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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

  • Doubt is a great tool. It keeps us humble. And it helps keep us from danger. I'm a professed doubter. And I'm quite proud of it. It's the gateway to critical thought. 

    I think many of us have doubted this. I even thought about it today and recalled being in a group of autistic individuals and didn't have to explain myself. Autism is still being unearthed as another way of thinking, originally simply meaning 'eccentric'. Depending on where you live might shift how it's perceived. Follow the doubt! But externalise it and ask more questions. 

    From what I've discovered, NeuroTypical individuals use the term "over-thinking" to mean Rumination without Resolve. So if, by overthinking, you mean you're trapped in a cycle of speculation without looking into the matter deeper, then perhaps, you're an 'over-thinker'. But I've found more often than not, when accused of overthinking, I was simply surrounded by others who weren't thinking very much at all. 

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  • Doubt is a great tool. It keeps us humble. And it helps keep us from danger. I'm a professed doubter. And I'm quite proud of it. It's the gateway to critical thought. 

    I think many of us have doubted this. I even thought about it today and recalled being in a group of autistic individuals and didn't have to explain myself. Autism is still being unearthed as another way of thinking, originally simply meaning 'eccentric'. Depending on where you live might shift how it's perceived. Follow the doubt! But externalise it and ask more questions. 

    From what I've discovered, NeuroTypical individuals use the term "over-thinking" to mean Rumination without Resolve. So if, by overthinking, you mean you're trapped in a cycle of speculation without looking into the matter deeper, then perhaps, you're an 'over-thinker'. But I've found more often than not, when accused of overthinking, I was simply surrounded by others who weren't thinking very much at all. 

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