Hi all
I'm in my fifties, male, and received my (level-1) ASD diagnosis a month ago. I was just reading the psychiatrist's letter to my GP, which prompted me to write here. The letter sounds somehow so.. pathological. I'm now trying to find those positive sides of autism, which I was reading about somewhere.
thanks
Wil
Lovely!.......and thank you for the reminder!
This is the problem with diagnosis - it has to focus on "deficits"
To balance this, here are some positive attributes of autistic people:
1. Attention to detail
2. Hyper focus
3. Observation skills
4. Absorption and retention of facts
5. Visual skills
6. Expertise - high level knowledge and skills in defined areas
7. Methodical approach
8. Novel approach & good problem solving skills
9. Creativity and imagination
10. Tenacity and resilience
11. Non judgemental and accepting of others
12. Integrity - honesty, loyalty and commitment
Did you get a full report? I got a 20 page report which includes a section on things that they saw as strengths like 'Great focus to detail' and 'Logical thinking which is beneficial in problem-solving'. I quite often forget that section is there but is useful for me to go back to and remind myself.
Hello Wil,
Welcome to the "one-month-in-and-WTAF" point of your journey. Many here will be able to remember that feeling, but I think we all process it differently........but it does take time!
At that point in my journey, I was all about "great, now I can solve all those problems that have dogged my life.....I just need to find people who can help me know what to do." It was an optimistic part of my journey.....that reality soon beat-out-of-me!!
I tried all manner of stuff.....some helped.....some did not......some did MORE harm than good (aka - be careful how and when you tell people, if that is what you are minded to do.)
I am still up-and-down about blessing-v-curse......mainly settling on the....well, this is just how it is - and I've got this far - so no need to reinvent the wheel - just try to keep being better at me.
You can choose to think about your diagnosis as "a pathology" if you want, or "as a superpower" if you want........or just file the new information in your head as "practically inconsequential, but helpful to know."
I'm settled with the latter (ie practically inconsequential)....although it has provided me with a lasting sense of CALM.....ie things from my past and my current behaviours make sense now, are experienced by others (and this was a BIG relief,) and I have settled into knowing and understanding more about my fate.
I hope you can find some calm along your journey and hope you will want to stick around with some of us to share.
Nice to make your acquaintance.
Number.
Hi Wil and congratulations on your diagnosis!
During the period following a diagnosis, it can be common for us to experience a lot of emotional dysregulation. Besides feeling relief about getting our diagnosis, this can also include working through a phase where we experience (backward-focused) anger, frustration, grieving and more. So please don't worry - it's normal!
The NAS has a great set of articles focused on "after diagnosis", including one covering how you might feel during the subsequent days / weeks / months. You might find them of interest and/or helpful:
NAS - How you might feel after a diagnosis
NAS - Other advice covering post-diagnosis including:
In terms of what to do next, my advice at this point (ie soon after your diagnosis) would be to try and give yourself some time and breathing space to process and absorb everything that you've been through, and let your feelings settle down.
For me, as for many others here, my diagnosis turned out to be much more of the start of a new journey, rather than a conclusion full of ready-made solutions for my various difficulties.
Therapy is often recommended after a diagnosis as a follow up action for your GP to arrange. You might find it helpful to borrow or buy this book, which includes discussion of various types of therapy and counselling, together with advice on choosing the right therapist or counsellor - all from an autistic person's viewpoint. Several of us here have found it very helpful, myself included:
Hello and wlecome to the 'Latelings' club.
Being late diagnosed can take a long time to process. You will naturally look back on life events you wondered why things went the way they went. Now you will have that answer.
Please be aware that this processing may take weeks, months or even years to fully complete. It is coming up for 2 years since my Dx and can say it has not been easy up till now and I am still working my way through it.
You may even grieve for what you have missed, it is only natural. But do not be too hard on yourself, be kind. Remember you are not broken or weird just different.
There will be other who will come along here with good advice based on their lived experiences. Ask any questions and you will get some helpful answers.
