Published on 12, July, 2020
Hi, I'm Mike I was diagnosed a few months ago and still have quite got to a point where I understand what it means foe me. I had been pondering and researching ASD for some years after seeing parallels between my son and I (he was diagnosed when he was 5), I made the mistake of sharing my thoughts at work and ended up with being told I needed to seek a diagnosis so they could determine if someone with Aspergers could do my job, I had been doing for nearly 5 years at that point. 8 months later I was diagnosed and work calmed down and now things feel the same but different. That's me its nice to be part of the community.
thanks
Hi shesintheoublient, thanks for replying, thanks for replying.
Just wanted to say hi and that I'm newly diagnosed so I can understand how you might feeling both about the diagnosis and in life in general.
One of the things my diagnosis is making me realise is quite how differently NTs view the world - I always knew there seemed to be a difference, but after talking to very close friends/family about how they think about things, I've realised that my way is quite radically different.. e.g. the 'prospective' memory that NTs take for granted - which allows them to remember to do things, be it ask how someone is or share something with them, or to remember to send off a form or where I put my keys, or to invite someone to sit down, or to remember the big picture when completing a task etc etc etc... I read that this kind of problem with executive function could play a big part.
Anyway, I'm rambing a bit as I try to orient myself in this new world, but I look forward to future discussions.
Spot on. It's very easy to get caught up in our own woes - you do well to remember that the "empathy gap" works both ways. It's not just us getting confused by neurotypical behaviour - our hehaviour is just as mysterious when viewed from the other side of the mirror.
I'm fortunate, in that when I first introduce autism and Asperger's to my family, my mother realised very quickly that many of the traits have been quite common in our family, over several generations. So, with her at least, it hasn't been so difficult to explain. I've had slightly less receptive reactions from a few people, and I still mention it to as few as possible - on a need-to-know basis, mentioning only specific traits as they relate to a specific problem.
As for your interest in neurology - I concur completely. I've taken a keener interest in the subject since my diagnosis especially. I grew up idolising Johnny Ball, The Sky at Night and Tomorrow's World. My fascination with any kind of science is still very powerful. I find people who cannot see the beauty in it very hard to comprehend!
Thank you for your reply and your thoughts, I am lucky to have a number of people around me that care but it can be difficult to talk about why I find somethings difficult. They don't understand why Im grumpy when they plan nice spur of the moment things any more than I understand why they or anyone for that matter is not fascinated by how neural connections are formed in the brain. I guess I hoping to find people to talk to who understand and except.
Welcome, Mike,
I'm 45 and new to my diagnosis too. Glad to hear that work has settled down for you after your diagnosis - unfortunately, not all emplyers are so understanding!
Joining places like this has been the most uplifting thing for me so far - much more so than the official reports from my evaluation. For all their expertise, most psychologists and doctor are not on the spectrum themselves - people who live the experience every day are where you get to hear the real wisdom that you need to make sense of it all.