Published on 12, July, 2020
I finally got diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder at the age of 38. I met all of the criteria very easily. He was almost going to diagnose me with level 2 because of how severe my social difficulties are, but in the end said level 1 makes more sense since I am able to be independent now.I don't have anyone to talk to because I don't have any friends and haven't told my family. I honestly don't know how to feel about it (and I generally struggle to know what I'm feeling anyway). But I'm pretty sure I feel bad.I keep thinking how I wish I was diagnosed earlier so that I could have had support in education and work, and if I had known about it, maybe I could have learnt to be social and had therapy or training etc, instead of trying to work it all out for myself and failing.Then sometimes I feel like a fraud and wonder if I somehow tricked the doctor into diagnosing me. But everything that was said was true. I think I just feel like that because it seemed so easy to be diagnosed, I was expecting more push back because of self-doubts.The doctor who diagnosed me told me I should try to go to meet ups for autistic people because there are lots of people out there like me who I would get on with, and who might have the same special interests. But I'm afraid, and I think they would all be younger than me. I wish I didn't waste my life being alone, it feels like it's too late.Did anyone else feel any of these things after being diagnosed as an adult?
Welcome to the club. I was diagnosed last year in my fifties. I am still coming to terms with it. I had spent all my life masking in order to not stand out from the crowd. Friendships were few and now almost non-existent. I am glad I found this forum as I do not feel so quite alone.
Thank you for saying this. It reassures me and I don't like unknown situations.
Yes, I am working. I am lucky to work from home because an open plan office environment was pure hell for me and led to such extreme burnout and I was not able to cope with it at all.
I am hoping they will provide me with a letter to give to any employers in the future if they mandate me to go into the office.
Hi Paper,
I am 50 and was diagnosed about 1 year ago. I have not received the written report of my diagnosis, only the verbal confirmation by my clinical psychologist. The waitlist for getting diagnosed is inhumanely long, and it seems that even when you've been diagnosed you're moved onto the next waitlist to be taken onboard NHS run autism help groups.
I feel very much about what you wrote about the benefits of being diagnosed earlier in life. Sadly, as for me, the only thing I did was to learn to mask - possibly in hindsight it was the worst thing to do as it only delayed getting taking seriously by health services that I was neurologically different and not just 'not putting in enough effort like everyone else' . In that sense, people with a visible, physical disability have it way easier (not meaning to downplay physical disabilities, but the neurotypical mainstream society is more able to pick those up and show more empathy).
I would never say that you're a fraud. I felt like that myself, but then when thinking carefully about it it was confounding how I was masking my autism with who I actually was. In a way, the voices from so-called well-meaning people close to me urging me to fit in and adapt were and are still ringing in my head.
Age should not be a factor to put you off going to autism groups. It is your close environment and health services and not you that have delayed your diagnosis. You may feel jealous that others got the diagnosis much sooner than you did, but then again negative emotions won't help you find your own community.
you are not alone I have just been diagnosed in my 50s! It is very frightening, but I have also found it helpful in that things i do now make sense.Such as light sensitivity foods
can't stand my hatred of noise not reading the room amongst many things.You should defo join a group I will be think of the experience you can offer
Hi Paper
Are you working at the moment? If so and you are having any problems with the working environment, you are entitled to reasonable adjustments.
Most of us adults on the spectrum have experienced "feeling like a fraud" - also known as imposter syndrome. But you only have to read a few posts on here to see you fit in.
It's never too late to try anything. I didn't go abroad until I was 39. That wasn't due to autism (as I hadn't a clue about that until I was in my fifties) - it was more due to poverty, and the low cost airlines which started in the early 2000s that made flights cheap.
Hope you find the forum useful.
I was diagnosed 2 years ago at the age of 57. I have recently reconnected with my local autism support group, it's a mix of ages. If there is support in your area I recommend you try it
I think usually they haven't been giving levels in the UK, but it might depend on who is diagnosing you and what they're using. They used the DSM-5 with me and included the part about levels.
But he did also say previously they would have called it Asperger's syndrome.
I also got diagnosed at 38 a few months ago. I had so many emotions that I am still processing. I also wish it was diagnosed sooner when I was in my school years so I could access support. But I am still happy I got diagnosed. It came as a relief to finally know and understand why I am different.
Also I thought the levels were a US thing. I never got given a level.