New to Autism, even though I have it!

Hi Michael, it's nice to meet you. I am 31 and I was diagnosed with Asperger's about 5 years ago. I suspected for a couple of years that I had AS before I got my diagnosis.

When I was diagnosed I felt relieved, but I also found it difficult to get my head around. Most people take a little time to come to terms with the diagnosis. What you're feeling sounds totally normal. You're already starting to feel a lot better about it, and I think you will come to peace with it.

I hope you can get a clear diagnosis that will help you get the right support.

Your post has certainly cheered me up today, as I have been thinking very similar to what you have said (the humour being from your last paragragh:).

I have had a lot of thinking time, and am giving in to receiving all help available.  I am 30 in two weeks (aaaahg!), and am indeed without family in the UK, or many friends, so I accept that I do need help!  I also live in the sticks, which slows everything down anyway, although is the isolation I also need.

Work has always beena disaster for me, as I also cannot work with others for long, although am great when left alone to research and experiment with things.  I'm now going to start a princess trust business course, and am going to look in to starting my own plant/mushroom related business.  I'm a semi encyclopedia of these things, and have the science knowledge to do the far more complicated stuff than many out there (assummingly many of which "Neuronormal"!), and with the right support I'm sure I can do it :)

I hope that your diagnosis goes well, and that you continue to relax within your condition.

Thanks again, and take care

Hello Micki82,

I haven't got much to add regarding medication but I wanted to say hello as I am 27 and   am currently going through the diagnosis process.

Looking back now I can see how massively my life has been effected by my condition. I can see that It was the reason several relationships failed and why although I am intelligent and can learn things very quickly, my work life has been stressfull to say the least. The only way I can work is for myself, but as I am sure you can appriciate thats a hard task having an ASD. 

Find out that I was quite likely to have an ASD was a mixed bag of feelings. Its explains so much and it is nice to know that there is a reason for why I am who I am. At the same time it is a bit depressing as It kind of hammers home that I cant survive on my own.

Having this new knowledge of myself and being diagnosed has given me the green light to say yes, I need help and theres nothing wrong with that. Overall I am pleased to be on the Spectrum, It's given me a small sense of superiority over the Neuronormals! I dont fall for advertising, trends or fads and as a whole we are a much more intelligent bunch! Although please don't ask me do any maths 

Thank you for your kind reply, and I am comforted by having people to turn to :)

I was back at my psychiatrist's today, and he has taken things a lot more serriously than before, as in him wanting things to be done much faster towards a diagnosis.  Since I have found out about having an asd, I have been very upset and confused, but also am beginning to accept it, and actually like it!  For once in my life, I actually feel a little calm inside, which I have never had before, and I am working hard to cancelling all the triggers that set me off, with things like sleep and eating being key factors in this.

I would like to ask you if you are on medication, as it is something that I am being advised to do, and I think he may be right about me needing them.  He has prescribed me Risperidone and Lorazepam, and I am not very familiar with these drugs (I've had Seroquel and Diazepam which are similar drugs respectively, but not together).  I am certainly not wanting to encourage others to rely on meds, and consider this as my moods are extreme, and controlling my life.

Also, could you advise me of any coping mechanisms, or useful information about these things, that you have found helpful?  Anything really, I am open to  any advice, and would like it to come from people living this, as have been told that a lot of info for mood, anger, etc is not going to be focused on ASD responses, and might not help!

Thanks again for your support :)

Hello Michael, I'm Lyndsay, 15, and I only got diagnosed with Aspergers a few months ago. Now I've been diagnosed I understand why I think differently to others, and I can be comfortable knowing why I act like I do. I'd be happy to give advice on any problems you're having :)