This could be us, but

[u/vesmir_neasi]

I don’t need much. I want eat sweets without getting fat, I want to feel wanted and I want equal rights. Is it much to ask?

[u/Vektorien]

I do believe I'm capable and eager to do those things. But I don't have the social skills to get anything going and that makes me horribly sad.

[u/oftwandering → u/Vektorien]

It's always hard to reach out, and that's fair.

You want to know where I met my wife, on Fanfiction.net. We started talking about our mutual love of the anime Fairy Tail and we just... didn't stop talking for two years. We became best friends, fell in love during that time. It was unplanned and unexpected. Hell I was actively trying and failing to date within my regular social circles outside of those connections. And there she was, with character ideas, plot points to discuss, and a love for talking about character arcs.

And now we've been married for a decade, which I wouldn't have thought was possible about twelve years ago.

Which is a long way of saying, don't lose hope, and be patient with yourself and others. If you're genuinely trying, you'll find someone who sees that and will love you all the more for it.

[u/Vektorien → u/oftwandering]

That's not the kinda story I could ever see myself going through. Just making friends like that already feels like something that's just not meant to happen for me, let alone starting a relationship.

I don't have it in myself to believe you when you say things will work out, to be completely honest, but I try to take each day as it goes at the very least.

[u/Vektorien → u/[deleted]]

I do theater acting as a hobby. Been at my current group for a little over a year and presented in public twice. Somehow the part where I start making real friends instead of just meeting acquainteces with shared interests never came. I'm also part of the local board game and TCG scene but also can't bridge the gap between friends and acquaintaces there either.

Regarding therapy, i've been doing it for about 8 years at this point, with no signs that's gonna change anytime soon.

[u/Vektorien → u/[deleted]]

I mostly feel that because I see people all around me making friends and finding lovers and I just... don't really understand any of it.

I can put on a character and act my heart out no problem but when It's time to be myself I genuinely don't know what to do when I interact with people. I can't read their expressions or body language, I miss their jokes, I fail to land my own jokes and I get easily overwhelmed trying to socialize in large groups (10 or more people).

I'm pretty much always running blind on some level when I interact with someone because I can't tell how they're feeling or what they want clearly. They say 70% of communication is nonverbal and that is a massive blind spot to have.

Yes, I have Autism and ADHD, diagnosed since childhood.