• Replies 15 replies
  • Subscribers 86 subscribers
  • Views 758 views
  • Users 0 members are here
Options
Related
Hints and tips
  • To quote someone's message, first select/highlight the relevant text, and then use the Quote button that appears
  • To "mention" someone, type @ followed by the start of the forum name, and choose from the list; that person will get a notification of being mentioned

Post-diagnosis mindset

alushjoyhand

Hello,

I received my diagnosis three weeks ago, aged 42.

The initial rush of identification arose and made me feel incredible. This subsided and I am now reflecting on the elements of how I function that I resent for their inefficiency.

For example, periods of relentless bleakness in the darker months of the year, disbelief in my ability to meaningfully connect to others, loss of humour and warmth, fixation on highly morbid topics and self-destructive information.

I presume this is both logical and valid, as I recompute all the assumptions about my understanding of myself and my relationship to the world that had been in place for many years. In short, I am scared and sad.

For other diagnosed adults, what was your experience? Have I missed an established thread to which I should instead refer? Is this the best place for such a question?

Advice welcome. Slight smile

Parents

  • Hello, I have also just been diagnosed, and after the initial first week or two of yeay, I got the answer and the missing piece to my puzzle. I had a sudden awaking of wow this puzzle is actually far bigger then first thought and there are now more questions then before which led me to start reading so much trying to make sense of it all only to go into a hyper obsession and now my body is shutting down and I feel exhausted and utterly overwhelmed and I have to slow myself down to be more patient something I am terrible at. I feel hyper alert of myself and surrounding all of a sudden analysing my behaviour and those of others. I am getting there understanding it will take time so be kind to yourself. I am lucky to have friend who has just been diagnosed too so support by finding similar people is definitely helping. So you are in the right place. Also look out for local communities were you are this could be helpful too. 

  • in reply to FishBerlin23
    FishBerlin23 said:
    I feel hyper alert of myself and surrounding all of a sudden analysing my behaviour and those of others.

    Me, too. I've gone from feeling like an alien in a human suit to feeling like an alien psychotherapist in a human suit! To paraphrase The Police:

    Every breath I take
    And every move I make
    Every bond I break
    Every step I take
    I'll be watching me
Reply Children
  • in reply to Damojo

    Isn't it odd? I feel a little taller, and full of electricity in social situations, as if there is a caption 'this person is autistic, and that's alright', which makes me happy and nervous depending on my reading of the other party's apparent likey acceptance of interacting with a person with autism.

    I have started offering the detail ('I have autism'; 'I am autistic') as a low-key qualifier of conversations, usually as a 'it's okay that I include this detail you may consider irrelevant, because I see a clear connection in topics'.