Not sure why I didn't find this forum sooner

[Rockhauler]

PTSD can be "complex" for a reason.

It was called 'shell shocked' back then.

The maladaptive survival behaviors our mind adopts can present in many ways.

I'm getting better with rage, but I can also dissociate and go catatonic.

There's a reason autism is a "Spectrum"

In elementary school I used to beat my head on the desk so hard it would spatter blood.

But, unlike many non-verbal autists I'm incredibly loquacious.

That coupled with the fact I used to read the encyclopedia and thesaurus for fun makes me sound "preachy" at times, but really I'm just incredibly enthusiastic about sharing all the esoteric minutiae in my head.

The DSM IV threw all of us into the pool together, instead of differentiating Asperger's Syndrome and other forms of autism.

I'm basically Rainman with a penchant for cultures & language, chemistry and material science, rocketry & orbital dynamics, OSINT & cryptography (anything that's a puzzle or pattern recognition) 3D spatial relations (my brain lives CAD) and I can instantly grasp an analog schematic.

I'm also really good with colour and typefaces because as a kid I used to work in a commercial art store.

When Panatone and Letraset were a thing before computers made stat cameras obsolete.

I had walls of numbers memorized!

I also love my 87 460 pickup.

No computers, airbags, traction control (LOOK at my tone ring! 😳😆😂🤣🤯)

I KNOW every millimeter of Li'l Red.

Thanks Jim you have no idea how much your replies have helped me figure things out. Sorry for the slow replies but you've been giving much to sort out.

I’ve been struggling to understand Autism / cPTSD largely because most of the online articles are written by highly educated normal people and it just sails to far over my head. Seems they all talk about Autism like how its seen from out side of the head looking in but not from how it looks looking from the inside out....does that make any sense to you.

Even in our brief chat here you’ve opened my eyes up to several things that strike a deep chord and I have a ah-ha moment. So thanks for taking the time to explain things. Though you force me to google several words to get the full gist of what your saying. My cousin opened the door on me being Autistic about a year ago I’m still trying to figure things out hows that’s for having a life time of struggles.

And to think I showed up here for help with my truck.

Paul

[ArdWrknTrk]

Thanks Jim you have no idea how much your replies have helped me figure things out. Sorry for the slow replies but you've been giving much to sort out.

I’ve been struggling to understand Autism / cPTSD largely because most of the online articles are written by highly educated normal people and it just sails to far over my head. Seems they all talk about Autism like how its seen from out side of the head looking in but not from how it looks looking from the inside out....does that make any sense to you.

Even in our brief chat here you’ve opened my eyes up to several things that strike a deep chord and I have a ah-ha moment. So thanks for taking the time to explain things. Though you force me to google several words to get the full gist of what your saying. My cousin opened the door on me being Autistic about a year ago I’m still trying to figure things out hows that’s for having a life time of struggles.

And to think I showed up here for help with my truck.

Paul

I'm nobody's therapist, but I'm very open about my conditions.

If you'd like, I'm more than willing to 'speak' off the forum. (as with a number of other posters)

I can give you my email & cell# so you could exchange personal experience.

Write it, text it, speak it, whatever...

I don't sleep much. (Maybe 4 hrs this past week)

PTSD will do that to you....

But I'm ABSOLUTELY here for your truck project as well!