Women, would my autistic inflatable comfort habit be a dating dealbreaker?

[Anonymous]

Hey, I wanted to ask this honestly.

I’m in my 20s, autistic, 6ft and I’m a former professional combat sports athlete. I’m a good earner and I’m well off. I’ve had girlfriends before, but I never opened up to any of them about this because I was scared they would think I’m not good enough or that it’s weird.

I’m putting this into context because I’m not sure if it’s important, but I want you to see the full picture the normal side and the silly part.

There’s one thing I do that really helps me. Every month or two, when I’m stressed or overstimulated, I like to have one or two big inflatables at home for a weekend (like a giant whale or unicorn). I just lie on them. The pressure and feeling calms me down completely. It’s like my brain finally shuts up and I can reset. It’s colorful, fun, and feels really nice.

I want to make this clear this is not sexual at all. It’s just a sensory and comfort thing. It helps me calm down and reset. That’s the main reason I do it.

I’m tired of hiding this part of me. I know it is silly to some people, but it genuinely helps me. I wanted to ask honestly:

Would this be a dealbreaker for you, or would you be okay with it if you liked the guy?

I’m not looking for sugarcoating. Just real opinions.

Thanks.

[SueShe]

I am aware that people on the autism spectrum may have difficulties adjusting to the "normal" world and that they need special attention, depending on which stage of the spectrum they are.

If you explain your situation to your date, you may scare him/her off but it is better to be honest and face rejection rather than to keep this issue silent and that he/she finds out at a later day and blames you for potentially ruining that relationship.

I don't date but I would have no problem at all accepting that kind of psychologic tension relief if I was interested in dating.

Also, the severity of the autism is also a determining factor in a relationship. You cannot behave the same with someone on level 1 or on level 3 of the spectrum.