Hi all,
Sorry to hijack an old topic with a new thread but I didn't want to add a post in the original thread, which seems really old now (Link) and raise the dead 
Anyways, today I was diagnosed with ASD (High Functioning) and it was relief to finally have (part of) an answer of who I am now, at 34, but better late than never.
I don't really know the point of the post but if anyone needs to perhaps give/get advice I, and I'm sure others, will appreciate it.
I have struggled with relationships all my life - emotionally and physically abused by father, bullied at school - so I have low self esteem and have shied away from people. I have a small selection of really good friends now, only because a friend persevered to include me in things and he is my closest friend now, which is good.
Academically, I struggled with school, college and uni and therefore didn't leave with anything worth shouting about. I climbed the ladder in teaching and before the unrealistic expectations got the better of me I did earn a good salary, but eventually something had to give and I left teaching. So my earning potential outside of teaching has been stunted but I am studying to update my skills and make myself more marketable. 
Romantically, I have always gone for wrong women (married, drug addictions, rebounds and rejections) and after seeing a therapist last year and today I realise it was most likely to jeopardise anything before it could even start. When my parents split years ago I thought I would help my mum out by buying out my dad, so I know I'm no catch living with my mum at 34 (well at least according to some ladies on this forum!) but I am determined not to die alone or with a pet for company. 
The only advice I have at the moment is to learn everything you can about yourself, find out who you are, what makes you tick and why, it seems to be working for me. 