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Caz571
1 month ago

Hello

i’ve recently been diagnosed as autistic. I know the diagnosis doesn’t change me. My main reasons for assessment was better understanding and some validation. I think I almost expected to feel like a puzzle piece had been slotted into place. I don’t know. 
But, instead I feel surprisingly overwhelmed. My anxiety has been through the roof. I feel like an imposter. And while the assessment was thorough and transparent, I feel like I have more questions and uncertainly than I did before. I was also referred for an ADHD assessment off the back of the autism assessment so that doesn’t help the feeling of uncertainty. 

I feel like I have been given some information, new but incomplete information. And I feel like I should be doing something with it. But I don’t know what. I was given a diagnosis, but no sign posting of where to get help or support. 

Indeed, do I even need help and support for the autism? It’s not like it’s a problem that needs fixing, it’s just a way of being right? So, what needs fixing, is my anxiety and depression. But does knowing I’m autistic change the way I should be looking at and trying to fix the anxiety and depression? 

I can write a lot of words, but I don’t know if they are saying what I want them to. I didn’t expect to feel like this following being diagnosed. So I thought I’d say hello in the hope I’m not alone in feeling like this after diagnosis 

  • 1 month ago in reply to Caz571

    I feel like everyone else arrived on this planet with an internal manual telling them how to be a woman in late 20th-early 21st C Britain, I was obviously somewhere else when tey were being handed out. Diagnosis gave me permission to not pretend I had and just come out and say that I dont' understand, or that I'm going to put my foot in it and to those closer to me to rell me when I've done something outrageous. On the whole it's been the right approach for me, people have been much more understanding than I expected, some have disapeared, but they're the ones I was having the most problems with anyway so it feels like a small loss.

    What passes for help that I have encountered, is unhelpful, mostly because I have all the benefits I'm entitled too, the rest of it seems like a massive waste of public time and money. I've just muddled through as best as I can, sometimes successfully others less so.

  • 1 month ago in reply to Number

    Thank you for your reply

  • 1 month ago 
    hello Caz,

First of all, I live in Germany, so of course I can't say anything about the situation in Great Britain. In my experience, the reaction to a diagnosis varies greatly. For some it is a shock, others are relieved or happy to finally have an explanation for why they are different than others. The latter was the case for me. What helped me a lot personally was the exchange with other people on the spectrum, for example in internet forums and especially in self-help groups. There I met people who were similar to me for the first time and I now moderate three autism groups myself. I don't know if this will help you, but at least that's my experience lg madrugada
  • 1 month ago

    Hello Caz, Welcome.

    So you are in the same bug gers-pickle as the rest of us.....but almost certainly at the front end of it.

    I am sorry to inform you (based on my overwhelming presumption that you are post 18 yrs old...and a UK resident) that there is no form of state provided guidance or support for you....nor me.  I kinda feel that you are neither looking for that, nor need it (frankly.)

    Based on my experience (of discovering that my brain is wired as an autistic person)....you have a bit of a journey ahead of you!

    Anxiety and depression are common to (most if not) all of us in the initial stage of "awareness".....and I note that many of "us" seem to have this problem for a good wee while afterwards.....if not indefinitely!!

    I am not a recruiting sergeant for this NAS forum, and nor do I suspect it will work for everyone....but for some reason, I tend to feel that it might work for you?!  It has most certainly helped for me!!

    There are some very wise, very informed and very well educated and experienced folk in this place.....but we are increasingly shy to off-load spread our experience - willy nilly !!  Who knew....there are trolls on the interweb?!

    My best advice to you is.....don't panic....stick around here for a while and see if people can resonate with you.  Give it a while for people to "notice" Caz571 and to be assured that 'you are a real human'....and perhaps you will start to connect with people just like you!  That is what happened to me here.......but it does take a while.

    I hope you will stick around, but if you don't, I wish you all the best.

    Kind regards

    Number.