• Replies 3 replies
  • Subscribers 81 subscribers
  • Views 55 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

diagnosis

NAS78944

more or less 2 months since my late diagnosis.  is it wrong to wonder why i bothered, yes now i have a formal diagnosis but  has it has changed much.  im still struggling to manage, still not getting the support i need and still feeling like im on the wrong planet.  i dont know what i expected if anything but i guess i was hoping things would feel easier.  knowing im autistic doesnt change the world around me and how i struggle with it and its making me feel low.   anyone else felt the same after late diagnosis

  • NAS78944 said:
    now i have a formal diagnosis but  has it has changed much.

    You are the one who has to make the changes, if any, and make all the effort I'm afraid.

    There is very little useful support available on the NHS so don't expect this to provide any relief.

    My recommendation is to do the following.

    1 - learn about your autistic traits and how to reduce their impact on your life. This is the one thing you have full control over. A good book to start with that does not require much sustained focus is "Autism For Dummies (2025) - ISBN 9781394301003 (paberback); ISBN 9781394301027 (ebook)" - it is easy to dip in and out of it to get the info you need. 

    Use the search function on this site and look up more info as well, see how other people cope and consider if these techniques could work for you.

    2 - sign up to use a psychotherapist with experience of helping other autists. This will be the single mose effective thing to do in my opinion as they will work with you, encourage you through any natural resistance and shape techniques to help your specific needs.

  • I also got a belated diagnosis, in mid-2022. I can relate to the feeling like you're on the wrong planet. I was warned by my GP that support wouldn't be easy to come by when I initially requested a referral in 2019, so I wasn't expecting any great breakthroughs. But I'm glad that I persevered, if only because now I know myself better and understand why I feel the way I do.

    Having family support has been super helpful to me — my mum and sister know to check with me about various things so I don't get too many surprises and changes of plan at once, and understand that I'll sometimes need to go to my room for a while to recharge.

    I don't know what else to suggest, other than keep looking for any support that might be available, and talk to your GP if things are getting really bad with your mental health. Good luck!

  • I essentially felt relieved, I knew, at last, why I was the way I was and am. It was useful in giving me better insight into my problems. I did not expect the diagnosis to solve my problems, so was not disappointed. I also had no expectation of external support, I had reached 59 without any support, how could I make a reasonable case for receiving it now? Again no disappointment.

    The diagnosis did allow me to devise more useful 'work arounds' to cope with societal pressures and allowed me to bail on, or opt out of, events I knew would be distressing, without feeling guilty. It also allowed me to forgive myself for past failings.