Big day

Year and a half waiting for assessment/ diagnosis. People have had longer waits I know but seemed an eternity. 

I didn't realise I stimmed until it was mentioned at my diagnosis. I jiggled my leg the whole way through and touched my chin

 Another common thing is replaying it all mentally and thinking of the things you didn't say but could have.

It must be a great relief, especially if it was a long wait. 

Hi. If anything I held back a bit or so I thought .. they picked up on so much. Things i didn’t realise I was doing. 
The only thing whirring around at the mo is will I be treated differently now. I feel more relaxed bout my past as it explains a few events in my life previous that seemed odd at the time. 

Hi, I don't know whether congratulations are in order, so I will say... 

Salutations to you. I hope the closure feels comforting. 

Your head will probably whirl around and you might even ask yourself if you exaggerated on purpose to get a diagnosis. But for me this feeling settled down in 3-4 months.

I found myself grieving for the identity I didn't have in my life up to diagnosis. Joining in here is useful to give an outlet to it all. 

Wow there’s a sentence I rarely hear lol. Thank you. I’ve had a lot of issues over the years but have always been true to who I am and however much and however hard I was bullied for it I didn’t change. I did mask.. but stayed true to my beliefs and interests. X

You’re welcome, Jd. Sincerely. I have a feeling you’re going to be just fine :). You have a good attitude.

That’s very insightful. Thank you. I know it’s gonna take a while to fully sink in. I had a lot of doubters telling me no way I was autistic and I was searching for an excuse... well I am autistic. And I will always be me. However odd me can be. 

Glad to hear you made it through the assessment process and can now go on with your life, knowing just what it is that explains so much of your life. Hope you cope alright in the coming months as you come to terms with it all. It’s a huge deal, and acceptance makes a big difference. Working with it, not against it, can make a big difference. We all generally want to feel happy, loved, confident, and be able to live a fulfilling life.  Having autism does not destroy those potentials; it only alters their course. It changes how things must be accomplished. It creates a fascinating, complex individual who stands out and is remembered, even for little things. Instead of trying to push a “normal” life upon a person with Autism, the goal should be re-evaluated. Those who are autistic will always be autistic. They will have unusual behaviors and distinctly different thought patterns. They will have their personal routines and rituals. They will always exist apart from the regular flow of life. This is a blessing and a type of freedom. If anything tends to cause issues, I find it tends to be the co-morbid conditions like depression, anxiety, ADHD, OCD, etc. Autism itself and the ability to hyperfocus can be soo good, if we can appreciate its advantages. Take care. xx