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Feeling like an imposter/doubting diagnosis

dccwal_90

As a new member and as I browse around the discussion board it's the first discussion point I wish to enquire make a contribution about. 

Is this a common experience particularly of those who have been diagnosed later as an adult?

I haven't been diagnosed yet but I have periods of thought which say well I am able to speak articulately, I can make some eye contact with people and just from looking at me as I present there are no immediate signs of autism. I probably wouldn't appear autistic to neurotypical people and those not as knowledgeable and I don't satisfy the stereotypical perception of an autistic person. A lot of it with me feels like it is hidden or comes from evidence from my childhood. They wouldn't be able to ascertain it from sitting in a room sitting opposite me.  

Edit: I am an overthinker so this is probably contributing to the above thoughts. So my overthinking also is making me doubt what I'm doing in seeking a diagnosis so later on in life. .  

I guess I am concerned for the diagnostic process and hope that it is thorough. 

Thanks in advance

Parents

  • I received my diagnosis at the age of 30. I was quoted a wait of 2 years after the screening, but it was just under 5 when the diagnosis began. In the end I had to chase things up, which caused a huge deal of anxiety (reaching out to the unknown and unsure of what the response would be, worried that I’d come off as demanding etc.)

    I too am an over thinker, so can entirely understand where you are coming from. I have spent much of my life feeling like an outsider, someone of the peripheries. Those feelings are still there, but I can’t say I feel like an imposter like I did during the wait for diagnosis. So that’s something at least. 

    I think post diagnosis I have more questions than I did before, but I also have more answers or potential answers that I did before too. I certainly know where to look now, after many mis-diagnosis of anxiety disorders etc, which is different to the past.

    I was very open about my worries in the diagnosis process. I explained my concerns about ‘what if I’m not given a diagnosis? What next in that instance? What if I don’t present in a certain way, but I do in another? What if I forget something and I comes back to be later, or even worse, after the process entirely?’

    By stating this, I was reassured to find that the assessors explained things to me and had encountered others with similar worries. All in all, they were great and very thorough. I just made sure to voice my worries and showcase my inner narrative of concerns as they arose. It was a little unlike me to show an outsider this side of me, but ultimately I think it helped in their diagnosis of me, but also in managing some of my worries.

    I wish you all the best of luck.

Reply

  • I received my diagnosis at the age of 30. I was quoted a wait of 2 years after the screening, but it was just under 5 when the diagnosis began. In the end I had to chase things up, which caused a huge deal of anxiety (reaching out to the unknown and unsure of what the response would be, worried that I’d come off as demanding etc.)

    I too am an over thinker, so can entirely understand where you are coming from. I have spent much of my life feeling like an outsider, someone of the peripheries. Those feelings are still there, but I can’t say I feel like an imposter like I did during the wait for diagnosis. So that’s something at least. 

    I think post diagnosis I have more questions than I did before, but I also have more answers or potential answers that I did before too. I certainly know where to look now, after many mis-diagnosis of anxiety disorders etc, which is different to the past.

    I was very open about my worries in the diagnosis process. I explained my concerns about ‘what if I’m not given a diagnosis? What next in that instance? What if I don’t present in a certain way, but I do in another? What if I forget something and I comes back to be later, or even worse, after the process entirely?’

    By stating this, I was reassured to find that the assessors explained things to me and had encountered others with similar worries. All in all, they were great and very thorough. I just made sure to voice my worries and showcase my inner narrative of concerns as they arose. It was a little unlike me to show an outsider this side of me, but ultimately I think it helped in their diagnosis of me, but also in managing some of my worries.

    I wish you all the best of luck.

Children
  • in reply to Oakling

    Yeah I have the same feelings about having to chase things up for all the same reasons. I get so anxious and frustrated about having to do this as an individual in life. I just wish people would just make the contact that is needed when they say they will.  

    What you said about having diagnosis of anxiety disorders is very intriguing. This is because I currently have a diagnosis of social anxiety disorder and I am now starting to believe this was a mis-diagnosis as well. This could be a way forward for me in terms of expression my concerns vocally about the process. Using some of the very same questions you have posed. 

    Thank you for the best wishes.