Just saying hello

I've always known that my brain was wired differently compared to your average neurotypical person. The clues were there - and not just small ones that could be hidden. Unfortunately I was just seen as being 'odd' or that I was being difficult on purpose. I masked my way through my childhood and my young adulthood as best as I could, but in my mid 20s it all caught up with me and I ended up burning out - so much so that I attempted to take my own life. During my stay in hospital and the subsequent evaluations I went through, I was labelled as having clinical depression and social anxiety issues. Autism was never mentioned once - neither was ADHD. When I hit my 40s I decided that I was sick of being fobbed off with basic counseling and antidepressants and decided to do my own research. By researching my traits I was able to find out about ADHD. I spent the next few years arming myself with a ton of information in order to feel confident enough to approach a GP about getting an official diagnosis. I did also do some research into autism, but felt the need to take things one step at a time.  After a couple of years on a waiting list I finally had my first evaluation in the Spring of this year. The lady who interviewed me listened patiently as I  unloaded my life story  on to her. She agreed that I do have ADHD traits, but said that some of the ones that stood out as causing me the most problems sounded more like Autistic traits. Lucky me - it would seem that I have been 'blessed' with both conditions. I'm still going through the official diagnosis system. I am very grateful for the NHS, but it is massively underfunded and under-staffed. Even transferring to the Right to Choose option has meant joining a long waiting list.  If you have read all of that ^, thank you for your time and patience. I hope that in joining groups like this I can finally accept who I am and find support from being around people who understand what I've been through.