Published on 12, July, 2020
Hello,
I just got my formal diagnosis for Autism this morning at the age of 40.
I feel so mixed up and never felt more confused my life! I have a massive sense of relief, that now finally something explains why I struggle with things as much as I do and why I react to things in a certain way. I feel angry that no one (myself included) recognised it sooner, that I’ve struggled so much, even ending up hospitalised in a psychiatric ward, and no one there even considered autism as a diagnosis, that my parents never recognised it in me or my teachers. I feel scared about what this now means for the future, about whether to tell people, how I move forward from this. I feel numb. I feel sad that this is my life and resent the diagnosis. I feel like I want to shout it from the rooftops, and also tell not a soul. I feel like I need to research every single thing even more than I have already. I feel like celebrating and crying all at the same time.
I just wondered if this was a ‘normal’ response to getting a diagnosis? How did other people feel? What did you do next?
Hello Sloan,
I was diagnosed aged 38 and had similar experiences. The more I learn about autism, the more I embrace it! I would not change a thing. I wish you well on your journey of self discovery.
Thank you. I don’t think I’d registered just how many people have late diagnoses. It feels comforting to know that this is a similar experience to others.
Sadly it can be a battle just to get a diagnosis as I tried in my early thirties only to be told that autism is only diagnosed in children. This used to be the medical thought but has since been updated to include all ages.
LucyLandRover said: but has since been updated to include all ages.
Thank goodness!!
Ben