So I'm Autistic

Welcome to the club. I was diagnosed earlier this year, at 46. Still getting used to it. Some days I feel like a fake and other days I feel really autistic. Currently investigating support groups in the hope I can meet other Aspies. I haven’t really heard from my so called NT friends since I “came out”, but I have very little in common with them anyway.

Good luck 

Good for you Elaine you have done well.

My 18 years old son who lives with me and was diagnosed autistic age 12, actually brought a year to my eye when he said a similar thing today, that I had been a good dad and I had done well to get so far in life, and that I was a source of inspiration and hope to him that things can get better, and that one day he will be able to lead some kind of normal life.

So we can make some small gains from our diagnosis by learning to accept ourselves, and slowly trying to stop the feelings of self loathing and feeling stupid.

It's also helping me coming on here and reading about and communicating with people who have faced similar challenges in life.

My faith has completely helped me through this

I've just been diagnosed at 54, At my assessment I was told I should be proud of myself for being so resilient to get to my age and manage without help all this time, so from now on if I'm having a bad day or a bit of a meltdown I try to remind myself I'm resilient and "I can do this"

Thank you, and I like your take on it :-)

Welcome

Best thing is you are no longer alone in your difference to others

and you are perfectly normal :)

The latter.

Hi Desmond, it's certainly sounds like you've had a rough time of it, I didn't even realise that there was awareness of it 30 years ago.

When you say faith, do you mean in yourself or your god?

I'm a complete atheist myself but I can see how faith is helpful to many.

Hi Ruth, 

Well good for you that things have improved since your diagnosis, that's very reassuring for someone like me to know, I can definitely identify with your "fitting in" issues.

I do seem to find myself laughing and poking fun at myself rather than getting angry, which is probably a good thing I think lol.

I was diagnosed as a young boy - thirty years ago - but feel that I had to paddle my own canoe; my father was killed in the Troubles in 1989, while my mum developed Motor Neurone Disease and Parkinson's simultaneously in 2003; she died in 2008.

After ongoing trials, tears and tantrums, I can now say that faith has pulled me through.

Hi Tassimo and thanks for the welcome.

The more it sinks in the more emotional I feel about it, sadness and anger about my past struggles, but also some happiness and relief as you say, the diagnosis enables us to make some sense of it all.

I was also diagnosed with dispraxia at the same time which I hadn't ever heard of, now I know what it is it makes so much sense.

Hi there, for me from referral it was about 2.5 years, a long time I know but they have huge waiting lists and of course there was the pandemic so they had to divert some of their already limited resources to dealing with that, so hopefully yours will be quicker than that.

I've told a few people, my sons, a few friends, and my boss, and have received mixed reactions from supportive all the way down to disbelief, as in they don't believe autism is real.

Welcome to the club KStar.  I got diagnosed this year at the age of 41 and it was like a huge weight had come off my shoulders.  Since being diagnosed I'm a lot kinder to myself and show myself more compassion.  Before I got diagnosed I was my own worst enemy and would get frustrated with myself for struggling with certain things.  I too was bullied in the past and always felt different to everyone, I never fitted in and was not understood by a lot of people.  I feel now I can move forward as I know who I am and feel less pressure to fit in with those around me.

Congratulations! Welcome to the Tribe, Kstar.

I will be turning 50 this year and only got my diagnosis recently. My life has improved dramatically since my diagnosis. At the very least, it should help you to be kinder and more compassionate towards yourself. I'm guessing, like myself and so many others, you've spent the past 40 years being not so very kind to yourself, or even worse, disliking or hating yourself. The whole point of the diagnosis is to offer us an official explanation for our past and present differences so that we can go a little easier on ourselves in the future.

I’m just about to turn 40, and am waiting to hear if my referral for assessment has been approved.  Did it take you long to get your formal diagnosis? Have you told family/friends?