Undiagnosed

Trigger Warning - self harm, suicide, substance use

Hi everyone,

This is my first time on here but I’m really struggling whilst being on the waiting list for an assessment. I believe that I am autistic however as I child I experienced multiple adverse childhood experiences as well as now using a substance to cope and I’m concerned about how this might impact and affect me getting a diagnosis. I began using substances when I was 13 so I am aware that it has also impacted the way that my brain has developed from that point forward. However I know the reasons that I began using substances was to forget trauma, slow my thoughts down, calm my thoughts down, blur out the parts of the world I couldn’t cope with and as a bonus it helped me to make friends with people who were not classed as ‘popular’. I know that before I began using substances I was struggling with my mind a lot and was dealing with self-harm and suicidal thoughts. I’m not quite sure what I want from this post but I suppose if anyone has had any similar experiences or can give me some advice that would be great. Please be real with me as I can handle any harsh statements etc. If you need any extra information to give you better understanding I’m more than happy to elaborate if you’re able to ask specific questions.

Thank you :)