At what age did things start going wrong for you socially?

[When In Rome]

I saw that film it was sooooooo horrible ... I often feel like I'm doing some sort of real life version of it ...I'm just waiting for the rescue!

The original black and white British or the colour American remake? Either way I can't imagine who would want to make up a story like that.

 

[Danny 74]

When i left school at 16 and entered what people call the real world.... When my childhood was over i refused to accept it and remain childish even to this day....didnt want to go to work with strangers...as i just knew it wasnt for me

 

[Bolletje]

High school, age 14. It was like everyone became more alien to me by the day. People started forming cliques, not wearing the right brand of clothes determined whether people talked to you, and being friends with people of the opposite sex was considered weird. I got very lonely. Didn't realize at the time that everyone else was going through normal puberty and I was the weird one.

 

[Eromevol]

The original black and white British or the colour American remake? Either way I can't imagine who would want to make up a story like that.

The black and white version. It spoke to me very deeply.

 

[Datura]

Social problems began at the age of three, when I first went to daycare. I cried the whole time I was there on the first day, and was taunted by the other kids because of it. I also didn't really understand how other children worked and they would often avoid me or criticize me for not reaching certain developmental milestones.

Things only became worse in elementary as I became more cognizant of my rejection. I was called a retard, had rocks thrown at me, and was made the but of jokes.

Didn't realize at the time that everyone else was going through normal puberty and I was the weird one.

That is exactly how I felt in junior high. I did not think highly of my peers to begin with, but suddenly they seemed to become exponentially stupider. All of the guys would make disgusting sexual jokes on a constant basis and lace their language with profanity for no apparent reason, conflict and drama proliferated, and most of the students seemed more interested in gossip than actually learning anything. I figured I was just in a particularly bad school, or that there was some unknown factor effecting their behavior. It turns out it was just teenage hormones, the same hormones my body was subject to, and yet I didn't have the same response.

In high school I never dated, didn't really party, and could count my friends on one hand. It was around this time I discovered I was physically incapable of approaching people and trying to make friends.

Despite all of that, I preferred junior high to elementary, and high school to elementary. In my early 20s, when I entered the queer community, my social prospects suddenly blossomed and I found myself able to connect with new people in a way I didn't know was possible. For me, the question wasn't so much when my problems started as when they started to let up. I think it was a combination of life experience, other peoples maturity, and learning to self-select my peer group to include people who accept my differences.

 

[Jennacide]

Social interactions have confused and put me off for as long as i can remember. Mother said she couldnt take me anywhere as a child, id cry and hide behind her.
Screamed every year of starting a new grade at school. I had one friend since before school who had to be in my class every year or i would throw tantrums and refuse to go.
As a child i used to believe there was visual speech bubbles of my thoughts that everyone could see and that was why i couldnt make friends, i always felt different. Im quite ashamed of it all.
Now im a hermit who refuses any physical interaction unless its a necessity like food shopping and doctors.
But after all these years i finally have a diagnoses to work from wheeee

 

[Fridgemagnetman]

As a child i used to believe there was visual speech bubbles of my thoughts that everyone could see

That's brilliant. How not to be paranoid and different if people could read your thought bubbles yet you couldn't see theirs or,you could they just never thought of anything!

For me 11. Friends said 'let's get him' two turned round to grab me or 'play fight '

So I punched one of them and walked off, not understanding. End of friendship.

 

[Full Steam]

As a child i used to believe there was visual speech bubbles of my thoughts that everyone could see

I know what you mean.

I always felt people could see intp my mind and read my motivations, and the truth if I lied.

I still get the feeling now, but it's just a feeling with no thoughts or beliefs clinging to it.

I also feel like people can see into my soul through eye contact. I know it's not true, but the feeling remains.

Even if they could I wouldn't mind now, I'm happy to show the world the real me.

 

[Tom]

Around 13-14, I noticed others progressing faster socially, and social problems developing by age 15.

 

[puzzlingbill]

The original question assumes that things were ever right. Not that I can remember.

 

[Aecho]

personally I never really had friends until I hit high school. I didn't feel bad about not having friends until I reached puberty, then the depression kicked in.

 

[RiverSong]

I would say third grade is when I first really noticed I didn't understand the behaviors of other kids.

I didn't understand why the girl in my class who had taken me as a friend suddenly no longer talked to me. It just happened out of the blue one day and I was left friendless without an explanation.

Then when my parents moved during the middle of third grade, I had to go to a new school. I never had any friends at this school. The other kids didn't seem to acknowledge my existence. I didn't know why and didn't understand why they all had friends but I was ignored.

This has been my life ever since. Social situations for me are like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. Just doesn't fit, doesn't work out.

 

[Crossbreed]

I got along reasonably well with family and with other nerds. I didn't think of myself a "having social problems" as much as I thought it was a case of us and them.

 

[Fridgemagnetman]

I would say third grade is when I first really noticed I didn't understand the behaviors of other kids.

I didn't understand why the girl in my class who had taken me as a friend suddenly no longer talked to me. It just happened out of the blue one day and I was left friendless without an explanation.

Then when my parents moved during the middle of third grade, I had to go to a new school. I never had any friends at this school. The other kids didn't seem to acknowledge my existence. I didn't know why and didn't understand why they all had friends but I was ignored.

This has been my life ever since. Social situations for me are like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. Just doesn't fit, doesn't work out.

Well you seem normal to me but what would I know...

Every group needs someone outside it otherwise the people in the group don't feel 'right'.
Which is an awful way to be in my opinion

But what would I know

 

[RiverSong]

Well you seem normal to me but what would I know...

Every group needs someone outside it otherwise the people in the group don't feel 'right'.
Which is an awful way to be in my opinion

But what would I know

Haha, I think this is the first time I've ever been called 'normal' without it being said as a joke. You aren't joking are you? I'm not quite sure.

 

[Crossbreed]

You aren't joking are you? I'm not quite sure.

Consider the source. (I don't mean Fridgemagnetman. I mean this forum...) But feel free to enjoy it, anyway.

 

[Fridgemagnetman]

Consider the source. (I don't mean Fridgemagnetman. I mean this forum...) But feel free to enjoy it, anyway.

Are you saying I'm a joke?


(Definite joke!)

 

[fuðflogi]

I never really had friends, prefered to hang out on my own. Didn't understand the games the other kids played. But I think it was in grade 4, so around 10 years of age, that the bullying started. I vaguely became aware that other kids, for some reason, didn't like me. They would gang up on me and tell lies to get me in trouble. I could not think of any single thing that I would have done to for them to treat me this way.

Past age 12, the bullying was brutal and relentless.

Here here!