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Feeling misunderstood

Tonyelk142

Hi everyone - I’ve just joined the community having been recently diagnosed with autism at the age of 55. (I’m male btw and never posted on a blog before so apologies if this is all a bit disorganised!)

I’m still trying to make sense of my diagnosis. The main element I’m hung up on is the 12 score which I think means my autism is mild / high functioning but that’s not really been explained to me.

Now that I’ve had my diagnosis all my past experiences do seem to make more sense but I guess I still feel misunderstood - it seems no-one really wants to hear how I’m feeling or is showing me much empathy for what, after all, is a pretty significant life event.  I don’t want a shoulder to cry on as such but would love to know of support groups (either local or online) that would give me a chance to share my thoughts and provide some practical tips for living with this level of autism..

thank you in advance for all your support 

Parents

  • 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:

    • Talking about and disclosing your autism diagnosis
    • Emotional support for family members after a diagnosis
    • Formal support following an autism diagnosis
    • What can I do if formal support is not offered or is not enough

    A common recommendation in autism diagnosis reports is for your GP to arrange therapy. If you prefer, depending on where you are in the UK, you may instead be able to self refer for talking therapy on the NHS.

    Before having this, you might find it helpful to borrow or buy this book. It discusses 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. In my case I chose to have counselling, led by someone experienced in helping neurodivergent clients:

    The Autistic Survival Guide to Therapy

    This book also taught me some important principles and enabled me to make some immediate, helpful changes - perhaps you might find it useful, too:

    Self-Care for Autistic People: 100+ Ways to Recharge, De-Stress, and Unmask!

Reply

  • 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:

    • Talking about and disclosing your autism diagnosis
    • Emotional support for family members after a diagnosis
    • Formal support following an autism diagnosis
    • What can I do if formal support is not offered or is not enough

    A common recommendation in autism diagnosis reports is for your GP to arrange therapy. If you prefer, depending on where you are in the UK, you may instead be able to self refer for talking therapy on the NHS.

    Before having this, you might find it helpful to borrow or buy this book. It discusses 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. In my case I chose to have counselling, led by someone experienced in helping neurodivergent clients:

    The Autistic Survival Guide to Therapy

    This book also taught me some important principles and enabled me to make some immediate, helpful changes - perhaps you might find it useful, too:

    Self-Care for Autistic People: 100+ Ways to Recharge, De-Stress, and Unmask!

Children
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