I'm 52 and only just asking the question...

I have been in counselling for years since my divorce threw me massively.  I am a boarding school survivor and I have a tendency to withdraw (or shut down) when I feel overwhelmed by challenging situations.  I have been told I appear to display ADHD symptoms although I watched the Chris Packham documentary  on the BBC this morning and for some reason I got very emotional.  I actually cried, sat on my own at 0530 watching this program.  I don't know if ti is because I related so much to the masking and that I also feel I am not able to really be myself or if I was just being empathetic.

I am going through the process of ADHD diagnosis although I could still be six years away from even getting an appointment.  At 52, this scares me.

I also worry that I am just a bad person, who zones out of conversations and refuses to engage when I am feeling anxious and that I am trying to find a diagnosis that will make me feel better about being a knob.

I really enjoy spending time on my own where I don't need to pretend to be anyone else and although I enjoy being in a relationship, wonder if I can have both?  I am a fidgeter and this is a real source of frustration for my partner.

One key thing I do is when I am working on my car, I can put a tool down and what feels like five seconds later, I cannot find it again and it has taken me 30 minutes then to find it and I have not been anywhere.  I am also terrible for bouncing from one task to another to another and another...  I once worked on my own in a department with three computers on the desk tops and had all three running with several projects ongoing on each one.  

I am going through job applications after being made redundant in January and every one of the applications ask me if I have any disabilities I want to declare and to me it feels like a trap!

Just wanting to start a conversation here...

I have considered going private but the documentary recently that uncovered the eager diagnosis in order to make money from prescription medicine has made me wary.  I am not interested in a diagnosis just for medication.  

Parents
  • Hi Mark

    I'm the same age as you and was diagnosed late 2023.

    I have watched both of Chris Packams programmes and found both of them very interesting and emotional.

    I have always been open with my employer about my suspected, and now confirmed autism. Whilst they have been supportive over the past couple of years when I have needed to take quite a lot of sick leave, it has now come to a point where it is not practical.
    I'm leaving on mutual agreement at the end of this week.
    Fortunately they are providing a support package that includes an outplacement service to help me in my search of my next job.
    However, being a 52 year old autistic person, I anticipate difficulties in finding work.
    Maybe a chance for a complete career change (I work in IT)?

    Disclosing my autism is a big question that I hope to get some direction from the outplacement service (they specialise in helping ND'ers).

Reply
  • Hi Mark

    I'm the same age as you and was diagnosed late 2023.

    I have watched both of Chris Packams programmes and found both of them very interesting and emotional.

    I have always been open with my employer about my suspected, and now confirmed autism. Whilst they have been supportive over the past couple of years when I have needed to take quite a lot of sick leave, it has now come to a point where it is not practical.
    I'm leaving on mutual agreement at the end of this week.
    Fortunately they are providing a support package that includes an outplacement service to help me in my search of my next job.
    However, being a 52 year old autistic person, I anticipate difficulties in finding work.
    Maybe a chance for a complete career change (I work in IT)?

    Disclosing my autism is a big question that I hope to get some direction from the outplacement service (they specialise in helping ND'ers).

Children
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