Identity

Hey Goosey,

It's great to see you back here. 

That's really positive to hear :) 

Since my diagnosis I feel I understand how life affects me and I feel more comfortable with it now and less frustrated.

It makes sense to me. Although two members of the big cat family are perhaps too similar.

I would say its more like living my life as a giraffe and then discovering I'm a zebra! Others could see the stripes but I couldn't.

You are what you have always been, but now you know why you were trying to behave like a tiger even though you probably felt like a cross dressing lion.

For me it was a case of "well that makes sense now" about behaviours, experiences and preferences in my life but it didn't mean I was something different. Understanding about masking showed that this was a learned defence mechanism to survive in society and perform the roles in my career & relationship that would not be easy if I behaved true to my nature.

That's an interesting way of looking at it.

Whilst I had spent my life feeling different and not knowing why, I just felt like I was me. Knowing I'm autistic hasn't changed that, but it has helped me to understand why I have found certain aspects of life a struggle and to perhaps be kinder to myself.