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Newly Diagnosed AuDHD.. feel like an imposter

tanyak

Hello all,

42yr old female and mother of 3 - diagnosed with ADHD and Autism just yesterday. ADHD made sense, and I went ahead with the Autism assessment, because my therapists and diagnosticians suggested I do so. I thought my life experiences were normal. So I was completely shocked to receive a diagnosis.

As this is so new, I am reading through Autism material online, and honestly, I feel like such an imposter. There are so many people that have it worse than me. Even my son has issues with interoception, back and forth conversation, etc, and I feel wrong taking this label, when he is still on the waiting list for one. I have had issues with friendships, social cues, executive functioning etc all my life - however I feel awful describing myself as someone with a disability, when clearly, I am okay in comparison to others.

Anyone else feel this way? I feel embarrassed to tell others about my diagnosis (even family) because I fear no one will believe me (I don't really believe it myself).  Somehow I feel like I have managed to convince myself that I have Autism, because I researched it to the death before my assessment. Maybe I just convinced the assessors, and managed to pass the test - so this is all just a huge mistake????

Parents

  • Hi tanyak, welcome. 

    I think it's always tricky, you go through a good phase and you feel like an imposter, but then you might struggle with something and it reminds you, in a very real way, that you are autistic, and you need to be gentle with yourself.  I think it's so easy to minimise your struggles, even after you get diagnosed as that's what a lot of us have been doing our whole lives up till that point!

    Other people have struggles, some profound, but you are allowed to struggle too, and we are all different in what causes us issues and how much by.

    I think spectrum is right as we are a colourful bunch after all! 

Reply

  • Hi tanyak, welcome. 

    I think it's always tricky, you go through a good phase and you feel like an imposter, but then you might struggle with something and it reminds you, in a very real way, that you are autistic, and you need to be gentle with yourself.  I think it's so easy to minimise your struggles, even after you get diagnosed as that's what a lot of us have been doing our whole lives up till that point!

    Other people have struggles, some profound, but you are allowed to struggle too, and we are all different in what causes us issues and how much by.

    I think spectrum is right as we are a colourful bunch after all! 

Children
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