@migriverat @mighty_orbot @Starbrother

Consider a moment that while this is not an autistic-only thing ... We *do* experience it at a higher rate than allistic (non-autistic) people. We have learned (from being shunned, from being chided, from being "told kindly") that the only way we can be accepted is by not talking about what we're interested in.

Because we often get quite enthusiastic when talking about something that excites us (what's often referred to as "info dumping"), and that paired with not always understanding social cues that allistic people use to show they aren't interested in what we're talking about means we censor ourselves, because we want people to like us (who doesn't?) and because we don't want yet another heartbreak where a person we thought we were friends with tells us off for talking too much, being boring, taking up too much space ...

Is this something only autistic people experience? not at all. Some of it can be rooted in their neurodivergence (anxiety, depression, other things) and sometimes it's misunderstood due to inexperience. "Everyone gets hungry from time to time" as the person by you hasn't eaten for days".

The original post was shared with the group "actually autistic", which is for people who are autistic (whether self-diagnosed or formally diagnosed) *by* people who are autistic.