Hey, I was not that much different back then either. It hit me hardest on my Teen years. Compared to nowadays, it was very easy for me to get angry and have mood swings when things didn't go my way, especially as someone who has autism(low on the scale). And my teen years were pretty hard, as not only was I a constant target for bullies, but I did get an abusive teacher(and in case some of you are having thoughts, it was a female teacher) who did succeed in making me a crying mess and was the beginning of my anxiety.
My mom said that ever since that teacher, I went from a giggly playful and open child to a shy and quiet child who closed off others. And today, while I can definitely interact with people when I need to, most of the time, I'm just by myself just doing my own thing and not bothering anybody. So yeah, my Teen years were harsh with being anxious, somewhat orderly and having mood swings and quick moments of anger, panic and idiocy when something wasn't going smoothly or orderly.
But after my teen years and after entering my 20s, I'm actually very calm and capable of controlling myself. While I'm still somewhat orderly and have moments of anxiety when something doesn't go straightforward, I have been able to keep them under control better than I was as a kid. And when I look back, I can feel regret for some of the things I did and use those to help me control my future actions.
Where once it was very easy to anger me or change my mood, to being known around my family and friends as one of the hardest to anger and hates swearing. And I was a real idiot as well, where I spoke alot before thinking, out of repulsion or out of ignorance. It took time, but once I got through the worst of years, I can now think (mostly) before doing my actions and actually think with what I say.
I'm an example that people with issues can get better and I want to be able to help those that have issues get through life cause there is a place for them just as much anybody else.