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Should I seek a diagnosis?

ClaireH

Hi,

I'm 32yo female who has struggled with 'normal' life for as long as I can remember. My entire life I was labelled as shy and a daydreamer and coasted through school being nearly invisible to all those around me. When I started working and things got worse I was treated for anxiety which didn't work. Then I was treated for depression which didn't work. Then I was told I have a social anxiety disorder and was treated for that, but that also didn't really help. Nothing I was told felt right to me. I didn't feel they fit with my experiences and definitely didn't explain everything I struggled with. Then my ex started volunteering at a youth group for ADHD/ASD kids and contacted me as he felt he saw many similarities between myself and the kids he was working with. And so I began reading about autism and ADHD and it felt so relatable that it quickly has become an obsession. I want to know everything! 

I've taken many of the online tests recommended. My results:

AQ-10 scored 32/7 

AQ-50 scored 39 

RAADS-R scored 180 

I am still uncertain however ... I have my mother echoing in my brain "There's nothing wrong with you, everyone struggles. You just have to get on with." Having had so many unsatisfactory experiences with diagnosis and doctors I'm feeling terrified of trying to seek an autism diagnosis but I am really struggling to the point I can't see a future (even though I want one!) I'm also concerned about confirmation bias while I'm researching, questioning if it is true how could it have been missed for so long and 'jumping on the tiktok bandwagon' but the little bits I have learnt, and implemented into my life have helped so I feel like a diagnosis would finally be an answer and a way to deal with the future. So for the waffle. If anyone has any advice it would be hugely appreciated.

Parents

  • Do it. It’ll probably the best thing you can do for yourself.

    I was fighting for years to get my daughter diagnosed. Once day I realised I was the same, and it felt like I was hit with a thunderbolt. Two years on I still can’t work out how I didn’t know. However, I put myself for assessment recently, and I am now waiting for my result. I hope I get the answer I’m looking for!

Reply

  • Do it. It’ll probably the best thing you can do for yourself.

    I was fighting for years to get my daughter diagnosed. Once day I realised I was the same, and it felt like I was hit with a thunderbolt. Two years on I still can’t work out how I didn’t know. However, I put myself for assessment recently, and I am now waiting for my result. I hope I get the answer I’m looking for!

Children
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