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Newley diagnosed

Tropics82

Hi 

I was diagnosed with level 1 autism 4 months ago and have been really struggling with it.

I already have diagnosed ADHD and take medication for this, which took me while to get used to and understand but i feel this diagnosis has hit me a lot harder and ive been off work for a while to have time to make sense of it all

im hoping i can get some clarity or help on this site so thought i would share it..

I dont have a clue how to undertand tis masking stuff- its feels weird to me .. and im struggling to accept that i have it and also struggle to tell others when i dont get it myself ...

There are things that i feel now make a little sense but to the outside world im ok.. to me im probable ok lol .. or not -- but how did people make sense of all this ?

Thank you 

Parents

  • HelloTropics82! Congratulations on your diagnosis!

    Like you, I was diagnosed with ADHD (then ADD) ages ago, but only recently in the past 4ish years got diagnosed with Autism. So I also had to deal with the idea that it wasn’t just inattention that was wearing me out, but also masking.  shared some great resources, so start there. I definitely recommend the Self-Care for Autistic People book. I also agree with her that counseling is a fantastic idea after a diagnosis.

    One thing to consider, especially so early since your diagnosis, is to be cautious who you tell your diagnosis to. Obviously a spouse or work supervisor is usually a good person to confide in, but outside that make sure you only tell people you feel really comfortable around. Then you can work on “unmasking” - or being your authentic Autistic self - around those people. For example, I am fully comfortable stimming around my safe people, but still mask the stimming around others. The goal is for you to become more comfortable with your unmasked self.

    I wish you the best!

Reply

  • HelloTropics82! Congratulations on your diagnosis!

    Like you, I was diagnosed with ADHD (then ADD) ages ago, but only recently in the past 4ish years got diagnosed with Autism. So I also had to deal with the idea that it wasn’t just inattention that was wearing me out, but also masking.  shared some great resources, so start there. I definitely recommend the Self-Care for Autistic People book. I also agree with her that counseling is a fantastic idea after a diagnosis.

    One thing to consider, especially so early since your diagnosis, is to be cautious who you tell your diagnosis to. Obviously a spouse or work supervisor is usually a good person to confide in, but outside that make sure you only tell people you feel really comfortable around. Then you can work on “unmasking” - or being your authentic Autistic self - around those people. For example, I am fully comfortable stimming around my safe people, but still mask the stimming around others. The goal is for you to become more comfortable with your unmasked self.

    I wish you the best!

Children