Self-Diagnosed Aspergirl and New Blogger

Thanks for that!

I shall read more of your blog, what I have read so far interests me, I am actually considering starting my own...

You seem to be working through things in the best possible way, I imagine to some you are an inspiration, please keep the blog going and do promote it (even if you're not "about it"), having an audience usually provides encouragement to continue, and benefit some of who read it, so in a way promoting it may help people.

Wanting to share you experiences to help people and provide a voice, and wanting to be famous are very different things and I haven't confused them, I don't believe that others will.

All the best,

Forest

I think it is a bit too early to tell... I have had my sensory differences acknowledged too by an Occupational Therapist (not sure if/how much you've read of my blog) and I suppose this week I've had a bit of frustration because of it... I've come to realise that I've been sensory defensive my whole life but without realising that's what it was or that there was even a name for it [I've started reading Too Loud, Too Bright, Too Fast, Too Tight and relate to a lot I've read so far].  While my differences are not so severe to denote a full-blown sensory processing disorder, they do still affect me to a fair degree and at times I wish I didn't have this element of my existence because I find going to the gym virtually unbearable (floor-to-ceiling frosted west-facing windows with no shades which hurt my eyes in the evening with the direct sunlight; the banging and clanging of the weightlifters in the free weights zone; the Club Ibiza dance music piped into the gym's PA system; the big men who wear torn t-shirts and reek of body odor; screaming children in the echoey pool area who insist on jumping in mere inches from my head) and while I know it's good for me to go, I get so stressed out and end up making myself feel ill.  I have managed to just about tolerate it before, but as I've been especially stressed out and wound up about this diagnostic process, my sensitivities have become more acute and my tolerance therefore is much lower.

I think my biggest worry is about being inadvertently discriminated against if I apply for another job and don't get offered it because of the assumptions people may still make about autism.  I'd "tick the box" so to speak for equality reasons, but they might still find another reason to not give me the job without saying specifically that they don't want to hire an autistic person.  My argument would be that I've managed to successfully hold down jobs in my adult life before I had my diagnosis or even realised that I might be autistic, so suddenly having the diagnostic "label" doesn't change who I am intrinsically.  I need a few reasonable adjustments to be made so that my environment doesn't stress me out and that I'm spoken to/given direction in a way that I understand because I take information in a bit differently to other people.  That's always been the case before and now after diagnosis.  I'm lucky that I work in a Local Authority Special Educational Needs Team so if anyone understands reasonable adjustments, it's the managers in my team!

Not that I'm about promoting myself or my blog (because I'm not trying to get famous by any stretch of the imagination - I just want my virtual voice to be added to the growing online collective of women on the spectrum), but I will continue blogging and will write more about my experiences post-diagnosis.

Thank you, one question I do have - Do you think there are any negatives to having a diagnosis? Or is it too early to tell?

[(365.25 * 1.083) + 24] & [(365.25 * 31.75) + 4] if you are interested....Most people forget there are 365.25 days in a year.... Numbers are interesting, I'm more interested in the patterns they form though.

Forest

Thank you ForestP!!That's very kind of you.  It has been an arduous and at times stressful process, but the relief felt at the end has been immeasurable.  I wish you luck in your pursuit and if you have any questions, I'm happy to help however I can.

And I'll admit, I didn't count the date calculation myself... I went to timeanddate.com's Date Calculator.  If anything, I included the days because they were both even ending on a zero... I'm a bit preoccupied with numbers.

Thank you ForestP!!That's very kind of you.  It has been an arduous and at times stressful process, but the relief felt at the end has been immeasurable.  I wish you luck in your pursuit and if you have any questions, I'm happy to help however I can.

And I'll admit, I didn't count the date calculation myself... I went to timeanddate.com's Date Calculator.  If anything, I included the days because they were both even ending on a zero... I'm a bit preoccupied with numbers.

I'm new here and just about to do my introduction, I couldn't help noticing yours (I wanted to get a feel for what other people had said so I included an apropriate level of detail).

I just wanted to congratulate you on your validation/diagnosis, I'm glad it has made you feel better, it's things like this that make me think I should pursue some kind of diagnosis.

I also wanted to congratulate you on your date calculatation, nice touch

After 1 year, 1 month and 24 days (or 420 days) from the day of realisation to the day of validation, at the age of 31 years, 9 months and 4 days old (or 11,600 days), I am now officially diagnosed with autism.  I'm elated and feel more relaxed than I have in a long time... I've still been blogging at https://iammyownexperience.com/ and have started a Facebook page linked to my blog at https://www.facebook.com/IAmMyOwnExperience/

I feel proud to be part of this community and look forward to what the future holds in this new chapter of my life.

Sorry Cherry blossom - i posted that in the wrond place. Looked at your blog though - nice!

c

Hi all, recently scored very highly on the AS50 test and am in the process of realising that maybe I really am autistic. Lots of things about my train wreck of a life have fallen into place and its quite a relief really - but on the other hand I wonder if I am overreacting. I am 57 with 3 degrees and have never been able to hold down a proper job. I always seem to get bullied and I hate going out. I'm high functioning I suppose and I look fairly normal but I've been through years of mental agony, anxiety, depression and inability to communicate to people I find pretty stupid (sorry - but I do). a bit worried I might find psychologists and counsellors the same. Certainly it has been my excperience with a GP and a counsellor that they are just not 'getting it'.

Anyway I am now awaiting a diagnosis and just needed to express this worry - there are many more! Hope to find some understanding.