I've just been diagnosed

Thank you everybody, you were very helpful Paris thank you for sharing with me I feel similar to you it's hard knowing they have just put this label on me it does make sense but also some family members such as my dad don't understand and have become angry with me for it

Well done on posting here.  I suspect that your  honesty and openness will mean a brightening future. 

Welcome to this forum

Hi Shannon - first of all let me say that it's really brave of you to share your feelings (good or bad) in regards to diagnosis and I need you to know you're not alone. I'm 23 and was diagnosed last month with Autism and Dyspraxia which has made me feel at points over the past few weeks like, "what is the point" to life anymore!

Lots of people gave me the typical advice of saying that this doesn't define you and that you're still the same person. I'm not sure if you can relate to this but if you realised you were struggling with things for so long and for some reason had some kind of hope that they would "get better" or this was just a "phase" or even thought they were a side-effect to pre-existing mental health conditions, then an Autism diagnosis really wasn't the kind of long term and never changing answer that you thought you would receive? But you're still here and that's what ultimately counts.

Truth be told, I am still coming to terms with it and a month in, every day is a mix of small waves of self-understanding but sometimes a little bit of self-annoyance / hatred - I think it's natural to have the mentality of thinking "why me" due to pre-conceived ideas of Autism and the limitations society puts on those that are neurologically diverse but then again, there MUST be some positive to it right?

All you can do is take one day at a time and be patient with yourself as for some reason, to me a diagnosis felt like they had just dumped a whole new personality on the desk and told me I had to walk out of there with it around my neck haha (you have to laugh!). It's just another step in learning about yourself as an individual and this is just another thing to add to your uniqueness. Now, in terms of other people and how they see you, in my experience my family/friends and partners family were very accepting - some knew already and for some, the diagnosis made a lot of things make sense but at the end of the day, all that matters is how you feel so start working on that.

You might not right now like that you are Autistic but there must be at least one thing that you do like about yourself? Focus on those things and amplify them...trust me, being Autistic will soon become the least interesting or relevant thing about you! You are amazingly individual and this diagnosis does not define you or who you are in someone else's eyes as that should not ever be a factor in your self worth.

Always here x

Thank you i appreciate the welcome :) 

Welcome to this forum DanMc  

This is a lot of news to take in. Your brain is trying to process the information. If you have the option, it's worth talking to a professional who can help you to pick it all apart and help you come to terms with all the information that has just been thrown your way. Remember that you are still the same person, your brain is just having a hard time filtering everything so it's making you feel overwhelmed. Take your time. Don't worry about telling people until you understand it yourself. As for the meds, only you can decide if you need them. Not everyone does. You may find that after a few months when you feel a bit more settled, you are able to manage just fine without meds. If not, give them a try.

Thank you for your kind words and support, I'm not feeling to bad today 

Hi Shannon,

I hope you're feeling better now and I'm very glad to see so many kind responses here from the community. I'm sorry you are going through such a tough time, it’s good that you’ve let us know what’s happening/how you feel. Many people have similar thoughts when coping with so much and we hope you’re okay. 

And if you are unable to cope with the distress or despair, it’s very important to tell someone about your feelings or thoughts of suicide. Call your GP and make an urgent appointment. Your GP can make sure you get appropriate help and support.

If it’s outside your GP hours call  111  to reach the NHS 111 service:

https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/urgent-and-emergency-care-services/when-to-use-111/

The Samaritans also provide confidential non-judgemental emotional support, 24 hours a day on 116 123, or by email at jo@samaritans.org.

MIND have information pages on coping with self-harm or suicidal feelings based on the experiences of people who’ve been through it that you may find helpful. 

If you are very close to doing something to hurt yourself - call 999 now or go to your nearest A&E department. There should be someone there to support you and make sure you get ongoing support.

You can find more information here:

https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/topics/mental-health/suicide

Hope this helps!

Kind regards,

Eunice Mod

Thank you yes that helps :) yh no matter diagnosis or not I am who i am 

I was diagnosed last October and really struggled. The next few months my mental health plummeted and I had to take time off work. I really thought getting that diagnosis and knowing there was a reason why I was different would help, but it didn't. For me what helps is thinking that diagnosis or not, i have went 30 years being myself and 29 of those were without a diagnosis. I face challenges and struggles daily regardless of whether or not i got that report or not so to me it is irrelevant. 

As far as being scared about what other think, i only concern myself  with what the people who actually know me think. The world is full of people who judge everyone on everything. If a person is neuro-typical they get judged on an assortment of other things. It all stems from ignorance and insecurity on behalf off the people who look at someone surface level and make that judgement. Those peoples opinions don't matter to me because i don't know them and they don't know me so they don't matter. They matter to the people who know them, but that's not me so i don't let it affect me because i know there projecting there own issues onto me without actually knowing me. I would defiantly speak to family or people who you trust and ask them what they think. Learning to love yourself for the flawed person that you are will make you so much happier. Nobody is perfect and everyone has their own issues regardless of how they present themselves. Hope this helps in some small way.

Yh I just don't trust people but I don't think of them as bad people just that I no they won't like me

while it is a good idea to stop worrying so much what other people think about.

Please do not assume they think little of you and hate you, that would be a terrible way to live.

Please do not think of anyone as trash.

Thats a good way to think, I dunno just a worrier I suppose 

if you have no friends why are you scared what others think? lol

i have no friends, and because of it i have very little care for what others think of me. by default i go by the assumption that everyone thinks very little of me and hates me, because thats how society is, and so i view most people as trash by default myself, and thus i dont care what trash thinks lol

I think I did it

Hi aidie I don't no how but you can have my mobile number if you want to talk 

yes i found it hard to accept my diagnosis at first it took me 3 months to accept it. Even now, 3 years later,  i have days I think it is some sort of mistake.

Would it be possible to change your NAS74363  to a human name just so I can remember you better.

then we can talk more about your BPD and suicidal thoughts

1. Myn was over Microsoft offices video call I'm glad so I didn't have to travel there

Oh I see