Difficulties relating to people

I have often been told I am slightly off in the way I present myself and deal with social interactions. When I was a child I had no real friends and no friendship skills, but at 11 I decided I desperately wanted friendship and caring relationships in my life.

It feels as though ever since I made the commitment to find friends, it has been an uphill struggle, (with rewarding successes along the way) to develop my ability to make and keep real friendships.

I am not able to see my social obligations, or what people expect me to do. I can learn and become quite good at it, but if I'm put in a new situation it does not come naturally for me. I'm sick of people thinking I don't care about them because I am unable to see how it is they are expecting me to behave.

What I desire more than anything is to be in a place where I am supporting and giving to other people. Where I am like a fruit tree, tended to and nurtured in just the right way so I can work hard and provide lots of fruit and the people around me will be so glad they made that small, informed investment in me. Yet at the moment it seems all I can do is not understand when advice is given, get offended, take things the wrong way, and then when I try to explain how I saw things I'm told they don't want to hear it and it's too much effort for them.

Does any one have advice on how I can make this easier and become someone who can equally support and be supported in relationships?

It is hard to know what is expected of us. I'm a very literal thinker, and have difficulty reading between the lines and picking up on nonverbal nuances. My suggestion would be to just be yourself, and see what you can offer to the other person you're interacting with. If you're not sure where they're coming from, maybe you could ask them to clarify. I know it's hard; I misinterpret things all the time. Once I know what the other person means, it's easier for me to contribute to the conversation or situation. Hope this helps

good advice be yourself but than try to find out in what way you are the same as the person you are dealing with and use that (even more importend in romantic endevours)
for inctance you like computergames and so does he/she you'll have a topic for smalltalk

Bonzifan, I am the exact same way. Message me

Is there a unit for people with autistic children or adults near you? Maybe you could offer to be a teaching assistant or volunteer helper? If you tell the non-autistic staff when you ask/apply that you have autism and what you said on here they maybe able to help you further, as well as you been able to 'give back' to the other autistic kids/adults who go there who maybe less able than yourself?

The staff although non-autistic will have more of an insight into your difficulties than the general public, even if you are significantly more able than the other kids/adults that attend at the school/day centre/care home etc? They maybe more likely to befriend you and include you in staff social meet ups etc making it a little bit easier for you to get opportunities to 'go out with colleagues/friends'.