Aspies For Freedom

I have several male collegues of similar age to me at work. They like me and in my own way I like them. Whilst they socialise together alot and occasional ask me to join them I turn them down. This is because I don't live close to work and they live close together. I have now been asked along again to what will basically be a pub crawl in London with about 6 to 8 of them.

Since discussing AS with these people I have learned one collegue has IBS another has high blood pressure another suffer bi-polar depression and so it goes on. These are relatively young men. They are fascinated by my calm and neutral approach to pressure and my dry scense of humour. With my personality I am largely uninterested in them.

My question is this. I will suffer big stress pre-going out, but I know once I'm out I will be OK because I always am. I also know that I am fitter and healthier than all these people who I once through were so much at ease with themselves. They also have issues, just not social ones. I think I should go because I am in danger of becoming an A* bridge-burner. I'm not really interested in them but I don't want them losing interest in me. What do you all think??

P.S. I like drinking beer so I'll be good at that bit!

In my own personal experience, I have found that if you don't like going places with friends, after a while they will give up on trying to be your friend. If you can gather the courage, I would definitely recommend going out with them at least once. That way, they will know that you actually appreciate their company and that you are not just hanging out with them at work simply because they're there. Even though for us Aspies it is pretty normal to really like people as friends but not want to hang out with them outside of work or school, neurotypical people generally don't understand this concept and consequently think that we don't want to be friends with them.

Also, if you like beer, that's a plus too.

I think you should go and just let your gaurd down a bit, it seems they have issues of their own to deal with as well.

Does anyone find that someone with a difficulty or a problem easily connects with someone else in a similar situation. Like there are 2 people I know in work who suffer depression, one admits it and has been off as a result but the other keeps it quiet and just get's on like they have a wonderful life when it's plain to see that they don't and they disguise it to others. i also worked with someone this week who is sufferng from something I can't quite put my finger on but she seems to form attatchments to people very easily and is very self conscious ie asking people if she is good at the job and did I do this right etc She also seems to talk a lot about nothing in particular and everything has to be described in detail. For example someone asked her if she was going out last night and instead of "yes" or "yes we are going to Bolton, me and some friends" it was where they were going, who with, how many of them, they had 2 minibuses booked at 9pm, what she was wearing, what she was matching it with etc. Almost as if that if you spoke to her she wanted to tell you everything.

You never know, she might be Aspie.

Something is not quite right but i'm not sure what. She also seems to like people really easily