Adult autistic woman living an isolated and perhaps lonely life

Hi, I'm Gabby and I'm new. I have had my autism diagnosis for a while now, since 2010. I was diagnosed as an adult after having problems all my life and after several misdiagnoses. Besides autism, I have a rare malformation of my digestive tract. In short, my intestines and stomach don't move the way they should and I get bowel obstrucitons quite easily. I think it's because of my autism that I experience a lot of medical gaslighting, such as being denied pain medication or being denied proper treatment at all. This is a huge issue for me. Healthcare professionals often tell me that it annoys them that I don't get better, that I know too much about health and medicine (it's one of my special interests), and that the way I act, talk, and move is just annoying and bratty. Autism and AD(H)D run in my family. My father was on the spectrum (he was never diagnosed), my mother never understood irony or the fact that there is a difference between things she imagines in her head and what's actually said, and my younger sister has severe AD(H)D (she had severe problems finishing her education and is not able to work for longer periods)
As for me, it took me a very long time to finish my education. Not because I lack intellectual abilities, but because I have too many interests and did not concentrate on the somehow boring subjects in school and university. Both school and university turned out to be quite disappointing, and although I was one of the best in my class, I never found a job.Yes, I was ill (I am still), that's a problem, and I was always responsible for the well-being of my sister and my mother, both of whom sometimes deny reality. This and autism are the reasons why I have never been able to make friends or even think of a partner. I just do not understand how it is possible to be close to people who are not family. These are some of the problems that worry me.

Parents
  • Welcome to the community. I’m sorry you are going through this. I also experienced gaslight from medical staff and I was few times misdiagnosed by mental health professionals. This is unfortunately quite common experience for autistic people. It may not be helpful but I wanna say, you are not alone. I hope you will find like minded people and some support here. 

Reply
  • Welcome to the community. I’m sorry you are going through this. I also experienced gaslight from medical staff and I was few times misdiagnosed by mental health professionals. This is unfortunately quite common experience for autistic people. It may not be helpful but I wanna say, you are not alone. I hope you will find like minded people and some support here. 

Children
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