Life changes since diagnosis/self-realisation/identification

Sparkles said:

What about you Debbie1?

Have things changed for you have you noticed more positives?

As I was diagnosed so late in life (60) a lot of my realisations have been retrospective.

So, the diagnosis put a lot of my life experiences, especially the negative ones, into a context.

It's been a positive change for me, and I'm sad to read how it can be negative for others (including yourself).

I think I'm a pretty calm person generally (not always!) but I think since I knew, I've been calmer and more at one with myself.

I have a very small circle of people I spend time with, and I haven't found that their attitude towards me has changed, although one friend I think doesn't really believe it.

I've used the diagnosis as a 'get out of jail free card' and have slithered out of social invites where I felt I could without causing too much offence.

The diagnosis has made me think about my autistic friend more than usual, as we were once in a relationship, as two undiagnosed autistic people.

The issues we had I can now see came down a lot to our neurodiversity.

Also, it's made me think even more about my late mother, who I now believe was autistic.

Before my diagnosis, I thought she was bipolar and/or had schizoaffective disorder and /or narcissism.

My autistic friend believed that she was autistic but because of so many other issues with her, I wasn't sure.

Now I feel as certain as I ever will, but I believe there were a lot of other mental issues going on as well.

I discovered this forum through my diagnosis, and that's helped a lot, to talk to other people who are on the same or similar wavelength and who share words here that resonate.

I hope it is ok to add, I also believe my mother is autistic and now lives on a hosptial ward with dementia. 

I hope it is ok to add, I also believe my mother is autistic and now lives on a hosptial ward with dementia.