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51 yr old - do I have autistic traits?

Lapwing Lover

Hello, everyone.  I did not expect to find myself here this evening, though I have had the thought before that I may be in some ways autistic.  I do have social phobias - though I've learnt to manage these - I do have intense personal interests, which can over-dominate life!  I can come across as blunt and rude.  I am a bit obsessive about categorising things I care about (my own writing) though I'm naturally pretty disorganised in real life!  ... And I'm not totally sure how pursuing a medical diagnosis at my age could benefit me.  Although I am on some medication for depression and anxiety, and have just started counselling again, so maybe that's a silly thing to think!  Are there any adults out there who have been through this  - seeing some symptoms, not sure what to do, not sure if it's worth it?  

Parents

  • I was just diagnosed about 4-5 weeks ago. I’m 49 in a few weeks. For me, it has made everything real, despite already knowing I was autistic before the assessment. I know not to be so hard on myself. I can see where and why I went wrong in the past, and how I didn’t understand things. I can see why therapies never worked. I can see why I was never able to keep friendships going,  I can see that for the most part, some of my depressions were actually burnout. I’m learning everyday. For me, the diagnosis was required in order to believe it. I can also use it to get any adjustments at work, should I decide I need any, or when going for a new job, and benefits if I ever need them. There are lots of benefits for me in knowing, but the choice is individual.

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  • I was just diagnosed about 4-5 weeks ago. I’m 49 in a few weeks. For me, it has made everything real, despite already knowing I was autistic before the assessment. I know not to be so hard on myself. I can see where and why I went wrong in the past, and how I didn’t understand things. I can see why therapies never worked. I can see why I was never able to keep friendships going,  I can see that for the most part, some of my depressions were actually burnout. I’m learning everyday. For me, the diagnosis was required in order to believe it. I can also use it to get any adjustments at work, should I decide I need any, or when going for a new job, and benefits if I ever need them. There are lots of benefits for me in knowing, but the choice is individual.

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