Published on 12, July, 2020
HELLO
I just finished my ASD screening and he diagnosed me very positively with autism. I 'meet and exceed' the criteria, apparently. I m 35 and have long suspected I am on the spectrum.
Phew it feels like a bit of a relief actually, as my initial GP referral was sent this time last summer so it has been a bit of a waiting game.
I went in with no idea what he was going to ask so was feeling really quite anxious and found some of the points really hard to discuss (I don't remember parts of my childhood) but we got there in the end.
I sort of feel like celebrating a bit...is that weird? Tonight I will open a bottle of something nice maybe and raise a toast to me - haha.
I think celebrating is the most positive mindset you can have really. Which is not to say that someone whose natural reaction is more on the despairy or whatever side is wrong, but they probably have an extra obstacle between them and where they want to be.
So congratulations on yourself
I think I just feel relieved mostly because I already knew this very strongly about myself, I just needed someone in 'charge' to give me the official diagnosis so I can freely and confidently finally know this deep down.
I have a lot of other diagnoses and also a lot of mental health problems, so it can be hard to unpick what is what. Is this an autism thing? Is this a trauma thing? etc. But I guess it's all just 'me' at the end of the day :)
They tell me that trying to understanding the way that autism interacts with our mental health messes will make it easier to exist with all that stuff.
Ask me in 5 years if I feel less of an anxious mess, I guess.