Newly diagnosed later in life and post diagnosis support

For better or worse, from everything I have read and researched, you have already found the only REAL post diagnostic support available - you are here....this place is it.  I'm 50+ and had the lightening bolt of autistic realisation and acceptance just a few months ago.  Before that, I thought I was a mentally struggling NT.....now I realise that I am a mentally coping (just) autistic.   Without this place, I would currently be in a FAR worse place.  I've seen you around and contributing...I hope you chose to continue doing so.

Thank you - I often wonder about the true intentions and motivations of those wanting me to get the diagnosis in 2019, even though it ended up being online just after Covid in 2021 - I notice even more that some people who know about my diagnosis are now even quicker to both silence me and tell me “to cop myself on” and tell me that I must not attempt to form nor express any views nor opinions on any issues, which in thier opinions are wrong by default and that “I do not understand that I’m wrong” in the belief that the only way to manage my condition is via ultra strict Millitary style discipline (to make up for what they believe I did not have in childhood, which they believe is the source of my Autism) as they believe that I need to be “knocked back a peg or ten” and “put firmly in my place” due to my “immaturity” at age 52 and formerly involved with the LGBT community in my teens - one family member in Ireland, an ex-Millitary officer, has written to every official body (and otherwise for all I know) that he can think of here in the U.K. with a “ten point plan” for how my Autism needs to be managed and has even gone as high up as he thinks he can to have his demands fully implemented - I’ve given up trying to have any civilised conversation with him even via email or text because every time I’ve tried to reason with or explain anything to him, he just screams down the phone at me to be silent, as if he was in charge of the parade ground and I was one of his soldiers needing his brand of Millitary discipline given his Millitary career as he and many others like him simply refuse to understand this condition in any way, constantly saying that if I had been slapped often enough and hard enough in childhood, my condition would not have arisen and that what I’m in need of now is “tough love” given “the hard way” and he wants to see a far more confrontational approach taken by mental health professionals and others with regard to my condition 

Thank you - I often wonder about the true intentions and motivations of those wanting me to get the diagnosis in 2019, even though it ended up being online just after Covid in 2021 - I notice even more that some people who know about my diagnosis are now even quicker to both silence me and tell me “to cop myself on” and tell me that I must not attempt to form nor express any views nor opinions on any issues, which in thier opinions are wrong by default and that “I do not understand that I’m wrong” in the belief that the only way to manage my condition is via ultra strict Millitary style discipline (to make up for what they believe I did not have in childhood, which they believe is the source of my Autism) as they believe that I need to be “knocked back a peg or ten” and “put firmly in my place” due to my “immaturity” at age 52 and formerly involved with the LGBT community in my teens - one family member in Ireland, an ex-Millitary officer, has written to every official body (and otherwise for all I know) that he can think of here in the U.K. with a “ten point plan” for how my Autism needs to be managed and has even gone as high up as he thinks he can to have his demands fully implemented - I’ve given up trying to have any civilised conversation with him even via email or text because every time I’ve tried to reason with or explain anything to him, he just screams down the phone at me to be silent, as if he was in charge of the parade ground and I was one of his soldiers needing his brand of Millitary discipline given his Millitary career as he and many others like him simply refuse to understand this condition in any way, constantly saying that if I had been slapped often enough and hard enough in childhood, my condition would not have arisen and that what I’m in need of now is “tough love” given “the hard way” and he wants to see a far more confrontational approach taken by mental health professionals and others with regard to my condition 

It is also involving traditional Irish Catholic social teachings in thier mindsets that they firmly believe that I need to be “made” to do stuff and to obey thier commands without question nor comment where any comment made by myself in response to this is in all cases deemed inappropriate coming from either myself and/or any advocate and is therefore dismissed as nonsense and foolishness, displaying a lack of “cop on” - the concept of the Irish “cop on” as in “cop yourself on” is not as fully understood outside Ireland and outside of Irish culture 

Dude.....that all sounds very rough!  I'm not sure I would tolerate that sort of "attitude" directed at me.  Cold logic and survival instincts tend to 'click-in' when I'm faced with that sort of abuse - I think I'd be full-on fight or flight in your shoes.

Whilst others may not be interested in your views, opinions and perspectives, I think that I can safely speak on behalf of "us" here and say that WE are.  You are valid, validated and listened to here.

In light of what you have explained above, you also have my respect and sympathy for what you are / have faced.

Well done you, for not becoming a proper nut-job!

All the best.