Published on 12, July, 2020
Hi, I’ve just been diagnosed aged 25 and I feel this has made things worse as I now know what I thought was just social anxiety (so possibly treatable) is actually autism and so will never go away. Looking back at my life, I realise that autism has had a huge negative impact - I’m unable to do things such as join sports teams or go to parties/social events without experiencing extreme anxiety before going, and then wanting them to be over the whole time I’m there. This has lead to me having no friends at 25 years old which is beginning to take a toll on my mental health. My mind feels like it’s in a constant battle with itself where I want to join in and enjoy playing sports, etc. but when I actually think about doing it, the anxiety kicks in and I end up back where I started. Does anyone else feel the same or have any advice on dealing with the diagnosis?
Having the diagnosis, I feel I "cut myself more slack". I've never been co-ordinated enough to do sports, and can't run due to physical disability. Socially, I now feel able to cope with a certain amount of being overwhelmed to experience the benefits of social time with friends, but I am not so hard on myself now about leaving when I have had enough. I also don't make excuses, just say I have to leave. It just depends what I'm able to compromise on at the time, in that specific situation.