Newly diagnosed

Hello,
I’m Nick and hopefully this will work because I’ve already written this post four times it just won’t post. So here we go again...
I’m new to the whole autism thing so if anything I say is kind of offensive, I am sorry, completely unintentional.
I was diagnosed with epilepsy 21 years ago, l don’t know if that could be connected but I guess that’s something I’ll have to ask a doctor.
I got an autism diagnosis today and I was really surprised but my family seemed to think it was quite obvious.
Until quite recently, the only view of autism I’ve had is from the tv and films such as Big Bang Theory and Good Will Hunting, I’m guessing these portrayals are horribly inaccurate. I thought (no offense intended) that all people with autism were either learning disabled or else obscenely clever and since I don’t fit either of these descriptions I assumed I was not autistic.
Does autism affects the look of facial features? Would other people be able to tell? I have always thought I looked bad in photos but then, does anyone like photos of themselves, also I tend to tense up when people take photos.
I understand that autism limits your ability to read others' emotions, and that we/ I find socializing difficult. But to what extent is your/our ability to read others' body language impaired?
I have lots more questions, but for now I’m just going to leave it at that because it probably won’t post anyway.

Parents
  • Thanks guys for the warm welcome.

    I realise autism is not the same for every one, thanks for pointing out that I was speaking as though it was. Like saying do autistic people do this? do autistic people do that?

    It should have been obvious to me that everyone is different because I never even realised I was autistic, so it was like I was asking now that I’ve been diagnosed with this thing I’ve had all along, will I become a completely different person? I’m not asking that I’m just saying that’s how it must have sounded.

    Having pointed out how stupid it was of me to ask questions, I have some more.

    I have read that nothing causes autism. But can it lay dormant until a certain event or series of events sets it off? So nothing actually caused it.

    I also have a question about how it is classified. Is it a medical condition? Physical? Mental? The internet cannot seem to agree on these points. Don’t tell me its just a diagnosis. A diagnosis of what? What have they diagnosed? Presumably some sort of condition. Can it be treated? Basically is there anything you can do about it, because I don’t want to think of myself (even less others to think of me) as autistic.

    As you may have noticed I’ve changed my username from the one they assigned me. I read that many people with autism are PROUD of it and build their whole identity around it. Well my entire identity I’ve built over thirty years was just shattered during the thirty minute conversation with the doctor three days ago. If other people are happy with their diagnoses, then good for them but I’m not. With mine I mean.
    Just to say there has been a whole assessment process the conversation with the doctor was only the diagnosis.

    I guess my negative reaction to my diagnosis is just me trying to process it in my own mind. I’ve heard about people who really want to be diagnosed and then truly embrace it. I don’t think I could ever do that.


    I was in the car with my parents and sister yesterday. My sister was YouTube-ing old songs. There was one (by Don McLean I think) and some of the lyrics were “I've heard about people like me, but I never made the connection”. I was just like oh, ***. Because l have heard about people who seem to be very similar to me who I knew were diagnosed. But I never thought I could be autistic.

    So following on from my rant about ‘diagnoses'. A, why is it good to be diagnosed (considering I am already legally disabled, so I already get those kind of benefits)? And B, what happens next, they just give this label and expect you to come to terms with it? Really, thanks. Why would I want another diagnosis to add to the three I already have?

    By the way, I don’t like this word ‘neurotypical' I have come across while reading about autism. It just seems to be an acceptable word for ‘normal' but essentially it means the same thing. Also there are lots of reasons why you wouldn’t be ‘neurotypical' if you didn’t have autism. I have lived with a neurological condition for as long as I can remember but I was still neurotypical apparently. I have a lesion in my brain so I’m not that neurotypical.


    Anyway thanks for reading my crazy ramblings that went of some weird tangent about Don McLean.

    P.S. You should watch Good Will Hunting its really good.

Reply
  • Thanks guys for the warm welcome.

    I realise autism is not the same for every one, thanks for pointing out that I was speaking as though it was. Like saying do autistic people do this? do autistic people do that?

    It should have been obvious to me that everyone is different because I never even realised I was autistic, so it was like I was asking now that I’ve been diagnosed with this thing I’ve had all along, will I become a completely different person? I’m not asking that I’m just saying that’s how it must have sounded.

    Having pointed out how stupid it was of me to ask questions, I have some more.

    I have read that nothing causes autism. But can it lay dormant until a certain event or series of events sets it off? So nothing actually caused it.

    I also have a question about how it is classified. Is it a medical condition? Physical? Mental? The internet cannot seem to agree on these points. Don’t tell me its just a diagnosis. A diagnosis of what? What have they diagnosed? Presumably some sort of condition. Can it be treated? Basically is there anything you can do about it, because I don’t want to think of myself (even less others to think of me) as autistic.

    As you may have noticed I’ve changed my username from the one they assigned me. I read that many people with autism are PROUD of it and build their whole identity around it. Well my entire identity I’ve built over thirty years was just shattered during the thirty minute conversation with the doctor three days ago. If other people are happy with their diagnoses, then good for them but I’m not. With mine I mean.
    Just to say there has been a whole assessment process the conversation with the doctor was only the diagnosis.

    I guess my negative reaction to my diagnosis is just me trying to process it in my own mind. I’ve heard about people who really want to be diagnosed and then truly embrace it. I don’t think I could ever do that.


    I was in the car with my parents and sister yesterday. My sister was YouTube-ing old songs. There was one (by Don McLean I think) and some of the lyrics were “I've heard about people like me, but I never made the connection”. I was just like oh, ***. Because l have heard about people who seem to be very similar to me who I knew were diagnosed. But I never thought I could be autistic.

    So following on from my rant about ‘diagnoses'. A, why is it good to be diagnosed (considering I am already legally disabled, so I already get those kind of benefits)? And B, what happens next, they just give this label and expect you to come to terms with it? Really, thanks. Why would I want another diagnosis to add to the three I already have?

    By the way, I don’t like this word ‘neurotypical' I have come across while reading about autism. It just seems to be an acceptable word for ‘normal' but essentially it means the same thing. Also there are lots of reasons why you wouldn’t be ‘neurotypical' if you didn’t have autism. I have lived with a neurological condition for as long as I can remember but I was still neurotypical apparently. I have a lesion in my brain so I’m not that neurotypical.


    Anyway thanks for reading my crazy ramblings that went of some weird tangent about Don McLean.

    P.S. You should watch Good Will Hunting its really good.

Children
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