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Newly Diagnosed

NAS83854

Hi all. I’m 25 and have received a diagnosis of ASD 2 months ago. Whilst I was expecting it, I have been having more trouble than I thought actually processing it because it has been an overwhelming experience. I have been researching to no end in somewhere that can help me talk through my thoughts and feelings? There doesn’t seem to be a lot of help available for adults apart from social groups which I am not really interested in. I think I might need a one on one session with a therapist or counsellor etc someone like that. Has anyone else had this type of situation and got any advice or reccomendations on where to go or what to do. Thanks x 

  • in reply to Handi-andis

    This made me smile! Thanks very much. 

  • Welcome and welcome to the problem of being diagnosed as an adult. The only piece of advice I can give is the one that the psychiatrist who diagnosed me gave me and that was "don't let the diagnosis change you", which makes a lot of sense as all that has happened is that what you were feeling has been validated but you are still you!!!! In some ways it is also like grief, once has to accept that a person has died regardless of whether one wants to or not, and similarly one has to accept that one is on the spectrum and different but that also means that all those things one has been feeling are valid and that is ok. I have tried a counselor, but I didn't find it that helpful, as i needed to just talk and get stuff out of my system including complaining about the actions of some people, but that's not really what they are there for. Far better to find a close friend who will just listen, nod and give you a hug and just say how you feel about everything. 

    Oh and get a dog, as dogs make everything better and can be great listeners.

  • in reply to Luna

    Thankyou Luna. (Lovely name by the way). It really does make a big positive difference knowing about this group. 

  • Hello and welcome to the community - it's been a big help to me and I'm sure it will be for you too.

    I'm sorry you're struggling at the moment. It isn't easy to take everything in after being diagnosed, it can be hard to process and understand. Sadly support for us is limited but there's a lot of support here so if you need any help please ask.

    I hope you'll enjoy being here :) 

  • Hello. Welcome to your autistic community! Take as long as you need to process your newly discovered autistic identity. Be kind to yourself, throughout the process you may feel a whole range of emotions and these are all valid. The autistic discovery journey is not linear.

    You may this video useful on the different stages of autistic discovery:

    https://youtu.be/oo34mppLMqE

    Many of us late identified autistic adults find the discovery journey difficult. This forum is a great place to discuss your overwhelm and feelings with likeminded neurokin who can share similar experiences. We are here for you. You are not alone.

    ‘I think I might need a one on one session with a therapist or counsellor etc someone like that’

    In terms of finding a therapist/counsellor, you may find this website Neurodivergent Therapists useful:

    https://neurodivergenttherapists.com/

    It may be particularly helpful to talk another autistic about your feelings as they will probably be able to relate better to your current experiences than non autistic people.

     I hope this helps.

  • in reply to Luftmentsch

    Thank you! I think I was just automatically expecting/hoping it would be an easy route. How wrong I was haha. It’s very annoying that you just seem to get left in the dark. I will definitely look into those.

  • I'm sorry you're struggling. It can take a long time to adjust to diagnosis, even if it's expected. I feel like I'm still learning things about myself over eighteen months on from mine. There isn't really any "official" help available, sadly. Your best bet would probably be to see if you can find a general counsellor or therapist and talk about your feelings with them. Maybe see your GP and see if he can refer you on the NHS (although waiting lists are long), unless you can afford to be seen privately.