Diagnosed yesterday….

How did you feel after receiving your confirmation of Autism?

I’m confused and feeling all jumbled up. I knew I was but the confirmation was affirmation for me and to here they agreed that my autism was layered by years of trauma and that mental health worker who insisted it was just trauma (and dumped me unceremoniously when I challenged him) caused me more. Thus I feel justified, seen and heard.

I was relieved but today I woke feeling unsettled as for me it’s a huge thing after 63 yrs of feeling like an alien on this mysterious planet. My enabler was stoked for me as she drove me to the last stage ADOS assessment and was told on the spot but reactions from others has been bland. I don’t know what I expected but having some sort of acknowledgement hasn’t arrived. Is this wrong? Or is this a standard way people react when you disclose what I see as a momentous life altering diagnosis? I don’t usually expect anything from anyone but this is an important factor that explains my behaviour, there’s a reason, there’s an explanation. For once I expected something, anything.

It’s early days but I’m trying not to freak out I should be use to this scenario but it’s the most important thing to ever happen to me but the family hasn’t called, talked to me about how I am, what does it mean…on and on….

it looks selfish when I see it in print but how did you handle it? Did you experience the same thoughts? Meet with same responses? Or non responses.

hellbellNerd

Parents
  • It's funny really, because we don't change in any way. Actually, you know more so you are arguably better than before ...but it does make you label yourself immediately as 'different'.

    Next stage is slow work, and development internally, to accept that you are different to the majority, but also, the realisation that we are all the same (ish) as a very interesting minority!! Rad.

    And they didn't mention, with all the chat about deficits, we are responsible for the majority of major advances in human history (or that's what I tell myself anyway,).

    Just keep taking slow breaths and foot steps. You'll absorb and grow, like a cool, complex, intelligent tree Slight smile

Reply
  • It's funny really, because we don't change in any way. Actually, you know more so you are arguably better than before ...but it does make you label yourself immediately as 'different'.

    Next stage is slow work, and development internally, to accept that you are different to the majority, but also, the realisation that we are all the same (ish) as a very interesting minority!! Rad.

    And they didn't mention, with all the chat about deficits, we are responsible for the majority of major advances in human history (or that's what I tell myself anyway,).

    Just keep taking slow breaths and foot steps. You'll absorb and grow, like a cool, complex, intelligent tree Slight smile

Children