Newly diagnosed & flailing

Hello. My name is Martin; i am 66yo and was diagnosed as autistic, with social anxiety disorder (such an ugly word, that) and dyspraxia, 3 months ago. So far, i've only had my counsellor to talk to about my diagnosis as neither my friends nor family seem to be interested in helping me to process what i believe to be the biggest discovery of my life. I'm struggling to absorb the news on my own, after a lifetime spent masking & trying to fit in (& failing), and there seems to be no help out in the 'real world' from organisations etc. I'd welcome any advice, pointers etc.

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  • Hi there. It is good, isn't it? At first i thought i hadn't made a good impression on anybody (that upgrade, probably) but a lot of people like your good self have since said 'hi'. It all helps, because this 'cloak of invisibility' i seem to be wearing has left me feeling pretty isolated, from doctors, official bodies (even my local NAS branch told me to come here when i phoned them, despite the ostensibly supportive information they give on a link i found, curiously enough, on this very site) and all my so-called friends and family. The closest anyone i know has come to engaging with me so far is, "good, now you can move on with your life". Helpful, huh? Is it the same for you?