Was anyone here able to have a normal social life in their mid 20’s and onwards after having 0 friends growing up?

Yes! I had very few to no friends between the ages of 11 and 15/16. Autistic with severe social anxiety, which didn’t get picked up because everything was put down to the autism. As for what fixed it though… I had a good few years in my late teens and early twenties where ‘getting a social life’ was my absolute top priority. In the middle of this, I went to university 300 miles away- and that put rocket boosters on my social life. I’m genuinely not sure I could have improved my social life half as much if I’d stayed where I grew up.  The process also involved lots of forcing myself into social situations through a wall of anxiety. Like, OK, I’ll go and hyperventilate in the toilets for five minutes, *then* I’ll walk over to the university social and say hello.  So! Tl:dr it’s definitely possible, but it isn’t easy and does take work. Suggestions: - Neurodivergent people usually end up grouping together. Look for spaces which are already full of them. If half the people you’re trying to talk to are also autistic, it’ll be a lot easier, believe me.  - Obligatory ‘join groups related to your interests’ suggestion. If you can’t find any, join a class or club for something you’d like to try.  - Make peace with the fact that you’ll have to force yourself kicking and screaming out of your comfort zone, especially at first. It won’t always be easy, but it’ll be worth it!  - If you’re feeling isolated where you live, and you are able to move to somewhere that fits your ‘vibe’ more, where nobody knows you as the Weirdo From School(tm)- do it. Some places can feel really oppressive if you don’t ‘fit’, and if that’s you, going somewhere else might be the best thing you can do for yourself. Fully appreciate this isn’t an option for everyone though.  - This one isn’t from personal experience, but I’ve heard a lot of people say that getting a dog can be really helpful for getting to know others locally. You get out of the house, you meet other dog walkers regularly, and you can chat with them easily because you immediately have ‘dog owner’ in common.  (Also, if you’re feeling useless/shitty in general, having a pet that relies on you can help drag you out of your misery pit.)  - There might be some low-hanging fruit you can just do. For instance, if you always skip work socials, make yourself go to the next one.   - Find the subreddit for your local area and make a post explaining that you’re an autistic 23 year old interested in x, y, and z, looking to get out a bit more and make some friends. Ask people for recommendations on where to go.  - Also not from personal experience, but if you’re a man and have a men’s shed near you, I’ve heard good things about that.  - If there’s a political or social issue you strongly care about, look into local campaigning. Also a good way to get to know people!