Published on 12, July, 2020
Hello people. I've just been diagnosed after 56 years of feeling like an alien, 35 years going through the mental health system that consistently failed to notice what might be the matter, and having a messed up working life because of my problems, which has left to low income and low prospects despite my IQ of 154. As my worst stresser is noise I have moved on average every 2 years since I hit 21 and left the parental home. It's been a tough journey, with some bright patches, and I guess most of you here will understand what I have tried to explain to various 'professionals' down the years, who have been totally nonplussed by my attempts to explain how life feels for me - i.e. in the right environment I function 100%, in the wrong one I fall apart. My response to getting this late diagnosis is one of relief, and to finally start pulling together my life story for publication. Since childhood I've always been told I'm a gifted writer, so here's a way of doing something I hope will be catharctic. (I also love to sing and used to write my own music). Since day to day living continues to be a huge and exhausting battle, and with little hope of respite on the horizon (no money, no home of my own, no sign of work having been pushed out of a job in July because I could no longer cope in the environment) things are not looking good, but I am prepared to keep on keeping on because that's all I know how to do. I know one other Aspie, he lives in the Orkneys, and I'm in the Midlands so feel pretty isolated here. Having a particularly bad day so coming here to 'talk' where I will be understood. Thanks for reading. xx
Hi Technophobe, I hate using some websites, and I build web sites for a living.
I did struggle with my first meetings for the diagnosis, I am 49, mainly because it covered a lot of things in my younger life where I had very bad experiences. My coping technique with this is to push it all to one side in my mind, took me a long time to do that. I also denied I was depressed, I had seeked help, but just got fobbed off and was offerered no help, even though I responded very well to a couple of brief sessions with a psychologist.
I had asked that I needed counsueling as the process was bringing up all this stuff, was told I would get that, but eleven months on, still waiting
Hi Technophobe and Didi, welcome :-)
This website is creaking a bit but it responds well to patience. your posts have made it through the ether and we are hearing you loud and clear.
Nothing's working for me today. I'm here because the Wrong Planet forum is chucking all my attempts to post back at me, and this one seems to be too. Just tried on the 'introduce yourself' section only to get an error notice after several minutes.
In the hope that what I'm typing gets through, I am 55 and I had my first meeeting for an AS diagnosis two days ago. It was not a pleasant experience and I'd like to find others who have been through this at my kind of age to discuss it with. In view of the unreliability of everything technological, I will spend no more time on this and see if it posts.
Hi - I'm new to this forum and I also have recently been diagnosed with Aspergers at the age of 50. It would appear that my mum possibly has it too.
There are quite a few people emerging from the mental health system having been misdiagnosed for many years. Psychiatry is a terribly inexact "science" and people with autism often present with symptoms that obscure the true cause that, 30 years ago, was largely unrecognised.
I'm sure that my father (and his father) were also affected but people just thought of them as eccentrics and that depression could just be treated with drugs. Things are changing but it seems to be a painfully slow process and people's lives are being ruined due to the lack of recognition.
Thank you for reading and replying. Wow, I am not the oldest, then! :) I was told during my diagnosis appointment that they were seeing people in their 60s and later. My father - almost certainly AS - lived to 84 without a diagnosis. I know he had a terribly difficult life. I am fortunate to have got my diagnosis because knowledge is power, and it now means that I canwork on what I need. I totally understand that bit about the environment - I am worn thin with so many years of trying to cope, but somehow I always bounce back. Though it takes more energy now. I have a lot to give, I do not feel I am in my 50s, and when I am singing or writing or being out in nature with my beloved dogs, and with people I know and love, I am happy. I feel lucky that - probably due to the person I am - I still get so excited every spring to see the new life, which so many don't even seem to notice. How I can delight at bird song that leaves others unmoved. Just two tiny examples. Having AS is a real trade off - it's like you have these gifts of seeing the world so vividly, and being creative, but the trade off is feeling like you have a skin too few. On the whole, except when I am having a horrible day like today and the mental pain seems unbearable, I would not swap to become 'normal' - how dull that would seem. x
Hi and welcome!
I was also diagnosed at 56 and there are others on here who have late diagnoses (some much older than us)
You will be understood here, your story is very common although everyone seems to have a different path through life. When I was diagnosed I was told that the environment determines the morbidity for people with ASD. If you can find the right environment then you can thrive, if not then you will have a miserable time.