Hi,
First, hi! I was diagnosed in Octobe 2021. I've always struggled with many aspects of life, but blamed myself. My son was diagnosed many years ago, and he is so like me, that I figured that explained a lot for me. My relationship with him (he's an adult now) led me to seek a diagnosis. I'm late middle-aged.
My best friend of 25 years…I told him about my diagnosis, I wanted to have someone I could talk to about all the ways I mask, my lived experience of life. I think I was naive. He just shut me down and told me I wasn't autistic. Not really. He _knows_ about autism, he works with _real_ autistic kids.
Again, naively, I feel very hurt by this. But maybe he's right (I have terrible imposter syndrome about my diagnosis, so many years…what is a mask and what is me?)
I guess I'm sharing in case many/any of you have had this experience. Did you persist and work on your friend, was that worthwhile? Did you lose the friend? I don't have many friends. Maybe this guy is the main one. Or was. Seems worth working for, but I also feel like I shouldn't have to dance to prove my own lived experience…
Many thanks if you took the time to read this
Cheers
