Hi, I'm new here, and am mostly looking for advice and a friendly ear (or whatever the text equivalent would be).
I spent years trying to use CBT for anxiety, mostly social anxiety, before a therapist suggested I may be on the spectrum. CBT, as well as other forms of self help such as meditation, never seemed to work, to the point where I just reckoned that I just wasn't meant to feel any different. Anyway, I was referred for an ASD assessment, which I had at the beginning of May this year.
I was diagnosed as being autistic after this assessment. After my diagnosis, I got discharged from the service with no further word or support, with little more than being told to look at online forums as a way forward (so here I am, despite me finding posting online a bit nerve-wracking!)
I'm in my mid-thirties, so my diagnosis has come later than quite a few people, I'm sure. The whole thing has left me feeling lost; it's made me re-evaluate, well, everything. Every past interaction, reaction etc. How I'm feeling seems to change really quickly, and seemingly for little to no real reason, too. Also, I've been feeling less able to do things, mostly interacting with people, that I've been doing with minimal fuss for years. It's been kind of isolating, frustrating, and a bit worrying (my job is in customer service, which I've been working in almost continuously since my early twenties). It's been a lot to take in, and I don't know where to start. I've watched a few channels on Youtube, but that's been it really.
I suppose one of the questions I'd like to ask is, is this reaction to a diagnosis normal? (Obviously I'm in completely new territory, so there's no offence meant.) Does anyone have any techniques or resources that could be a good starting point?
Anyway, thanks to anyone who read this ramble-y monologue. (Apologies if I've put this in the wrong part of the forum).
