Published on 12, July, 2020
I received my diagnosis for Autism this morning aged 33. Am told it will be 6-8 weeks before I get my full report, which will enable me to access support.
Conscious I have a LOT of unmasking to come, as well as the task of 'coming out' to some family and friends.
I'm interested to hear what immediate steps people took when processing their diagnosis. Did you find a therapist right away, did you wait? Same questions for telling friends and family.
Most people seem to say the same at this stage, it's a bit of a rollercoaster.
I drifted between excited (to know finally what I was dealing with) , grief (I'll never be the thing I wanted to be) vindicated (all those times i thought I was horrible etc. but perhaps wasn't) , upset at finding out age 49 (what if I'd known sooner, I could have suffered less) many different emotions.
It's been 9 months and I'm still in a slightly different mood over it every day. Mostly calmer, more understanding of myself now though. Also a little kinder to me too.
I started therapy pretty soon after diagnosis, it helped to have someone listen to what I thought and felt and help validate (or not) my feelings and views on myself.
I also found that there's almost something new I learn about autism every week that changes my perspective again. Recently realising that RSD is a big factor in shaping how I behave (previously thought I was just jealous and paranoid!)
Enjoy the journey, try not to get too nostalgic or negative. Remember there's plenty of people on here who've been down the same road, all having a different experience of it and happy to offer advice if it gets tough.