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Newly diagnosed 29 y/o woman, struggling to accept

Rayleigh

Hi everyone, I’m new here and hoping for some guidance.

I was diagnosed with autism on Tuesday through the Right to Choose pathway with Clinical Partners. The assessments themselves felt thorough, but the actual diagnosis was delivered in a very blunt five‑minute phone call. I asked a few follow‑up questions but the responses were short, and I was told my report will take 2–4 weeks to reach my GP. It’s left me feeling like I’ve been handed this huge piece of news with no support or direction.

Even though I suspected autism for a while, the diagnosis has hit me in a way I didn’t expect. I keep finding myself wondering if I somehow said the wrong things in the assessments, or if they misinterpreted me. It feels strange to have this label that’s supposedly been part of me my whole life, yet right now it doesn’t feel like it “fits” or belongs to me. I can’t seem to sit with it — I feel numb, confused, shut down, and unsure how to cope or what to do next.

If anyone is willing to share how you processed your diagnosis, what helped you in the early days, or anything you wish you’d known at the start, I’d really appreciate it.

Parents

  • Good morning from America Rayleigh,

    I mostly felt relief once I was diagnosed, but also a bit of imposter syndrome since my psychiatrist said I was “borderline Autistic” when she delivered the news to me. Especially since I’ve heard other’s stories of how Autism has affected their lives (I have some minor sensory and communication issues, but there are some with way more pronounced issues), I’ve wondered if maybe I shouldn’t claim to be Autistic. But it’s a spectrum, some of us need more support than others.

    Reading other people’s accounts did help, however, in understanding a little more deeply some more things that I hadn’t thought of that is part of my Autism. For example I came to the realization in the past year that showers are a little more difficult for me to handle than most people because of the sensory explosion. I probably wouldn’t have realized that if I didn’t read up on other people’s experiences with sensory difficulties.

    So yeah, read. Read up on here and look up books by Autistic individuals. One good one that covers a lot of different experiences is “Unmasking Autism” by Devon Price, who is an Autistic author.

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  • Good morning from America Rayleigh,

    I mostly felt relief once I was diagnosed, but also a bit of imposter syndrome since my psychiatrist said I was “borderline Autistic” when she delivered the news to me. Especially since I’ve heard other’s stories of how Autism has affected their lives (I have some minor sensory and communication issues, but there are some with way more pronounced issues), I’ve wondered if maybe I shouldn’t claim to be Autistic. But it’s a spectrum, some of us need more support than others.

    Reading other people’s accounts did help, however, in understanding a little more deeply some more things that I hadn’t thought of that is part of my Autism. For example I came to the realization in the past year that showers are a little more difficult for me to handle than most people because of the sensory explosion. I probably wouldn’t have realized that if I didn’t read up on other people’s experiences with sensory difficulties.

    So yeah, read. Read up on here and look up books by Autistic individuals. One good one that covers a lot of different experiences is “Unmasking Autism” by Devon Price, who is an Autistic author.

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