Published on 12, July, 2020
Hello,
I was diagnosed last year (not long after my 50th!) after a lifetime of not knowing whether it was me or the rest of the world that was going mad (...pretty sure it's them!) - but then there was a few years of serious decline in my overall mental health where I had to admit that something wasn't right and that lead me to the realisation that perhaps I was autistic.
So far, diagnosis has been a mostly positive but also very challenging experience. Naively expected some sort of magical epiphany moment where suddenly everything made sense and I could get on with my life but it hasn't been like that at all - more of a hard reset on everything. Still - better to know than to not know.
Have been very lucky to have had some counselling with a great counsellor and that has helped but it's also raised as many questions as it has answered.
I'm here to try and get more neurodivergent voices in my world and maybe to ask for advice on some of the parts of autism I struggle with the most.
Thanks!
Welcome I have also often thought that I am the only sane person in a world full of insane people.
I too was diagnosed aged 50. My initial reaction was relief and so much of my life finally began to make sense. Since then it has been somewhat of an emotional rollercoaster, as I have reframed past experiences through an autistic lens. I have experienced reactions I wasn't expecting and I expect that my journey of discovery will continue for several more years.
There is a helpful article here on the post diagnosis discovery journey https://aucademy.co.uk/2022/01/20/six-common-reactions-during-autistic-discovery/
Yes - this definitely feels like the start of a new life chapter and that's OK.
Can definitely relate to some of the points in the article you linked to and embracing my autism in a way that lets me be an authentic version of myself is where I'm trying to get too.
Thank you!