Published on 12, July, 2020
Hi
I’m 34 last year I began the official diagnosis journey for a autism diagnosis
two days ago I finally got my 1 on 1 assessment at the end I was told I was showing strong signs on autism, hearing that I began crying as I felt like my life makes sense now
next week I see a peaditrecian
yesterday I began grieving the loss of my life and I haven’t stopped crying
Hi Noodle - congratulations on your diagnosis and welcome to the community!
It's great that you're already feeling some benefit from your diagnosis - I cried with relief when I received my diagnosis, too!
However, during the period following a diagnosis it also can be common for us - especially as late-diagnosed adults - to experience emotional dysregulation. So please don't worry, this is normal! This can include working through a phase where we experience (backward-focused) anger, frustration, grieving and more. And I, for one, have also cried about that, too :(
The NAS has a great set of articles focused around diagnosis, including one covering how you might feel during the subsequent days / weeks / months - you might find them of interest and/or helpful:
NAS - How you might feel after a diagnosis
NAS - Other advice covering post-diagnosis
In terms of what to do next, my advice at this point (ie so soon after your diagnosis two days ago) would be to try and give yourself some time and breathing space to process and absorb everything that you've been through, and let your feelings settle down.
For me, as for many others here, my diagnosis turned out to be much more of the start of a new journey, rather than a solution-rich conclusion.
Therapy is often also recommended after a diagnosis. You might find it helpful to borrow or buy this book, which includes discussion of various types of therapy and counselling, together with advice on choosing the right therapist or counsellor - all from an autistic person's viewpoint. Several of us here have found it very helpful, myself included:
The Autistic Survival Guide to Therapy