Recent diagnosis

Hey so I was in a similar boat not to long ago. At first I felt really overwhelmed and I too struggled to process and come to terms with everything. I would say for me what helped was researching and understanding my diagnosis, speaking to the assessors, understanding and looking into what support I could now get easier access too. And also remembering not to be too hard on yourself, it can feel really overwhelming finding out such a big thing about yourself but in the long run hopefully it will enable you to know yourself better, get access to help easier :) Sending love <3

Same here, I was also recently diagnosed. Sometimes it can bring more answer than questions but this forums pretty good for just posting whatever is on your mind

Don't let it hold you back.

It depends on why you got diagnosed and what issues you were having. Hopefully the knowledge will allow you to have work arounds so you can still pursue your goals.

You might need to revise how you do stuff if you are having problems and allow yourself a bit more leeway.

But don't use it as a reason not to do stuff you want to do, but as means to find better ways to do things.

It is difficult to know what to make of it. I seem to be oscillating between being more autistic and feeling a fraud. I'm becoming more indecisive and the hope was to do the opposite. I'm thinking it is a transitional state while all the pieces fall into place.

A bit more self compassion helps.

Hi I’m brand new to this so just wanted to ask how are people coping with being autistic.

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

Your diagnosis letter might include some follow up actions for you and/or your GP, to start you on the next stage of your journey.

Therapy (or counselling) is often one of those recommendations, 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

This book enabled me to make some immediate, helpful changes - you might also find it useful:

Self-Care for Autistic People: 100+ Ways to Recharge, De-Stress, and Unmask!