Newly diagnosed age 50

Thanks Autonomistic for sharing your experiences, it's useful to have that insight.

Hello and welcome.

I also received my diagnosis at the age of 50. It took around 5 years from when I first approached my GP to request a referral. I was fobbed off far too much at first.

Like you my initial reaction was positive and definitely a relief. For years I'd been feeling a failure for not being able to do things other people seemed to find easy and not being able to tolerate things that others didn't seem to notice. At last I realised it wasn't my fault and it helped to explain so many things that had happened in my life.

However in the two years since my diagnosis I've been going through a rollercoaster of emotions, that I wasn't expecting and have found hard to deal with. I just wanted to forewarn you in case it happens to you. At my post diagnostic support sessions they said it is quite common to react this way.

For me the initial relief turned to anger, to an extent I have never experienced in my life before. I am not normally an angry person. Maybe it was bringing up events from the past during the assessment process. I think mainly it was an anger at why hadn't anyone recognised and diagnosed my autism earlier in my life. How different my life could have turned out if I had known earlier. All the signs were there, even at a very early age, but nobody picked it up.

I've suffered severe anxiety all my life and never known what has been causing it. I tried all the NHS therapies for anxiety without any effect. Most of them actually made it worse. Finally when I was diagnosed I understood it was due to my autism. I naively thought that with a diagnosis I would now be able to access some specialist support. I was wrong and specialist support is non existent, in my area at least. That's been hard to accept as it feels as if I've just been written off by mental health services. The seem to take the view that as I'm autistic I will suffer anxiety and there isn't anything that can be done. I've given up trying to access any support now as it's not worth the stress. That's a whole other subject and I don't want to hijack this discussion with a rant about mental health services.

Welcome!

Melj71 said:

diagnosed bipolar with Psychotic episodes

????

there are two states changing from one to other and back over and over, neverending cycle, I had an acquaintance, she had 9 months feeling up, and 3 months feeling down cycle

you get to feel the maximum on both ends of feeling capability, born to be an artist

psychotic episode - it means you use your imagination, kudos for the doctors ( it's sarcasm), did they expect from a grown up man to be unable? you are in depressed stage, you imagine bad stuff simply put

it can be so bad you might lose contact with reality even unmedicated for some period of time

imagine if there was something like hibernation you would spent 3months iin stasis, and 9 months living the dream on super high all the time, a paradise 

Hi. Good to know you've finally got some answers. I'm not diagnosed asd but my son is. I believe I am. I have diagnosed bipolar with Psychotic episodes and feel that masks the autism. I'm trying to get my psychiatrist to get me a formal test for diagnosis at present 

I’ve also just been diagnosed this week.  At the age of 46.  I’m still processing the diagnosis but I do think it explains a lot of the difficulties I have faced.

I’ve also been diagnosed this week with autism at the age of 46.  

Thanks, you'll get there.

 I waited 4 years

Congratulations on your diagnosis, I've still got several months before I reach the average wait time for mine.

hello MartinW

I somehow missed your greeting statement

it's busy forum

I was too, about two years ago now.  It's like having lived in a darkened room then finding a lightswitch. 

Much of my life now makes more sense, and I am able to explain *why* I prefer what I do - like always wearing shorts but it also means that my employer needs to recognise my foibles more than they previously would have.  That alone is worth it.

Thanks Roy - hope all works out for you. Yes, the waiting list was long, it took me about 4 years start to finish for me. Stick with it, though!

Hi Martin, Welcome to the group, I hope your diagnosis gives you some closure as to ‘why’ and also tools to help you navigate this world a bit better. I’m 54 and on the long waiting list at the moment.

Thanks Rain

Thanks JT. It is really early days for me in terms of being diagnosed (it was just a few days ago). I am more up than down about it, at the moment, as it has given me clarity, and looking back over the years, at times when I was overawed (like at university or in some jobs), I realise I wasn't being 'anti-social'. I have currently told very few people about it, just my wife, really, so I am considering how much I tell people (eg work).

Congratulations on getting your diagnosis. I had mine when still at school.

Welcome home.

I guess congrats is in order? Although, I am recently diagnosed at 40, and I am still up and down with it on a daily basis. Feels good to be free of the questioning about whether I am or not, but I now have stigma, bias, and ignorance to contend with - and that's just from within my family.

How are you feeling about it all? Have you been able to feel willing to share your diagnosis with friends, family, colleagues? How has that been?

Well done for taking the step though, it is a brave thing to do if you ask me :)