I am a 67 year old woman living in Australia. My brother has a young child who is thought to have autism, but not officially diagnosed yet as there is a long waiting list to see a pediatrician for proper diagnosis. In the course of reading about autism I have come to the realisation that I probably have aspergers and our father probably did too. This came as a bit of a shock as I had never considered it previously, but also made sense of a lot of things about my life I had never had answers for.
I'm still coming to terms with how I feel about it because although it helps me understand myself, it also feels a bit like uggh.......another label to add to my list! Chronic depression, anxiety and insomnia have dogged me since my teens and I have always struggled with relationships of all types........friends, lovers, work colleagues and family.
Despite these difficulties I have managed to be fairly high functioning and have now retired from work, heaving a sigh of relief that I don't have to keep struggling to fit in, at least in that area. Being high functioning is a bit of a double edged sword because people perceive me to be fortunate and "successful" and therefore have nothing to be depressed or anxious about. I have always felt totally misunderstood.
I am going to see my doctor tomorrow and am considering asking for a referral to see a psychologist for a formal diagnosis and just generally someone to talk it all over with. I have spent a considerable amount of time over the course of my life talking to psychs and counsellors, but really haven't had much success or help from any of them. I'm not sure this time will be any different.
I would be interested to hear from anyone who has had a diagnosis late in life and whether it has helped them. I'm also wondering whether it is a good idea to tell people or just keep it to myself? I did tell my brother, but he seemed pretty disinterested. Not an unusual reaction from him. My family have always been dismissive of any of my mental health problems. Once again, probably because they have perceived me to be "successful", and I think there may be some jealousy involved.
I'd better end here or I'll be going on all day!
I'm still coming to terms with how I feel about it because although it helps me understand myself, it also feels a bit like uggh.......another label to add to my list! Chronic depression, anxiety and insomnia have dogged me since my teens and I have always struggled with relationships of all types........friends, lovers, work colleagues and family.
Despite these difficulties I have managed to be fairly high functioning and have now retired from work, heaving a sigh of relief that I don't have to keep struggling to fit in, at least in that area. Being high functioning is a bit of a double edged sword because people perceive me to be fortunate and "successful" and therefore have nothing to be depressed or anxious about. I have always felt totally misunderstood.
I am going to see my doctor tomorrow and am considering asking for a referral to see a psychologist for a formal diagnosis and just generally someone to talk it all over with. I have spent a considerable amount of time over the course of my life talking to psychs and counsellors, but really haven't had much success or help from any of them. I'm not sure this time will be any different.
I would be interested to hear from anyone who has had a diagnosis late in life and whether it has helped them. I'm also wondering whether it is a good idea to tell people or just keep it to myself? I did tell my brother, but he seemed pretty disinterested. Not an unusual reaction from him. My family have always been dismissive of any of my mental health problems. Once again, probably because they have perceived me to be "successful", and I think there may be some jealousy involved.
I'd better end here or I'll be going on all day!
