Published on 12, July, 2020
Hello everyone,
I am a 51 yr old man that was confirmed autistic last Tuesday, experiencing mixed emotions is an understatement, I felt relief at now knowing why I was "different" then anger at losing 47 years of my life being undiagnosed and struggling with everything, regret at missed opportunities in life because I didn't know how to handle those chances, sadness that I've missed out on what neurotypical people did like, go on holidays together, enjoying each others social company.
My first question is, how did you handle the news of being told you are autistic?
Hi Craig. Congratulations on your diagnosis, and welcome to the community.
I was diagnosed as autistic last year, aged 41. I'm struggling so much with post-diagnosis grief right now. I'm not grieving the fact that I'm autistic - I'm absolutely neutral about that. After all, autism is just a neurological difference, and diversity makes the world go round. However, as you articulated so well, I feel regret and sadness because of what could have been if I had known much sooner. Without a diagnosis, or self-recognition, autistic people are likely to go through life feeling like they're broken or bad.
I'm trying my best to deal with the belated news by making daft YouTube videos about my autistic experiences and by connecting with fellow autists here and elsewhere. Without the autistic community, I would be utterly lost.
I also feel that way, although I feel like I should punish myself for taking place in this community, but I just need it like an air to survive. And I’m happy that I found your channel!
No need to punish yourself. Autistic self-recognition is valid, therefore you're a part of the community.