Billy Smith
Member
Hi, I'm Billy. I'm 43 years old and have self diagnosed, although I'm on the (long long) waiting list to be formally diagnosed. I've always been aware than I saw the world differently to other people and have always been a bit off key and eccentric. I remember my mam taking me to the doctor over my 'delirious' behaviour back in the 70's but of course nothing came of it. The visit was triggered by me sometimes getting out of bed and crying because the bed covers felt strange on me. I had always put such things down to being just quirks of personality, and the crippling social difficulties down to a screaming lack of social confidence.
It was actually a former work colleague who had a son with Apergers who implied that I had very similar traits so I dutifully scoured. It was both a revelation and a shock to discover that all of these things which I felt were exclusively, uniquely (and weirdly) just me were actually commonly shared experiences amongst a section of people in society. I found myself looking back over the many things I had experienced over the years and was able to explain what was previously unexplainable. It all tied in.
Of course I struggled with this revelation at first. A cpmplete change of self concept is not something you can accept or adapt to easily, particularly at my age.
So this is where I'm at. I don't need a formal diagnosis for self validation but for other people really. When you break your leg, you know you've broke your leg and don't need a medical professional to confirm this. However, it's not until it is typed into a computer by a doctor that it becomes valid in the eyes of the profession and therefore by others. In this respect I am currently in limbo.
It was actually a former work colleague who had a son with Apergers who implied that I had very similar traits so I dutifully scoured. It was both a revelation and a shock to discover that all of these things which I felt were exclusively, uniquely (and weirdly) just me were actually commonly shared experiences amongst a section of people in society. I found myself looking back over the many things I had experienced over the years and was able to explain what was previously unexplainable. It all tied in.
Of course I struggled with this revelation at first. A cpmplete change of self concept is not something you can accept or adapt to easily, particularly at my age.
So this is where I'm at. I don't need a formal diagnosis for self validation but for other people really. When you break your leg, you know you've broke your leg and don't need a medical professional to confirm this. However, it's not until it is typed into a computer by a doctor that it becomes valid in the eyes of the profession and therefore by others. In this respect I am currently in limbo.
I'm the same age as you, 43, and was diagnosed just over 2 years ago. I had all sorts of issues growing up, and at one point the school wanted to move me to a slow learners class, or even a special school, and a teacher mentioned to my parents that I had autistic traits, but my parents and the GP wouldn't hear of it because I was a) intelligent and b) able to talk and interact. So all sorts of excuses were made for my odd behaviour, I was kept in mainstream school, a private tutor was hired for me to catch up with schoolwork (the teacher who thought I was autistic), and I was made to sit and do mental agility tests every evening after school. There were one or two others in the school with various issues who struggled through school academically and/or socially and never received any diagnosis or help; thankfully, this has changed as there is a greater awareness of autism and other learning difficulties.
