Introduction, newly diagnosed

Hello.

I'm pleased you feel glad. It is common to have whole mix of emotions.

What would you like to know? 

Mostly it comes down to knowing and accepting yourself and past, and figuring out how to make things easier in the future.

Just knowing can reduce the pressure you put on yourself, which can make things easier without changing anything externally. 

A part of me saw it coming, I was on the waiting list for a few years so I had a lot of time to think about it and if I wasn't diagnosed, I don't know how I'd feel, because I've always felt like there's something different about me.

I'm mostly just wondering what other people have struggled with and how they've overcome those struggles as I don't know anyone with autism and I'm hoping I'll have people to relate to.

Thanks, this was helpful. 

It varies by person. You also need to separate out autism issues, from trauma, relationship issues, childhood issues, general life problems everyone has.

If you are just after autism issues then there are:

• Sensory challenges, sound, light, strong smells, touch/clothing, temperature, these are made worse when stressed as in threat mode you amplify your senses,
• Movement issues, I am unusually graceful, but many are the opposite,
• Communication issues, either blunt, too wordy explaining your reasoning, too literal. Sensitivity to tone, expression, and taking things too seriously,
• Challenges in relationships, past or present,
• Overwhelm issues, short term problems in response to a certain stnulus,
• Burnout issues, long term response to a long term pressure, chronic stress overloading the nervous system,
• Sleep issues,
• Eating issues,
• Attention problems, hard to start then hard to stop,
• Anxiety, which is a nervous system mediated issue, also anticipatory anxiety,
• Executive function problems, ties to burnout and overload,
• Cognitive distortions, of which I do most at times and mode dependent thinking caused by stress and threat responses,
• Employment issues linked to all the above.
• Masking challenges, identify what it is, or is not, what you want to change. Age plays a big part in this. Masking can be stronger at work or at home.

It is then coping and mitigation strategies so that you still.live the life you would like to.

Note that ASD can make you prove to other problems, such as depression, abuse, alcohol use, and possible childhood neglect problems which causes all sorts of adult issues.

This will do off the top of my head. 

If you recognise some you can say what you are struggling with the most.

It varies by person. You also need to separate out autism issues, from trauma, relationship issues, childhood issues, general life problems everyone has.

If you are just after autism issues then there are:

• Sensory challenges, sound, light, strong smells, touch/clothing, temperature, these are made worse when stressed as in threat mode you amplify your senses,
• Movement issues, I am unusually graceful, but many are the opposite,
• Communication issues, either blunt, too wordy explaining your reasoning, too literal. Sensitivity to tone, expression, and taking things too seriously,
• Challenges in relationships, past or present,
• Overwhelm issues, short term problems in response to a certain stnulus,
• Burnout issues, long term response to a long term pressure, chronic stress overloading the nervous system,
• Sleep issues,
• Eating issues,
• Attention problems, hard to start then hard to stop,
• Anxiety, which is a nervous system mediated issue, also anticipatory anxiety,
• Executive function problems, ties to burnout and overload,
• Cognitive distortions, of which I do most at times and mode dependent thinking caused by stress and threat responses,
• Employment issues linked to all the above.
• Masking challenges, identify what it is, or is not, what you want to change. Age plays a big part in this. Masking can be stronger at work or at home.

It is then coping and mitigation strategies so that you still.live the life you would like to.

Note that ASD can make you prove to other problems, such as depression, abuse, alcohol use, and possible childhood neglect problems which causes all sorts of adult issues.

This will do off the top of my head. 

If you recognise some you can say what you are struggling with the most.