Alex Reid reveals he has been diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome aged 45

Alex Reid has revealed he has been diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome at the age of 45 after years of ‘relentless bullying for being different’.

The cagefighter and reality star has said the diagnosis has helped him to understand why he’s always felt different and called it a ‘relief’ but admitted it was ‘unnerving.’

He told The Mirror: ‘It’s a relief in many ways but it’s a bit unnerving because it’s coming to terms with new things, but it also explains so much.’

Asperger’s is a form of autism, characterised by significant difficulties in social interaction and nonverbal communication, along with restricted and repetitive patterns of behavior and interests. 

Alex detailed how he discovered he is autistic after walking through a park with fiancée Nikki Manashe when a young boy ran towards him and accidentally tripped him up. 

He ended up befriending the family, who have a few relatives with autism, and the more he spent time with them, the more they began to notice some similarities.

Alex said: ‘I was so friendly with the children and the parents started to notice so many traits in me. They saw that in interviews I can sometimes be so together and then I can completely fall apart. They said they thought I was autistic.

‘My friends, the Boyce family, suggested I had an autism test and I came up significantly autistic.’

Alex also said that he has been bullied in school for being unable to answer questions and he was also bullied in the army for ‘being different.’

He noted that he always tries to put on a brave face but inside he’s a ‘little boy crying’ – but no one knows because he is a great actor.  

Alex, who is expecting his second child, his first with Nikki – she is 20 weeks along, is hoping to educate others on autism.

Earlier this week, Alex declared himself an ‘anti-masker’ and claims coronavirus can be cured by a ‘positive mindset’.

In an extraordinary interview with FUBAR Radio, the former mixed martial artist admitted he’s ‘not a big buyer’ on the law-enforced measure, despite scientific evidence proving that face coverings may reduce the spread of the deadly virus.

The sportsman also accused his ex-wife Katie Price of ‘trolling’ following the breakdown of their 11-month marriage in 2011, and revealed he underwent ‘so much therapy’ to combat his suicidal thoughts.

Meanwhile, several other people have spoken out about being diagnosed with Asperger’s. 

Teenage environmental activist Greta Thunberg has opened up about her Asperger’s diagnosis and revealed that it led to her suffering from an eating disorder.

In a frank social media post in September 2019, the 18-year-old addressed comments about her appearance and beliefs and said that before she started school she had ‘no energy, no friends and I didn’t speak to anyone’.

‘I have Asperger’s syndrome and that means I’m sometimes a bit different from the norm. And – given the right circumstances – being different is a superpower.’ 

TV presenter Chris Packham has revealed how discovering his love for punk rock music as an ‘isolated and very unhappy’ teenager saved his life.

The TV host, 58, who was diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome in his 40s, explained how while he was growing up other teens excluded him for being different.

The Winterwatch presenter, from Southampton, discovered punk when he was around 15 and embraced the genre – a move he described as ’empowering’. 

And comedian Amy Schumer has discussed her husband’s Asperger’s Syndrome in an effort to get rid of the ‘stigma that comes along with it’.

The actress, 38, revealed her husband Chris Fischer, 40, was diagnosed with the form of autism on her Netflix comedy special Amy Schumer: Growing.

Explaining her decision to speak out about her personal life, she told Late Night host Seth Meyers,’We both wanted to talk about it because it’s been totally positive’.