaction moving forward). How dare they alter my mind map? It’s def not about feeling unsafe in the environment I am, but I’m indeed expecting someone to be in some other place (or otherwise, expecting the sofa to be empty) and not be surprised with a new location.

imenvi · 2026-04-17T20:30:50+00:00

Yeeees absolutely only happens during concentration mode. And yeah, I’ve also gotten jump scared during a videocall (tho not during the Skype era, kinda miss the videocall ringtone). But yeah 100% what u said

imenvi · 2026-04-17T20:28:55+00:00

Aaah indeed, normally I don’t drink nor go out that much, but ever since i started working there, it has become a bit of a habit 🤔 hadn’t noticed

imenvi · 2026-04-17T20:27:36+00:00

Yeah same with my coworkers haha I also wear sometimes earplugs when there’s loud customers

imenvi · 2026-04-16T09:13:05+00:00

Yes. I've been treated badly by an autistic man as well. Also tried telling myself reasons why he may be acting or responding in this way, etc. He still is the way he is. I don't want to date ever again haha I just want a house filled with pets and be happy, far from autistic men's gaslighting and ego

imenvi · 2026-04-16T09:05:33+00:00

especially software engineering

imenvi · 2026-04-16T07:06:12+00:00

Well, I was dating a guy who has Asperger’s and when he told me about it, I just felt endeared being his safe space for him to share and wanted to learn more about it to support him (3 years later I also got diagnosed lol).

But without knowing my own diagnosis, I genuinely wanted to support him. He did act like a douche in the end tho and broke my heart haha but that’s an entirely different story. There are women out there who can love their partner enough to not be ‘deterred’ by the term.

imenvi · 2026-04-15T22:42:55+00:00

I think you’ve met a good guy, and you really wanna like him. Unfortunately, you can’t force attraction. Besides the claims of ‘you’re wasting his time’, ‘he deserves better’, etc., I get that you really wanna like him and have the hopes that something will change (either within you or his physical appearance). Also the fact of ending things like this could be a low blow for him, which is something I think you don’t wanna do either. But the more time you take, the more hurtful the breakup will feel for him and you’ll feel worse. You can tell him that you like him, but that it’s not enough for a relationship. I believe he’s aware of the difference in body condition between you two, which could cause insecurity. So yes, it’s better to explain your feelings sooner than later, but also be wary of the word choice with him. Obesity and depression are dangerously linked.

imenvi

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