Diagnosed, and?!!

I was given some support but not enough. I was given some pills to manage the anxiety but I have been through about 10 different meds now none have worked for me. I wish there was more focus on treating autism and supporting autistic adults and children to live full and fulfilling lives. But the healthcare system is not doing a good job just now hence why most autistic people these days are self medicating with alcohol or cannabis because there is a gap in the market - there is not treatment for autism that has proved effective sadly. 

Kate Kestrel said:

I don’t like a lot of interference in my life from people I don’t know well.

Absolutely!

I’d agree with what Baked Potato 64 has said above. Being more aware of why you are the way you are is helpful in lots of ways, and can help point you in the direction of research into how you can approach some of the things you find difficult. This community for example is very helpful and I found the diagnosis to be a positive thing in that I realised that - as someone who’d generally felt like an outsider for much of my life - that I did in fact have a ‘tribe’ - and it was other autistic people - who I have so much in common with. 

I think it is normal (it was what happened for me this year too). I got a diagnosis but no offer of support, but in a way I just wanted to be left to it anyway really! I don’t like a lot of interference in my life from people I don’t know well. I have had therapy this year but it was related to my diagnosis - it was for another issue. 

Nigel said:

being thrown out with no 1 to 1 support. The whole world around us is anti-Autistic! It is too much to deal with alone

This relates to how I'm starting to feel, I was diagnosed as a child but I haven't come to terms with/recognised my diagnosis until recently. I had regular 1:1 at school/college level and then it stopped suddenly once I hit adulthood. I feel like I need some level of 1:1 to just sort out some basic and important things to help me get on a path and since discovering myself recently I almost feel worse because of it as now I have an answer to *why* I'm struggling but in that process I'm quickly learning there's basically nothing to help me move forward with that struggle. It feels like too much to deal with alone but being slapped with having to do it alone anyway.

I think it's normal for them to say "Yes, you're Autistic." It's the case with the psychiatrist I went to (I have no idea how I get an Autism assessment in Thailand, I'm afraid), as far as I know—no recommendations on getting guidance lessons or extra information, just a confirmation, nothing more. 

What adds to it, from my experience,  is even after a diagnosis,  approaching mental health services hoping you can finally get some proper help still makes no difference. Services are stretched, there's still huge lack of awareness and the difference in communication is still there. 

There is a very serious deficit of support for Autistics at level 1 (I prefer the term Aspergers to be honest). A fundamental issue with all Autistics is communication and socialization problems. It also seems to make perception very different. So getting a diagnosis then being told to research and sort yourself out is a huge problem. It is hard enough going through the diagnosis process, never mind being thrown out with no 1 to 1 support. The whole world around us is anti-Autistic! It is too much to deal with alone. To me the diagnosis can isolated you even more. Peer support groups are very often poorly trained and can cause alot of trouble. I just wish there was a well educated, trained, and affordable service from actual Autistics...that is not Gov led, but totally independent.

I don't think it automatically becomes easier - certainly not for everyone.

Personally, knowing WHY I have struggled with so many "unusual" things in my life was the sum total of my reward from my autistic realisation.  I had rather hoped for more reward than that......although to be honest, that single reward has resulted in a huge positive difference to my mental health and sense of calm!!

I have not given up on experimenting with new strategies to mitigate my most troublesome autistic realities....but I have to say, for me, this has not proved as easy as I had originally hoped.

I like your arm band analogy.....so to continue the nautical theme.....I feel like I am a Columbus crab, scrabbling around on this raft of kelp and plastic and rubbish = here in this place/forum = my only and most important resource in this sea.  It is isolated and a bit scary, but there are also hundreds of similar Columbus crabs on this same raft = that is why this place is good for me.  However, I am still hoping for "my" turtle ride, so that I can expand my horizons and experience more of this ocean of life!

Anyhow - nice to meet you Adam.

[Disambiguation - www.mentalfloss.com/article/86895/crabs-secret-happy-relationship-turtles-butt = should explain my extended analogy, if anyone is interested.]

[Double disambiguation - just to be crystal clear......I'm not longing to house myself in a turtle's butt !]

When I was diagnosed earlier this year I had my initial assessment through the NHS and I was invited back a couple of weeks later to discuss their findings. This was where they went through the report that they has created and told me that I was autistic. At the end of the discussion just before I was leaving I was told that I would be discharged now from the ASD service. I had a few links in my report that I could use to get help if I wanted but other than that I was left feeling like I was pretty much on my own now. The months that followed I were quite difficult and I still feel now, a number of months on that I am out at sea and all I was given was arm bands. 

I really wish there was at least a few follow up sessions with a proffesional that you could have access to which could navigate you a little more smoothly into this new neurodivergent existence.

Lets hope this gets easier.

Absolutely! I have pratically read everything on that website too! We are very much monotropic!

I seem to remember about 12-18 months ago I pretty much read them all over one weekend. This doesn't answer your question I know butI remember there was a lot of useful stuff to help me understand.

I love the Autistic Village website, it's brilliant! Do you have a favourite article from there?

Autonomistic said:

The real help comes from doing your own research about what autism actually is (not the pathological model) and gradually understanding yourself more.

This is absolutely the key.....in my opinion.

Thank you for the links and I agree about "finding out what your own needs are". To the OP - this takes time but this place has been a huge help to get different perspectives. I have also found embrace-autism.com/.../ and https://autistic-village.com/ helpful in the past.

The real help comes from doing your own research about what autism actually is (not the pathological model) and gradually understanding yourself more. Only then can you work out what your own specific needs are.

When I was first diagnosed I found it helpful to watch a lot of the videos on Aucademy.

https://aucademy.co.uk/starting-your-autistic-discovery-journey/

Another good site is Neuroclastic.

https://neuroclastic.com/autism/what-is-autism/

In some areas there might be a very limited number of post diagnostic support sessions available but other areas have nothing. If you weren't informed about them at diagnosis it probably means your area is the latter.

Blue_Panda said:

I got diagnosed as high functioning autistic

I seem to be reading this quite a lot on the forum lately and it is concerning. Functioning labels are not an official diagnostic term and never have been. That suggests whoever performed your diagnostic assessment was not following current NHS guidelines, which make it clear "Do not use functioning level descriptors, such as, high-functioning, or low-functioning autism. These are not and never were diagnoses."

https://www.england.nhs.uk/long-read/a-national-framework-to-deliver-improved-outcomes-in-all-age-autism-assessment-pathways-guidance-for-integrated-care-boards/#respectful

Functioning labels are considered unhelpful and disrespectful by large parts of the autistic community.

What sort of guidance did they give you?

You get the Diagnosis and " Off you go ".
That was my experience anyway.
Frustrating.

Thank you for replying. 

Thank you. I will definitely have a look in what support is out there.