I've been interested in training dogs at a competitive level since I was 14 years old, so way before I was even diagnosed. It's one of the only interests that I've been able to consistently focus on. I can think I'm interested in something else but it fades within a week. I'll bounce from one thing to another and its frustrating. I've gone through a lot of different phases but I know training dogs is what I'm meant to do. When my dog was still alive was some of the happiest years of my life.

I can't engage in the hobby because there are a lot of social skills involved in finding a dog. People don't tend to like or trust me, and they also don't listen to my needs. Recipe for disaster. I've been both shunned and met with hostility. It's gotten to the point where I'm so beaten I don't know if I'll ever find my new special friend to train with. I've been looking for three years.
There is also a lot of socializing within the hobby but people tend to be so eccentric that I can blend in most of the time...

That's the short version of my story.