Introduction

I hope you get to the bottom of your migraines, they're not fun whatever the symptoms.

I was never particularly convinced that it was migraines as I very rarely had aura or actual pain, just unable to function for days. I have trouble thinking, speaking and generally doing anything other than reading it watching TV (I guess that's my happy place)

I tried all sorts to get rid of them and the best I managed was to get them down to every 3 months.

I read a description of ASD and ADHD Burnout a while back and it fit to a T

Ultimately it doesn't matter what I call them, I've found that taking that step back when I feel I need to and doing nothing for a while has had a huge impact, it's now nearly 6 months since my last one. 

I just need to try and get it so that there's a better balance with work so I don't have to spend the weekend doing nothing (although that's nice too!)

Hi Longfella and welcome.

Good call on the discovery about the migraines.  Its made me wonder about my migraines too.

Hope you stick around and enjoy chatting with us.

You're most welcome! 

Longfella said:

The clinician that gave me my diagnosis suggested I look at NAS for information etc

The NAS does do a fantastic job (I think, at least) of providing written resources across all kinds of topics, usually including onward links for further reading.

I can commiserate with you losing days at a time to headaches. I hope you're able to manage them better now you have the full picture. 

It's still early days but at the moment it does feel like someone has given me the piece of the puzzle I was missing

Thanks for all the information. 

It should keep me busy for a while!

Hello to you, welcome,  

I only was diagnosed a few months ago and it meant a whole rethink of my previous life. Then quite suddenly, I found discovered that everything fitted into place and a lifetime searching for answers just disappeared. A bit like throwing all the pieces of a jigsaw into the air and them all landing as a completed picture.

 I can empathise with the headaches which used to send me to bed for days at a time. I only found out above burnouts during my assessment; I didn't realise they were running alongside my periods of burnout. 

I hope you enjoy the site. I have found so much helpful information and the people are very friendly.  

Congratulations on your diagnoses and welcome to the community!

There are plenty of older, late-diagnosed and late-realised people here, so you're in good company! 

My own diagnosis turned out to be the start of a new journey of learning and adapting. I'd suggest taking extra care to be patient to, and kind with, yourself - and to take your time with processing everything.

The NAS has a great set of articles focused on "after diagnosis", including one covering how you might feel over time, and others covering support. You might find them helpful as a starting point:

NAS - How will I feel after receiving an autism diagnosis - includes perspectives from other autistic people

NAS - Other advice covering post-diagnosis - including these and more:

• Talking about and disclosing your autism diagnosis
• Formal support following an autism diagnosis
• What can I do if formal support is not offered or is not enough

Therapy or counselling are often recommended after a diagnosis, as a follow up action for your GP to arrange. If you prefer, depending on where you are in the UK, you might instead be able to self refer for talking therapy. 

Before arranging anything you might find it helpful to borrow or buy this book, which includes discussion of 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:

The Autistic Survival Guide to Therapy

I'll also just mention a couple of books that I and others have found helpful early on in our post-diagnosis journeys:

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

How to Be Autistic (free download currently available via this page)

Burnout

I suggest seeking support with this from your GP, if you're not already receiving it. Alongside that, you might find the advice and suggested strategies in these NAS resources helpful:

NAS - Autistic fatigue and burnout

NAS Professional Practice - Understanding autistic burnout

NAS - Seeking help with mental health

There's also some great (free) advice here from Dr Megan Neff - a neurodivergent author, clinician and advocate:

Autistic Burnout Recovery: How to Build a Recovery Plan

I also have this book of hers. It's very user-friendly, including lots of diagrams and worksheets:

The Autistic Burnout Workbook: Your Guide to Your Personal Recovery Plan

That's a lot of resources, I know - but I hope that some of the information here is helpful.