Published on 12, July, 2020
Um, hi? So I just had my final assessment interview yesterday and received an autism diagnosis. I’ve browsed these forums over the last few months but didn’t feel able to join until now. I did have problems getting started because everything was telling me that my profile name was on the top right hand corner but it wasn’t there, it was bottom left corner. Also, I didn’t realise that the NAS with the numbers was my profile name, I only clicked on it eventually out of frustration. But I got here in the end.
So I’m 37, female and I live in Scotland. I’m self employed as a domestic cleaner, despite having been to university, but ‘normal’ jobs just didn’t work out for me. It works for me, just now, as I don’t have to answer to anyone else and I can arrange my hours to suit my energy levels. However I would like to eventually have some sort of job where I use my brain. I’m just about to start volunteering with a local charity that pairs volunteers with socially isolated kids, to help them gain more confidence and have new experiences.
Basically last year I had extreme burnout following a change in my life and had to move back in with my mum. I’m so proud of myself this last year as (with lots of help from family, friends and therapy) I have now managed to get back to my flat full time. I looked into getting an autism assessment to see if it could maybe explain why I had always struggled with certain things, and luckily my area had just established a new adult autism assessment team through the NHS. I put in a request through the mental health team at my GP surgery, and several weeks later they said they would send me forms to fill in. Several multi-page forms later, 7+ hours of interviews over several months, and an hour long phone call with my mum, I’m now coming to terms with the fact that I am autistic, and I’ve been autistic my whole life.
Nothing has changed and yet everything has changed.
Interesting...I haven't had chocolate spread for decades.
I have the same every day - natural yogurt with a teaspoon of strawberry jam stirred in.
For the last couple of months I've had sourdough toast with grainy Dijon mustard and Gouda cheese. Before that it was sourdough toast with crunchy peanut butter and raspberry jam. However I got sick of each of them in turn and now I'm having sourdough toast with chocolate hazelnut spread for the foreseeable future....
Welcome - what do you like for breakfast?
Welcome! I wish you luck on your onward journey!
Hi Becca - welcome to the community!
I lurked for a long time before mine, too :)
As you've already been around for a while (albeit in stealth mode), you might have come across these resources before. But if not, you might find them helpful / of interest at this very early stage:
After diagnosis
Welcome! Great name! My journey was a bit similar to yours. It's funny because I hung around here while doing my diagnosis, but didn't post until I got it. I need to find a job that suits me like you have. I was terrified of Reddit. I only looked briefly and have never looked since! It can get a bit hairy here, but not like Reddit.
Hi Becca. I am a 52 year old woman from England. I wish you well on your journey following your diagnosis. You are right everything and nothing has changed and that can be a real challenge.
I find it is particular difficult how autism can affect our employment and also our mental health. These have been the hardest parts for me.
I have found it very useful coming on here. Discussions can sometime gets heated, but I just try and stay away from them, because they just destibilise me.
Welcome and take care.
Thank you. This has definitely been the ‘nicest’ lot of autism-related forums I’ve browsed online. Reddit was wild, lol
Welcome Becca.
Hope you'll enjoy your time, here.