Newly diagnosed

Yeah, sometimes it feels like I've been obliviously  skating past all my problems all my life, and at other times it feels like I've crashed through the ice and am sinking. I'm 3 weeks in (although had an autism diagnosis at 3 that my parents opted not to tell me about). It is like putting glasses on for the first time and realising you were looking through a fog but never knew. Reading loads of books has helped me. Sometimes I think this explains everything, othertimes I'm confused what to make of it, other times I push it away. Already though I feel it will help me change behaviour and thinking patterns so that life will improve. A friend who got a late diagnosis told me the first 3-4 months were hard, but that it settles in time. For the moment it's just a bit surreal.

It takes time for it to process and what this means - how it affects your life, but also how you might to navigate certain situations differently (e.g. if there is something that could trigger a meltdown). But over time you come to terms with it and the changes you need to make - they'll simply become part of your routine :) 

Hi Everyone, I am Jason

I am 31 years old from south east london.

I am looking to make new friends from around my local area & Meet up with new people as well

I enjoy Bowling, Trains & travelling round london & south east on public transport & Fun Swimming & Disability nightclubbing, playstation games & content & chess.

I enjoy socialising & being out but covid has left me trapped & isolated & I want to recoonect with people that can follow the government covid guidance with me.

Many Thanks

Jason

Hi,

I would say it took a good year & a half to understand my own needs but your aways learning when new situations come up & thats ok too. life is a learning experience.

My other advice is just be yourself your labels sholudnt matter to those that actually think something of u.

This is a community I hope we can help with your isolation

Hi Everyone, I am Jason

I am 31 years old from south east london.

I am looking to make new friends from around my local area & Meet up with new people as well

I enjoy Bowling, Trains & travelling round london & south east on public transport & Fun Swimming & Disability nightclubbing, playstation games & content & chess.

I enjoy socialising & being out but covid has left me trapped & isolated & I want to recoonect with people that can follow the government covid guidance with me.

Many Thanks

Jason

This is about me please tell me your hobbies & interests. many thanks

I do plan a lot, and have timetables for things like meals and trackers for things generally! Living alone was the right choice for me, though it's good to try and have a balance and not get too isolated I think. I didn't consider noise-cancelling headphones until I was diagnosed and then was so surprised by how much they helped!

In my experience there isnt much good about being diagnosed - its mostly all bad. Biggest regret of my life. 

I will probably give up eventually but because it is new for me I am trying. I have the understanding at work so that is the main thing! Yet it is strange we can struggle with empathy and understanding others, yet we aren’t understood!

I completely agree! Sometime you try to explain it and get nowhere, I gave up a long time ago  People will never understand what we struggle with and I don't think they would believe it even if they did

Yes and you try to educate them of the struggles but still no understanding! Why would I fake something or use it as an excuse! It causes more problems than it solves!! Glad I am not the only one to think that! 

From my experience I find the same, people just seem to think that I use it as an excuse. I think alot of that is due to their lack of understanding. Who knows 

Thank you for sharing, are you rigid with routines and a need to plan? I am terrible for that! I prefer living alone although I feel lonely at Times...how do you find it? It’s not overwhelming in the sense that I would need earplugs etc..it’s more from information overload when I have too many things to process such as at work when I have a lot to do or a lot of new information is given to me. I hate loud noise but it is more things like children crying, sirens, hand dryers etc! 

No problem, I was diagnosed with ASC and meet some of the criteria for autism, and have a job and live on my own. I'm also looking into getting tested for auditory processing disorder as I have some issues with my hearing - though my ears are fine, hearing tech that dims background sounds and amplifies speech helps a lot and also reduces sensory overload. Have you tried anything like noise-cancelling headphones or earplugs at all?

Thank you that is reassuring to hear and of course you are the same age as me :) could I ask if you don’t mind, what are your difficulties? Are you high functioning? I have my own place, job as a teacher etc but certainly routines are massively important to me and last minute changes! I have meltdowns too when I feel overloaded with information.,

Thank you

Thank you. I am now back at work which is helping take my mind off things. I think it’s nice you got your diagnosis slightly earlier than me, but of course still recognise the difficulty. For years I have felt I don’t fit in, that something is wrong with me etc but now I am starting to see that actually, certain things now make sense. I hope everything works out soon. I am still waiting on my report to come back from my assessment so I am not sure on what to expect from that! 

Thank you ;) I did reply back to you but it didn’t submit when the new website was launched and then I couldn’t log on for ages!! I imagine that at times certain things do make it hard to come to terms with. My biggest struggle at the moment is getting understanding from others, who just seem to think I am using my diagnosis as an excuse. That is just so hard! 

Welcome

Hi, welcome! I was diagnosed at 30 (I'm 32 now) and for me it's been an ongoing process of discovery, and also seeing past memories in a new light. It did take a while to get used to the idea, especially in the first few months, but overall it's been a very positive process, and I'm really glad I was diagnosed. I hope you'll find this forum to be a great place to read and discuss things, it's really helped me. Wishing you the best

Hi, hope you are doing well. I (23) only got diagnosed a few months back and I can tell you I'm not entirely all there yet. I've had quite a bit of difficulty in accepting it as part of my identity because I was diagnosed pretty late like you, and I think as such, you can begin to doubt it yourself. I often worry I am a fraud or maybe I've got it wrong. For myself, I have tried to throw myself into the community to better understand myself and others :) My point being, it can take a while but you should know you aren't alone in it being a lot to process, whatever your feeling towards it may be. I hope you can scope everything out and begin to feel more comfortable with it soon :) 

Hi Dreamgirl,

Welcome to the community!

It has taken me quite a long time to come to terms with who I am, don't know if iv even fully accepted myself yet, I guess it is different for everyone.

Feel free to post any questions you have. I'm sure the community will be able to help,

Again, Welcome :)