• Replies 7 replies
  • Subscribers 83 subscribers
  • Views 762 views
  • Users 0 members are here
Options
Related
Hints and tips
  • To quote someone's message, first select/highlight the relevant text, and then use the Quote button that appears
  • To "mention" someone, type @ followed by the start of the forum name, and choose from the list; that person will get a notification of being mentioned

Recently diagnosed

sphynx

Hi everyone,

I’m very recently diagnosed, (had my assessment yesterday) and while I’ve been wanting this validation of my experiences for years, I’m now doubting myself, and feeling unsure how to move forward. Apologies for the length of this post, but I would really appreciate peoples thoughts on any of the following…

Whilst I definitely have lots of ASD traits, I have empathy, and I don’t have a really strict routine. I also haven’t had intense interests fora few months. I’m fine with abstract language, (when it’s me using it.) I know you don’t have to tick all the boxes, but right now I’m feeling like a not completely valid autistic person, especially given that growing up, no one really took me seriously when I said I thought I might be autistic, and even today someone told me that they would have no idea i’m on the spectrum without my saying so… I wonder if anyone else shares some of these deviations from the traits usually associated with ASD?

i’m also worried about my diagnosis not being taken seriously by my family. I would love to help them understand, but feel like they don’t realise how much my life, and the lives of other autistic people, are impacted by being on the spectrum. How might I navigate the conversation?

Finally, I wonder if anyone has guidance on disclosure: when to do it, who to disclose to, and how to disclose.

Thanks so much in advance for your thoughts.

Parents

  • Oh Lord. Yet to go through the assessment, but I get it.

    I got disturbing traits which are so there, and others my mother reports as a child, but who'd notice now?

    If you've got the diagnosis, don't doubt it.

    As for the empathy... the times people have said: to me "don't you see how x feels about y?" And no, I've no clue because x never said. But yet this is the same person, who as a lttle girl saw an appeal for a war zone on telly and demanded to know what her mother would do about it. When her mother said there was nothing she could do, she fetched her own piggy bank and demanded to be allowed to turn over all of its contents to the appeal fund.

    We can't read the cues, but we bleed for humanity. The empathy thing is BS. We feel.

    As for your family. They will see what they are capable of seeing... 

    Congratulations btw x

  • in reply to Dawn

    Indeed - I am often afraid to 'open the empathy box' in case I give away my life savings and internalize and re-live every torment of every person who has suffered, ever.
    So far, it has been sufficient to scream 'I AM NOT A COLD UNFEELING MONSTER' to somebody, once every few years, and then carry on like I don't empathize with anyone...
    Oh well....

  • in reply to JJ

    No you are most definately not "a cold unfeeling monster" and you don't have to make small talk or complement people's clothing choices or tell white lies or whatever else society wants to prove it... just DO what counts and let the record speak ;-)

Reply Children
No Data