FORUMS

Connect with people who understand what you are going through, seek advice and surround yourself with support. We're free, anonymous, and professionally moderated 24/7.

  • 47,612Members
  • 1,358,869Posts
  • 1,400,000Visitors
Something’s not right

28-year-old child.

28-year-old child.

I have noticed that I am very childlike. I think it seems from my childhood trauma, being bullied in childhood.

I have found that I was childlike in high school, and now in adulthood, I’m dealing with things most teenagers do: being better academically, dealing with romantic feelings et cetera.

Even now, though, I feel like a kid sometimes. I have recently been informally diagnosed with Autism. My psychologist said that to get an actual diagnosis, a psychiatrist has to sign off on it, but you don’t need to if you’re not going to use it for anything. Symptomically, I have it.

One of the things she said is that autistic people tend to have a very logical or simple way of looking at the world. A lot of the social customs and rules which are difficult to understand for autistic people, start from adulthood.

Children don’t have to learn how to be adults.

I was a little bit disappointed by my 8-year-old nephew today. I went shopping with him, and we spent the whole morning together walking around. We had lunch at a cafe, with him, my sister and my 18-month-old niece.

It was a lot of fun, and then I got home and started watching the Warriors game. Our living room has a big window looking out to the backyard, and I felt like playing, passing the footy around. However, I was waiting for my nephew to come visit, because playing by yourself isn’t quite as fun.

When he comes, he doesn’t want to play. I tried convincing him, but no luck. You would think it’s the other way around, where he wants to play and I can’t be bothered. Sometimes it is, but on this occasion, I wanted to play catch outside. He did play with my niece for a bit inside, but it’s a freaking oven inside…

So that was a little annoying. I don’t mean to be all “back in my day”, but I do want him to be more active, like a kid should be.

I mean I get it, he’s been sick lately anyway. He’s cool.

I do find it interesting, though, that I was being the child in that situation.

1 reply

1 - 1 of 1

In response to: 28-year-old child.

Re: 28-year-old child.

Hi @florencefifty,

Thanks for your post. I can relate to what you say about feeling childlike, and I appreciate the insight you've shown in the way you've shared your experience.

I can definitely understand why you'd feel upset in that situation you described. It can certainly be disappointing when we are looking forward to something and it doesn't turn out how we had hoped.

There are so many different ways of seeing the world, and I hope you're able to appreciate that yours is just as valuable as anyone else's. Having a perspective that some may consider 'childlike' doesn't diminish the validity of what you feel and experience.

1 - 1 of 1