Published on 12, July, 2020
A brief review of the posts here suggests there is a theme about the dearth of specific mainstream/NHS support for autistic adults in getting adjusted and adjustment to things after diagnosis later in life.
Age 58 I was diagnosed as autistic last year.
So, guess what I came to this site to look for? :-)
Even if this were available it makes sense to me that the best counselors will be from within this community - as they have lived experience of it.
It would be lovely to have a simple one step at a time process to things after diagnosis.
Seems though that it's not that simple. There's a whole lot of stuff that seems to flood out when the dam bursts.
Perhaps re-interpreting and reconsidering all the "masking" that one might have been using is part of the process of self discovery in the early phase?
What sort of priorities have other members found greatest in the early post diagnosis phase please?
Can you share how you found to address them?
Welcome! I am a bit younger than you. It's different for everyone. There's a wealth of knowledge and experience from people of all ages and stages on their discovery on these pages. I had private counselling which helped massively but you said this isn't currently an option. Futurelearn have a free course about Autism through the University of Kent which I found really helpful in order to understand aspects and explore with others through discussion (however, this academic approach may not be for you). In general, I've learned a few key things which I can apply to many scenarios to help me understand myself and thought processes (such as need for resolve, bottom up thinking, double empathy, monotropism and inertia).
If you have spent so long through life analysing yourself anyway, you will get there eventually under your own steam through further analysis but with the filter of now knowing you are neurodivergent.
I still don't fully understand masking and burnout and I've had my diagnosis for two and a half years. It takes time to integrate everything and I think there's probably no end to this.
I don't know if this answers anything you are looking for but it's my experience.
Thanks for sharing your experience out-of-step. Funnily enough I have shied a bit away from the academic analysis since diagnosis. Possibly because I have had experience of lots of academic analysis where the general conclusion has been that "this requires more study" - because me head has been a bit too frazzled!. Kent have 3 courses I see on the website , I think you've helped me along that way a bit further even if I'm not ready to jump into one yet. Yes the neurodivergent filter is an interesting thing to be aware of - license to be different perhaps? Maybe your key things will work for me too :-) - I'll research them further. (hehe - how that academic thing tends to come back to that...)
Thanks :-)
I think it might have changed into 3 separate courses but I did one about autism in general. It was aimed at autistic and allistic people. Damien Milton was a contributor as was George Watts, both who are autistic. It's been quite an interest of mine over the years anyway.
Licence to be different - permission to be yourself!