Newly diagnosed & flailing

Sorry to hear this Martin - for yourself and for the rest of us. I've been diagnosed over a year (56 here) and I've not even had a counsellor! You're at least one up on me. I've tried and tried to find help so I am following your thread to see if someone has something positive and useful: particularly as I'm currently going through a very rough patch and would benefit from some - any - support. Good luck to you.

Hi Clarkie. Thanks for your kind words. The great thing about this thread, for me, is that we empathise - going through very similar experiences means we know intimately how each other feels. I don't know where you are, but i hope there are counselling services nearby: mine is a godsend (it was my counsellor who first saw the signs, then helped me through the long wait & assessment.) Although i've quickly come to understand how people with (other) disabilities feel - the outside world pretends we don't exist, or worse, expect us to act as though we're 'normal' - i actually feel like i've been given something extra, even if i don't know how to exploit it yet. We're not 'less than', we're augmented. We have other strengths in our arsenal.

Non illegitimum carborundum.

Hi Clarkie. Thanks for your kind words. The great thing about this thread, for me, is that we empathise - going through very similar experiences means we know intimately how each other feels. I don't know where you are, but i hope there are counselling services nearby: mine is a godsend (it was my counsellor who first saw the signs, then helped me through the long wait & assessment.) Although i've quickly come to understand how people with (other) disabilities feel - the outside world pretends we don't exist, or worse, expect us to act as though we're 'normal' - i actually feel like i've been given something extra, even if i don't know how to exploit it yet. We're not 'less than', we're augmented. We have other strengths in our arsenal.

Non illegitimum carborundum.

It's just a pet theory i've entertained, & expanded on over the years, based on very little verifiable evidence. This 'golden age' is a series of 5yr cycles beginning with bebop, then evolving through R 'n' B, rock and roll, the British beat boom, psychedelia, glam/art rock/progressive, punk, post punk/new romantic, rap & hip hop/sampling technology, and ending with grunge in the early 90s. There have been many good bands/solo artists since then, but no truly transformative evolutions in music. Each of those cycles could be categorised as broadly tribal, with adherents shunning what came before and, in the mainstream at least, being suspicious of what came after. I haven't included britpop simply because it was primarily a UK phenomenon which i felt harked back to the 1960s. I have to stress though that this is all just one man's (unsubstantiated) opinion, based on little more than lived experience, so please take it with a very large pinch of salt.

what happened in '94? (partly joking but am interested why that is considered the boundary)

I first saw it as a kid (one of the advantages of being my age is that i lived through part of that cultural Golden Age that lasted 1945-93.) I didn't appreciate it at the time - too much talking! - but now, yes, it's a classic.

I know what you mean about 'in the round'. They make my skin crawl. Take care, Clarkie, and all the best to you. Good luck finding 'I Claudius'. It's worth it!

I watched that a few years ago. It's a classic.

I know what you mean re remoteness on socials, but the facebook autism groups are even more supportive and responsive than in here (I don't use FB for personal/family stuff). Each of us to our own, of course!

That rings true for me re crowds and I don't like sudden unexpected noises, but I love a live gig. I am happiest when all my senses are engaged at once and gigs can do that for me. They are the most joyful experiences.

I'll have to find I Claudius - I was too little to watch it but I'd love to see it now. If you have access to Netflix 'Those about to Die' is superb in location and costume detail.

The only things in Derbyshire are talking groups: I just can't get on with those 'in the round' situations *shudders*. I think I'm going to try and see my GP and ask what is there. Nice chatting to you Martin. 

One of my 'things' is that i dislike social media (it's the remoteness, for me, though i can get along with sites like these, to an extent.) I'm very much a physical world sort of person - i crave face-to-face contact, although i can't easily deal with groups of more than four people. I'm okay in large crowds, and i like the noise at concerts, though percussive sounds out of context (bouncing balls, for eg) freak me out.

Funnily enough, i recently found the dvd boxed set of 'I, Claudius', which i'm currently eking out, a few episodes per day. It's great. I have a love of history and have read fairly extensively around the Roman republic/empire, albeit my memory is so bad (another autistic thing?) that i often forget much of what i read, which probably explains why i do so badly in exams.

Have you access to voluntary counselling in Derbyshire? I found my counsellor through a volunteer charity. Perhaps that's an avenue you could explore?

Thanks Martin, you're clearly a positive person (I believe I am usually too) so that will help you! I'm in Derbyshire, where adult services for neurodivergency is sparse at best and actually non-existent for ADHD, which I also have. I do believe we're augmented too - I have a lot of skills I don't think I'd have if I was "normal". I've found a lot of moral support via facebook groups for autism, including regional groups. Have you tried looking there? I've always loved that Latinate phrase by the way (one of my hyperfocus areas is ancient Rome).