I, 36 and female, was recently diagnosed with ASD (as of Friday 25th September), and I’m currently trying to work out how to move forward with everyday life and particularly, getting back into work.
I’ve always sort of known that I was autistic, but my last job was really the final straw in hoping that people would eventually understand me better. I became so overwhelmed that, after just three weeks in the role, I literally packed up my things and walked out because the emotional pressure had become too much. It was a real breaking point for me and pushed me to finally pursue a diagnosis, partly because I desperately needed to understand this constant emotional rollercoaster of pressure, anxiety and overwhelm that I had been experiencing for so long.
I really do want to work, and I’ve been applying for jobs and trying to find something that will suit me and my needs. However, I’m finding the whole process quite overwhelming, and I’m not really sure how to approach returning to work in a way that doesn’t lead to burnout or shutdown.
I’ve now reached the final stage of an interview for a job, which you would think I’d be really pleased about, but instead I’ve almost immediately gone into what feels like shutdown mode. I’m struggling to process the fact that I might actually have to go through the interview and potentially start a job afterwards. My brain seems to have gone from “I really want to get back into work” to “I can’t do this”.
I’m trying to understand whether this is something other autistic people have experienced, particularly after reaching a point where getting a job starts to feel very real rather than just being an application on a screen.
So I suppose I’m looking for advice on:
How did you approach returning to work after diagnosis?
How did you manage the anxiety/overwhelm around interviews?
Has anyone else experienced shutdown when an opportunity became “real”?
How do you work out what type of workplace or role is actually suitable for you?
How can you tell the difference between “this is scary because it’s new” and “this environment genuinely isn’t going to be good for me”?
And how do you prevent yourself from immediately withdrawing when things become overwhelming?
I’d really appreciate hearing from anyone who has been through something similar, particularly if you’ve managed to get back into work without completely burning yourself out.