Living up to my autism diagnosis, it's a bit stressful trying to figure what the "correct" way to "announce" myself to this community (a formal how-to guide would have been comforting lol), but to avoid lurking in the shadows indefinitely, hello everyone!
I'm a 42 yo, assigned female at birth but non-binary identifying Londoner of SE Asian ethnicity who finally got a late/adult autism diagnosis after a (hopefully half) lifetime trying and failing to mask to fit in, and the consequences of these.
I got on my local NHS waiting list last Spring and was recently offered/had my assessments with/via their new partnership with Clinical Partners, having gotten the impression that the best way to advocate for my various needs would be with a formal, and NHS diagnosis. I don't want to info dump, something I excel in (!), but whilst grateful to be in what I'm very aware is a privileged position w.r.t recognition of my neurospicy-ness, it's been a journey with non-trivial mental and physical pain, which I've been reflecting on with some sadness about whether any was avoidable...but hindsight is, of course, a wonderful thing.
I know from the post-diagnosis materials that people react different, but despite having pushed against various resistance to get to this point, I've not really come to terms with/embraced my long-desired outcome, when I feel like I should feel more when this is what I wanted?! Arghhh so confused...
*Anyway*, sorry for rambling/if I didn't introduce myself "properly"! Hope you're all doing ok and it's really nice to be here 
