Newly diagnosed, what support can I access?

Congratulations on your diagnosis and welcome to the community!

The NAS has a great set of articles focused on "after diagnosis" - including one covering how you might feel during the coming days / weeks / months - which you might find them helpful:

NAS - How you might feel after a diagnosis

NAS - Other advice covering post-diagnosis including:

• Talking about and disclosing your autism diagnosis
• Emotional support for family members after a diagnosis
• Formal support following an autism diagnosis
• What can I do if formal support is not offered or is not enough

Therapy (or counselling) is often recommended after a diagnosis, as a follow up action for your GP to arrange. In anticipation of that, you might find it helpful to borrow or buy this book. It discusses 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:

The Autistic Survival Guide to Therapy

Besides hopefully enjoying this community and making some connections here, you might also find it helpful, as a starting point, to read the advice in these articles:

NAS - Loneliness - includes links to examples of some other autistic people's experiences of loneliness and how they cope.

NAS - Making friends - a guide for autistic adults

Perhaps the best suggestion I can offer is to ask your GP for a referral to a social prescriber (I've just had my first two appointments, and already have some useful ideas from it). The prescriber's /  link worker's role is to work with you, potentially over several sessions, to develop a personalised care and support plan that meets your practical, social and emotional needs (so it's not just about socialising). 

Your goals could include helping you to build your confidence, find new friends, and/or getting advice or help with housing, for example. The article below explains more (it relates to NHS England, but the model operates throughout the UK):

NHS England - Social prescribing

You might be able to find some socialising opportunities via the the NAS's directory - whether through a local NAS branch, or other types of support group or social programmes:

NAS - Autism Services Directory

NAS - Branches

You might be able to find some local groups that fit with your interests and hobbies by searching on Facebook and/or Google.

The NAS also has some information here that might be helpful:

NAS - Social care

I know next week the person who assessed me and was my therapist prior is going to go through a health passport and such with me next week, and she did mention briefly about talking to my GP after and giving them that. I should have all my letters and information next week latest in 2 weeks, so thank you, I will generally go and make an appointment after I've received those documents.

I will contact social care at a later date as I feel these things should be at the forefront before I focus on other things.

Thank you for the detailed response and links, I will go read through those.

I know next week the person who assessed me and was my therapist prior is going to go through a health passport and such with me next week, and she did mention briefly about talking to my GP after and giving them that. I should have all my letters and information next week latest in 2 weeks, so thank you, I will generally go and make an appointment after I've received those documents.

I will contact social care at a later date as I feel these things should be at the forefront before I focus on other things.

Thank you for the detailed response and links, I will go read through those.