Recently diagnosed - No idea who I am any more

Hey - new here and hoping to get some friendly advice on how to cope with being diagnosed recently. I’m 34 and i was 95% convinced I was autistic for about 4 years before I actually got officially diagnosed, so when I finally got the confirmation that all my suspicions were right, I felt a huge sense of relief and validation. Now, about a fortnight on, my euphoric relief has turned into a deep dark dissociative space. I’m depressive, vacant and don’t want to talk to anyone or do anything social. I am aware of how down I am, but can’t do anything about it. I feel like I’ve now been given the green light to know who I really am… and now I’m completely overwhelmed. I feel like I have to get to know a new person. And that person is me.. who I thought I already knew… help !

Parents
  • Your experience sounds very common among what I've read here. It takes time to integrate a diagnosis into your life. It's taken me 18 months to finally understand what it actually means to me but the integration is going to go on a lot longer if not the rest of my life. 2 weeks is very early days.  Be kind to yourself. Getting a diagnosis is a big deal and you need time to process it.

Reply
  • Your experience sounds very common among what I've read here. It takes time to integrate a diagnosis into your life. It's taken me 18 months to finally understand what it actually means to me but the integration is going to go on a lot longer if not the rest of my life. 2 weeks is very early days.  Be kind to yourself. Getting a diagnosis is a big deal and you need time to process it.

Children