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Recently diagnosed, confidence crash. What now?

tintal

Hi everyone. 

About a month ago I went through a formal assessment and was told that I have ASD and possibly also dyspraxia. I haven't received the full report yet. My main problems are that I am isolated, can't seem to organise anything in my life, and am feeling quite stuck now and depressed.


I was told that the university (I'm half way through a phd) offers two kinds of mentoring scheme - an Aspergers mentor and a mental health mentor. They don't really have any other support for me, so I will try the mentoring. I've got some noise cancelling headphones and that helps a bit around the office.

Did anyone have a mentor, and did you find it helpful? More generally, did anyone else experience a crisis of confidence after being diagnosed? What helped you through this period?

Thanks in advance

Parents

  • If a mentor is available then absolutely take the opportunity. One of the things you can discuss with them is confidence, how to fake it, how to project it and how to build it. (hint: succeeding at the first two of those substantially boosts the third).

    I'm not sure I could describe my response to diagnosis as a loss of confidence. I did go through a period of, "Oh, so I can't actually do those things." What helped was the process of working out what I could do and how to manage the things that don't come naturally to me. Ways of avoiding situations, assessing them while they're still going on and adjusting my approach to them have all helped me function more effectively.

    Those are things I'd hope a mentor could discuss with you. Just maybe not all at once :)

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  • If a mentor is available then absolutely take the opportunity. One of the things you can discuss with them is confidence, how to fake it, how to project it and how to build it. (hint: succeeding at the first two of those substantially boosts the third).

    I'm not sure I could describe my response to diagnosis as a loss of confidence. I did go through a period of, "Oh, so I can't actually do those things." What helped was the process of working out what I could do and how to manage the things that don't come naturally to me. Ways of avoiding situations, assessing them while they're still going on and adjusting my approach to them have all helped me function more effectively.

    Those are things I'd hope a mentor could discuss with you. Just maybe not all at once :)

Children