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Did you think you were autistic before someone suggested it?

Stuart333

I'm curious whether you can see it in yourself. I thought I was right and everyone else was wrong.

I suspected I was different, but squashed it, I was just extra normal. I couldn't figure out why I was confused and had bouts of depression,

I just wanted to know what was holding me back, why I had some atypical depression, and whether there was something up with how I communicated.

But there was no need for an autism test. I wasn't autistic surely.

Except the psychologists thought otherwise, 3 of them. I even argued with them, a sign in itself probably.

So did you guess, before someone suggested a screening test? Maybe the internet makes it more likely these days, but you need a reason to go looking.

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  • Stuart333 said:
    I'm curious whether you can see it in yourself

    I just knew there was something wrong with me from an early age - I was different to other people, struggled in situations they thrived in, made so many social mess ups it was scary and seemed to be able to absorb information like a sponge when they couldn't.

    I accepted I was different and just got on with it as was the only real option open to me in that time.

    Once into adult life and the questions from partners about starting a family started I really thought there was something wrong with my genes to make me this way - this was back in the 80s before there was much knowledge on autism.

    My fear was that all the pain I experienced in life and all the hassles it brought should not be passed onto anothe human. To me it would be cruel IF it was inherited.

    To a degree I was right about it being hereditory.

    Those are just my opinions about my life and my choices.

    Later on in my 50s when I was diagnosed it was more a case of "well that explains it" and just continue with life, spending a little time to work out what it was all about and how to make life better for me. There was no huge relief, no great reveal and no turning upside down of my world.

    In retrospect this is down to the emotions processing aspect of autism.

    My assessment was with a psychiatrist at the time and he spoke with me for about half an hour before the tests and was convinced I was autistic because of the number of traits I have. The test confirmed it.

Reply
  • Stuart333 said:
    I'm curious whether you can see it in yourself

    I just knew there was something wrong with me from an early age - I was different to other people, struggled in situations they thrived in, made so many social mess ups it was scary and seemed to be able to absorb information like a sponge when they couldn't.

    I accepted I was different and just got on with it as was the only real option open to me in that time.

    Once into adult life and the questions from partners about starting a family started I really thought there was something wrong with my genes to make me this way - this was back in the 80s before there was much knowledge on autism.

    My fear was that all the pain I experienced in life and all the hassles it brought should not be passed onto anothe human. To me it would be cruel IF it was inherited.

    To a degree I was right about it being hereditory.

    Those are just my opinions about my life and my choices.

    Later on in my 50s when I was diagnosed it was more a case of "well that explains it" and just continue with life, spending a little time to work out what it was all about and how to make life better for me. There was no huge relief, no great reveal and no turning upside down of my world.

    In retrospect this is down to the emotions processing aspect of autism.

    My assessment was with a psychiatrist at the time and he spoke with me for about half an hour before the tests and was convinced I was autistic because of the number of traits I have. The test confirmed it.

Children
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