calicoandgreen
Mother I Homesteader I Aquascaper
Hello. My name is Cat and I'm 38 yo. I am currently self-diagnosed with ASD. I did my first online AQ test back in 2007 or 2008 so I've kinda known about this for a long time but I've been in denial a lot. Especially since everytime I tried to address the issue people would basically laugh at my face. So I've been treated as a heavily mentally sick person for almost two decades now with practically no effect.
Over the years I've been diagnosed with about 3/4 of the DSM-IV (now V) and I'm not even exaggerating. I currently live under the labels of Bi-Polar disorder + Schizoid personality disorder + social phobia + agoraphobia + unspecified anxiety disorder. And while they all fit with my 'symptoms' they only actually address the tip of the iceberg. But I had stopped caring about whether or not I was able to find a professional who would take me seriously after being rejected so often. Except I became a mom to a very bright daughter with a very ASD oriented personality almost 5 years ago and since we will start actively homeschooling her this Autumn it inevitably became quite an important topic in our home.
My partner is also a self-diagnosed autistic person (+ officially diagnosed ADHD). We both see our young selves in our daughter and we can't just not worry about her. We are thinking about telling our family doctor about all this for her sake (and maybe ours) but I feel absolutely terrified about the possibility of being rejected once again. Our doctor is absolutely amazing and has been a real blessing to us ever since she became my obstetrician when I was pregnant with my girl. But I don't know, I am extremely sensitive about rejection, about not being believed. And I often wonder about the benefits of getting a real diagnostic. So I came here because of this I guess, because I want what's best for my daughter. Because I hope she'll have a more peaceful and joyous life than my partner and I had till now.
.
And also, maybe I'll try to make some friends with similar interests (plants, animals, homesteading mostly) in the process. Anyway, nice to meet you!
Over the years I've been diagnosed with about 3/4 of the DSM-IV (now V) and I'm not even exaggerating. I currently live under the labels of Bi-Polar disorder + Schizoid personality disorder + social phobia + agoraphobia + unspecified anxiety disorder. And while they all fit with my 'symptoms' they only actually address the tip of the iceberg. But I had stopped caring about whether or not I was able to find a professional who would take me seriously after being rejected so often. Except I became a mom to a very bright daughter with a very ASD oriented personality almost 5 years ago and since we will start actively homeschooling her this Autumn it inevitably became quite an important topic in our home.
My partner is also a self-diagnosed autistic person (+ officially diagnosed ADHD). We both see our young selves in our daughter and we can't just not worry about her. We are thinking about telling our family doctor about all this for her sake (and maybe ours) but I feel absolutely terrified about the possibility of being rejected once again. Our doctor is absolutely amazing and has been a real blessing to us ever since she became my obstetrician when I was pregnant with my girl. But I don't know, I am extremely sensitive about rejection, about not being believed. And I often wonder about the benefits of getting a real diagnostic. So I came here because of this I guess, because I want what's best for my daughter. Because I hope she'll have a more peaceful and joyous life than my partner and I had till now.
.
And also, maybe I'll try to make some friends with similar interests (plants, animals, homesteading mostly) in the process. Anyway, nice to meet you!