Hello everyone, I am a 26 year old woman living in the US. I am (sort of) pursuing an official diagnosis through insurance but not sure how that will go. My private Psychiatrist agrees with my assessment that I am autistic and offered to give me the diagnosis herself. However I am hesitant to get an official diagnosis because I fear any kind of negative outcomes that might have for me. Autism explains so much of what has happened in my life so far. I have been considering autism in my head for a few years now and finally feel confident to self identify. I do wish I knew sooner. I would have made some different choices especially around college. I am successful on the surface. I have a master's degree and a good job with my state government. I have a boyfriend. But I don't have close friends. I feel lonely for the type of inconsistent but intense friendship I had as a child and teen. I have struggled with depression since age 10 as well as anxiety. I have chronic migraines and ADHD. since starting Adhd medication my headaches have improved. I don't know. I just want to reach out to and meet more autistic people as I continue to try to accept this about myself. I have talked with my parents and family about identifying as autistic and they have been supportive as well as giving me additional examples of autistic traits I had as a child, my boyfriend hasn't said much about it either way. Thanks for reading.
