There have been clues all through my life, since I was a kid, that I might be trans.  I just never stopped to think about why I was doing/feeling what I was.  A few months ago I did start thinking about it, and quite a few things clicked together.  A helluva a lot of things really.

I'm still not sure if I'm trans, cis, or something else entirely. But it's something I really want to explore and figure out.  But it's not easy.

I was diagnosed as on the autistic spectrum decades ago.  People are very hard work for me at the best of times.  My ability to interact with people irl is virtually zero at the moment.   I've tried contacting support groups, and just keep chickening out.  I've had some minor success with online support and chats, but even there I tend to go quiet in group chats, and be at a loss as to what to say in 1-1 chat.

I'm not sure what I'm expecting from posting this, but there you have it.

FWIW, are you seeing a therapist for your ASD issues?

My son was diagnosed as Asperger at age 4 (20 years ago) and has been seeing a therapist who is experienced with ASD.  I think it has helped a lot.  He stopped when he was in college, but started going again after he came home and found it hard to move on with his life.

To add to the "fun", he's come out to me as trans recently.  Unfortunately, we haven't been able to talk much about it, I assume because what it's like to be trans is hard to communicate even for the most neurotypical among us.

It seems that the prevalence of autism spectrum and ->-bleeped-<- is fairly common, so you're not alone. Hopefully some other members in similar circumstances can chime in for you.

Hey there,
Im FTM, have had Aspergers since I about 3. Trans since I  can remember at like 4 and 5 I showed signs but didn't act on it until I was 27 And then I was diagnosed at 13 with bipolar depression.
So my friend I completely understand!
I'm currently 30. 11mo on T and pre opt. Recently single and so lonely. My x girlfriend supports me but I've manged to push her away ( btw, had already did that physically in the relationship due to my aspies). I have no actual friends,  just acquaintances. So now I'm completely alone. To top it off from being bipolar depressed (I think from being Trans at a young age) Ive had horrible depression/anger episodes that my girl started really getting affected by.
But she did help me start my transition and understand that my phone is my key the outside world. (Aspies). Since the aspies limits my human interaction even on MY best day also. She knew a lot about how to deal with me because she has people in her life with my illnesses. Not all in one like me but she got it.  I never really thought about it until I found myself by myself all the time lately. This app Tapatalk has been a great outlet to relate to people of simular interest. (Cuz I kno she got exhausted with me lol). I kno it's lonely and scary out there for   people like us. Lately Ive been trying really hard to connect with live people but its so frustrating to connect with someone who is not her. No one to tell my intimate things to.  No one to share my transition stuff with or when Im depressed and no one wants to be around me, I cant just text her my Sad faced emotional crap.  I guess Im saying keep at it on these forums.  I kno it's hard but remember. There are other out there on here that will listen and understand maybe even comment and help. Plus no one can see you or hear you. U are free to release anything u need. Scream into abyss! I put the Tapatalk app next to my morning news and social stuff like facebook to remind myself im not alone in this. I hope this helps,  and if not I wish you the best on your journey!

ShonJon

Well, yeah, me too.  I have Asperger Syndrome, and I am transgender.  But I never let Asperger's stop me from living my life.  I've been married twice, raised three kids to adulthood, practiced law before some of the highest courts in the country, and driven a Lamborghini on a race track.

My only regret is that I let family and society almost kill the dear, sweet girl that always lived deep inside me and yearned to be out and free.  And now she has to be in order for me to live and be healthy.

I don't have the time or the energy to dwell on all the boo boos, mistakes and screwups I have made in interactions with people over the years.  I am just happy I made it this far.

And now, I get to be me, and live as myself.  Sure there will be trouble, there will be potholes and bumps in the road, and a few breakdowns as well.  But that is no reason not to make the trip.

The trouble is that being trans can have effects that mimic ASDs and mental illnesses. I was bullied and ostracised at school, and have never really fitted in properly as male. I also used to have massive mood swings, that I now think are the result of my body having poor control of my hormone levels, causing my testosterone to surge to higher and higher levels and then crash a week or so later. With hindsight, it's obvious that those things have come about because some of my prenatal development went a bit wrong and my brain partly developed as female instead of male. If my parents had taken me to a shrink, I could easily have ended up diagnosed with ASD or bipolar (or both) though.