Published on 12, July, 2020
Hi, I'm Kodey. I am a 23yr old from South England.
I have signed up here as I am fairly certain I am autistic and I am looking for some support with it. I have done a lot of reading on autism and other things that may present similarly so I am fairly certain that I am autistic. At the moment though, I don't see enough advantages to a diagnosis to weigh out the disadvantages I see with it.
I have been struggling a lot recently with work due to stress and anxiety. No-one there knows the issues I am facing and so I mask all day.
Hi, Kodey. I'm in a fairly similar situation - I'm 25 and didn't really think I needed a diagnosis, but I started pursuing one at the end of last year (still on the waiting list). The older I get, the harder I'm finding it to mask every day, particularly at work. It gets very tiring.
I noticed you're getting therapy for anxiety soon. I found my anxiety therapy was quite helpful, so hopefully it'll improve things for you. I'm just going through OCD therapy at the moment; I think the OCD contributes a lot to my anxiety.
Reading about autism is a good start. In terms of deciding whether to get a diagnosis, that's something only you can decide. You might reach a point when you know for sure whether you want a diagnosis or not, but you can take your time and pursue it if and when it feels right.
Whether or not you choose to get a diagnosis, you'll be made very welcome in this forum