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Diagnosis aftermath

Super1Nova6

Hi all,

Im new here and really just looking for some advice/insight!!! 
I was recently diagnosed with both ADHD and Autism in quick succession, and I was hoping (naive, I know!!) that I would gain some clarity/ understanding or myself. However it has only served to confuse me!! I really wasn’t expecting the diagnosis; I mean I just thought I was different. 

And now …. I’m upset all the time, I can’t seem to wrap my head around it, but mostly I feel lost!! When I have told people I haven’t had the greatest response from the 2 people I told, so I stopped telling people!! My biggest hurdle is work, in my previous job I was part of a team and was able to hide in the chaos of the role, but now I work alone and although I struggled when I started the job, it has got progressively worse since my diagnosis, and I feel like I just cannot get a handle on it, don’t get me wrong work have been good and have tried to help and I have reasonable adjustments but all of a sudden I feel like I’m completely incapable and I know the quality of my work is suffering, I struggle to meet targets, I’m working later than ever, and my overall performance is at an all time low!! I feel like the harder I try the worse I get!!! I am rambling, I guess I just want to know if anyone can relate? It just feels so lonely and isolating :( 

Parents

  • Congratulations on your diagnoses and welcome to the community.

    Following a diagnosis, it can be common for us to experience a lot of emotional dysregulation. Besides perhaps feeling some relief about now having an explanation for our past difficulties, this can also include working through a phase where we experience confusion, uncertainty, so-called "imposter syndrome", and/or (backward-focused) anger, frustration, grieving, and more. So please don't worry - whilst it's unpleasant, it's also normal! 

    As for many others here, my own diagnosis turned out to be much more of the start of a new journey, rather than a conclusion full of instant solutions for my difficulties.

    The NAS has a great set of articles focused on "after diagnosis", including one covering how you might feel during the subsequent days / weeks / months. You might find them of interest and/or 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

    In light of your recently worsened struggles, you might also find the strategies in this guidance helpful: 

    NAS - Autistic fatigue and burnout

    Therapy (or counselling) is often recommended after a diagnosis, as a follow up action for your GP to arrange. If you prefer, depending on where you are in the UK, you may instead be able to self refer for talking therapy on the NHS.

    Before arranging it, you might find it helpful to borrow or buy this book, which includes discussion of 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 was also helpful, as a starting point, in teaching me some important principles and enabling me to make some helpful changes - perhaps you might find it useful, too:

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

Reply

  • Congratulations on your diagnoses and welcome to the community.

    Following a diagnosis, it can be common for us to experience a lot of emotional dysregulation. Besides perhaps feeling some relief about now having an explanation for our past difficulties, this can also include working through a phase where we experience confusion, uncertainty, so-called "imposter syndrome", and/or (backward-focused) anger, frustration, grieving, and more. So please don't worry - whilst it's unpleasant, it's also normal! 

    As for many others here, my own diagnosis turned out to be much more of the start of a new journey, rather than a conclusion full of instant solutions for my difficulties.

    The NAS has a great set of articles focused on "after diagnosis", including one covering how you might feel during the subsequent days / weeks / months. You might find them of interest and/or 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

    In light of your recently worsened struggles, you might also find the strategies in this guidance helpful: 

    NAS - Autistic fatigue and burnout

    Therapy (or counselling) is often recommended after a diagnosis, as a follow up action for your GP to arrange. If you prefer, depending on where you are in the UK, you may instead be able to self refer for talking therapy on the NHS.

    Before arranging it, you might find it helpful to borrow or buy this book, which includes discussion of 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 was also helpful, as a starting point, in teaching me some important principles and enabling me to make some helpful changes - perhaps you might find it useful, too:

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

Children
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