Any success stories?

Hi all,

I've been recently diagnosed with high-functioning autism as an adult (I'm in my mid-forties), and I am struggling to understand how to move on with my life and make things better for myself and the people around me. Therapy is helping me to reconsider who I am and how I respond to my challenges, but I feel like I don't really have a plan for the future.

On the one hand, a diagnosis is great because it helped me understand that most of the issues I've faced during my life have a cause: the very precise feeling of being different from everyone else, which makes being in a social situation a nightmare; the tendency to isolate myself and use my special interest to create an alternative world where I can lose myself and feel comfortable; the discomfort I've felt at work. It's nice to see that there always was an objective issue, and it's not just me being lazy, difficult, or plain stupid.

On the other hand, I am quite exhausted by all this, and I'm quite scared by the prospect of living in the same way as I always have, until the end of my days. Being alone used to be a relief, but it has turned into a prison. I'm aware you can't simply switch autism off, you have to accept it, but I'm really hoping I can find ways to work around my limitations.

So I wanted to ask the community, has any of you been diagnosed with ASD as adults, and managed to turn their lives around (or at least, make some progress) following that realization? Do you have any success stories, advice, strategies, that you would like to share?

Parents

NAS95616 7 months ago

At school, I couldn't seem to force myself to grasp teachers' instruction. This drew vexed urges for me to "listen."

Frequently ridiculed, I lashed out, sometimes at minimal provocation. One teacher told me I was a horrible person.

Of solitary bathroom visits, footballs and raised voices, I was inordinately timid.

On finishing a meal, I couldn't seem to force myself to stop being hungry. At the age of twelve, I apparently weighed about twenty stone. I grew up with the implied accusations of laziness, selfishness and cowardice.

Aged seventeen, for a hernia operation, I managed to lose some weight.

Aged twenty-two, I spoke with a psychiatric nurse. He explained that being on the autistic spectrum may cognitively disorientate, or bar desensitisation to things like getting shouted at. At this stage, I began an attempt at an autobiographical book about life on the autistic spectrum.

Still unable to grasp technical instruction, the only job I ever held was at the small accommodation business on my dad's farm.

In my late twenties, my obsessive-compulsive disorder reached a point where I spent an average of nineteen hours in the bathroom. With the help of another psychiatric nurse, I managed to get it down to six.

Aged thirty-six, I self-published my book, "***" My website features some extracts, and a link to its Amazon UK page: [Link removed by moderator]

Still obsessive-compulsive, I've sometimes felt overwhelmed with sorrowful fear; mainly about whether I'll be able to help my parents in days to come. However, on my trusty Chromebook, I watch videos, listen to music, read books, and plan a series of fictional novels. I also enjoy walks, a bi-weekly drink with my parents, and eating. Anxiety may feel immutable, but that's what it wants you to think. There's only so much time to feel sad and scared - eventually, I suppose we've just got to get on with things.

All the best,

Andy

[Edited by moderator]

Reply

NAS95616 7 months ago

At school, I couldn't seem to force myself to grasp teachers' instruction. This drew vexed urges for me to "listen."

Frequently ridiculed, I lashed out, sometimes at minimal provocation. One teacher told me I was a horrible person.

Of solitary bathroom visits, footballs and raised voices, I was inordinately timid.

On finishing a meal, I couldn't seem to force myself to stop being hungry. At the age of twelve, I apparently weighed about twenty stone. I grew up with the implied accusations of laziness, selfishness and cowardice.

Aged seventeen, for a hernia operation, I managed to lose some weight.

Aged twenty-two, I spoke with a psychiatric nurse. He explained that being on the autistic spectrum may cognitively disorientate, or bar desensitisation to things like getting shouted at. At this stage, I began an attempt at an autobiographical book about life on the autistic spectrum.

Still unable to grasp technical instruction, the only job I ever held was at the small accommodation business on my dad's farm.

In my late twenties, my obsessive-compulsive disorder reached a point where I spent an average of nineteen hours in the bathroom. With the help of another psychiatric nurse, I managed to get it down to six.

Aged thirty-six, I self-published my book, "***" My website features some extracts, and a link to its Amazon UK page: [Link removed by moderator]

Still obsessive-compulsive, I've sometimes felt overwhelmed with sorrowful fear; mainly about whether I'll be able to help my parents in days to come. However, on my trusty Chromebook, I watch videos, listen to music, read books, and plan a series of fictional novels. I also enjoy walks, a bi-weekly drink with my parents, and eating. Anxiety may feel immutable, but that's what it wants you to think. There's only so much time to feel sad and scared - eventually, I suppose we've just got to get on with things.

All the best,

Andy

[Edited by moderator]

Children

NAS96243 7 months ago in reply to NAS95616

Thanks for your input Andy, you clearly have made huge progress, which gives me hope.

Also, in this discussion, I see a trend towards people embracing their passions as a way to overcome anxiety and getting a sense of purpose.

Time for me to embrace my own passions? We'll see...