48 yr old just discovering I'm Autistic

Hello and thank you for allowing me to join this community.

Last year I underwent a genetic testing through family relations, and discovered that I had a chromosome duplication called 7q11.23 Duplication Syndrome.  This didn't mean much to me and I doubt it would to other people as well.  But, I managed to contact a charity called Unique who provided a fact sheet on this duplication and alot of it didn't really connect with myself and it did say that everyone experiences differently.  When I got to the behaviour part of the fact sheet and realised that it can create Autistic and ADHD Traits, and then the light bulb came on in my head and I realised all the problems I've had socially growing up going through education and employment was what they were describing in this fact sheet.  I've always felt different, and that I don't fit in even how much I tried to adapt (or now I know mask) to be accepted it never worked.  I struggled with concentration, and lost interest in things especially employment causing me to have had lots of jobs.  Even my marriage broke down, and my own children do not talk to me, and my parents have found me difficult to deal with and I used to think it was all someone elses fault, but now I'm realising it was mostly due to myself misunderstanding things and then overeacting.   I now have alot of embarressment over past, I overtalk people and interrupt people, and definitely do not listen like many people have told me.

To get an official diagnosis it will take years, and so GP has accepted that I'm autistic with the chromosome diagnosis, but I feel lost and alone because most of my days are spent on my own I can't socialise but also I don't want to socialise because it's too difficult.  How do others manage, I would love to know and would like to get involved in some kind of support group. 

Parents
  • Hi there, welcome to the forum.

    I've just been reading up on dup7, I don't think I'd heard of it before.

    May I suggest you read up on ASD and look through some of the threads here - it can be quite a lively forum at times. It'll  take you a while to learn and accept it all.  Don't worry about your age, there are frequently new members here of all ages. I myself was assessed with ASD level 1 (High Functioning) at the age of 67 - just over three years ago now.

    There are numerous books published on ASD, some simple, some advanced. May I suggest a good first book:

    "An Adult with an Autism Diagnosis: A Guide for the Newly Diagnosed" by Gillan Drew.   The author was diagnosed as a young adult and tells his story simply, and offers lots of help and advice.  It was the first book on the subject that I read, borrowed from a public library. It is also available in bookshops and on Amazon as an E book..... and it's not too expensive.  I found it reassuirng to find so many of my past struggles were covered.
    Others here will maybe recommend more.
    Ben
Reply
  • Hi there, welcome to the forum.

    I've just been reading up on dup7, I don't think I'd heard of it before.

    May I suggest you read up on ASD and look through some of the threads here - it can be quite a lively forum at times. It'll  take you a while to learn and accept it all.  Don't worry about your age, there are frequently new members here of all ages. I myself was assessed with ASD level 1 (High Functioning) at the age of 67 - just over three years ago now.

    There are numerous books published on ASD, some simple, some advanced. May I suggest a good first book:

    "An Adult with an Autism Diagnosis: A Guide for the Newly Diagnosed" by Gillan Drew.   The author was diagnosed as a young adult and tells his story simply, and offers lots of help and advice.  It was the first book on the subject that I read, borrowed from a public library. It is also available in bookshops and on Amazon as an E book..... and it's not too expensive.  I found it reassuirng to find so many of my past struggles were covered.
    Others here will maybe recommend more.
    Ben
Children
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