Published on 12, July, 2020
Hey, I'm Rob, just got diagnosed with ASD at the age of thirty-five, always knew I had traits of the condition but I didn't think I actually had ASD, so the last month or so has felt pretty weird, right now if feels like the world has changed somehow so I'm feeling quite lost and confused, but I'm hoping this place will help me better understand my condition and hopefully make life a bit easier than it has been prior to my diagnosis.
Cheers :)
Hello! I am 27 years old and was diagnosed this week with ASD. I am also feeling completely lost despite knowing for a few years that this diagnosis may be coming. I think my feeling of being lost comes from previous diagnoses which have turned out to be wrong. I described it as every time I get a new diagnosis, I feel as though my whole identity is questioned and replaced. This is a strange feeling and leaves you wondering who you actually are beneath it all. I am trying to use the diagnosis as a new start - without the constraints of misdiagnosed mental health problems and the ever looming question of "why am I not like other people?" At least now we have the answer.
Yeah I can relate entirely to the feeling as if your identity has been replaced, that's absolutely how I feel. I was diagnosed with OCD at sixteen and have dealt with poor mental health for most of my life, and until now I blamed that for a lot of my issues, like not being able to focus or concentrate and being irritable very often, but now I'm sort of puzzled as to what exactly causes what xD
Like you though I do feel it's something to have an answer, albeit surrounded by a lot of new questions. But I don't feel stupid or slow anymore like I have so many times in the past before I had this explanation, so that is something :)
In a way, a diagnosis is a relief because you know there is a reason for everything but it is quite a major thing to process. Just take your time with it. I think things like OCD and anxiety feed into ASD so it may not be easy to attribute certain feelings and behaviours to a specific diagnosis.