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Diagnosed on Tuesday

Laux
7 days ago

Hi all,

I am unsure where to start but I am really struggling at the moment.

I knew I was different all my life, the thoughts and the feelings I had. 

on Tuesday I was diagnosed with autism.

My sons are both on the spectrum and I saw a lot of traits of myself in them. 

I have done nothing but cry. Whilst things now make sense after 30 years but I am really struggling to process it all, I don’t even know where to start. I don’t really know who I truly am and that is the hardest thing. How do I unpick all the years of masking?

thank you x

Parents
  • 7 days ago

    Hi! Congratulations on your diagnosis and welcome to the community!

    During the period following a diagnosis it can be common - especially for late-diagnosed adults - for us 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.

    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 - specifically - to do next, my advice at this point (ie so soon after your diagnosis on Tuesday) 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 immediately providing me with lots of solutions for my various difficulties.  

    Therapy is often recommended after a diagnosis. Before considering this, 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
Reply
  • 7 days ago

    Hi! Congratulations on your diagnosis and welcome to the community!

    During the period following a diagnosis it can be common - especially for late-diagnosed adults - for us 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.

    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 - specifically - to do next, my advice at this point (ie so soon after your diagnosis on Tuesday) 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 immediately providing me with lots of solutions for my various difficulties.  

    Therapy is often recommended after a diagnosis. Before considering this, 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
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