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Intro - Late Diagnosis, Interests, etc.

BefuddledClarity

BefuddledClarity

New Member
⩩※☀ Introduction ☀※⩩

🌈♾️Autism Diagnosis♾️🌈
Hello, I'm Befuddled Clarity. I am currently awaiting an appointment to receive a diagnosis for autism soon. I screened high on the unofficial CAT-Q & GQ-ASC and have many traits of ASD. I have 4 relatives officially diagnosed with autism (cousins and my son) and 3 relatives that I suspect also have it (younger brother, father, and maternal uncle).

I'm joining to better understand myself and my son (who is level 2).
Would be interested to hear from other autistic parents how it is like being a parent to autistic children.
My son and I haves some similarities (similar sensory issues), but also some differences(different ways of stimming).


Curious, were you guys diagnosed at a young age? Late diagnose? How was your experience with the behavioural health field?
Mine has not been so great...I also happened to be diagnosed with PTSD, depression, anxiety, and I have chronic pain.
Also, how has relationships (romantic, platonic, and familial) been like for you guys?
My mother doesn't believe in autism and was physically, verbally, and other types of abuse towards me that I am unsure if I can write it here.
I'm not close to any family members, I have an easy time making friends but difficult time keeping them...
I have had a rollercoaster ride with relationships, and end up masking a LOT of the time. It's difficult sometimes...

Did you guys feel that the diagnosis helped a lot to navigate the world a bit better?
I am hoping to find some sort of direction or methods to cope...it's been difficult...

Anyhow, if you're interested in connecting, my interests and world view is down below.

💫∗*⁂🌟Interests🌟⁂*∗💫
※ Art
✶ Drawing, Animations, Pottery, Painting, etc.
※ Coding
※ Cooking
※ Health/Fitness
✶ Eating healthy, Skincare, Haircare (curly 3a/3b), and General Health
✶ Martial Arts, MMA, Gymnastics, Calisthenics, Weightlifting, and Yoga

※ Learning Languages
✶ I speak both English & español, and VERY basic in 中文/普通话，日本語、and português.
✶ I am also interested in many other languages and have dipped my toes into learning

※ Reading
✶ Articles, Books, Comics, Manga, Manhwa, Manhua, and Online Novels
✶ Genres: Comedy, Fantasy, Medieval, Medieval Fantasy, Psychological Horror, Romance (mostly as a B-plot not main though, WLW is cool too!), Sci-Fi, and Thriller.
※ Researching
※ Psychology
✶ To better understand others.
※Tech
✶ Specs on Phones & Computers, Cybersecurity, Degoogle, and Privacy/Security.
※ Videogames
※ Writing

🧠﹡∴⠾🌐World View/Perspective/🌐⠷∴﹡🧠
※ Philosophy
✶ Secular Humanist who wants to help out as much as possible. Also, interested in secular Buddhism, egalitarianism, and stoicism.
※ Politics
✶ Moderate/Centrist/Independent - Open to talk to people from all walks of life, whether you're right-wing or left-wing. Hell, we don't even have to talk politics, we can just talk about interests/passions instead! :)
※ Religion
✶ Secular/Not religious/Atheist or whatever term you can't to use for someone who is not religious.


Nice to meet you all, hope you guys are having a splendid day! 🌻
 
Hi and welcome to the forum. That's the most comprehensive introduction post I've seen so far. You sound like so many of us here. Welcome home.

I'm an irreverent Aussie diagnosed at age 55.
 
Outdated said:
Hi and welcome to the forum. That's the most comprehensive introduction post I've seen so far. You sound like so many of us here. Welcome home.

I'm an irreverent Aussie diagnosed at age 55.
Click to expand...
Hello, thank you for the warm welcome! :-) It sounds like home here.
It's nice to finally find others that go through similar experiences and who understand you.
It's been really long and lonely journey until it dawned on me to test since the majority of my relatives (and son) are also autistic.
I'm still awaiting the official diagnosis. It feels like the answer to explaining why my life experiences are so different from others and why I am the way I am.
How was it like for you? Diagnosing at age 55? Did you always know deep down? I never really knew I was until I decided to do the (unofficial) CAT-Q & GQ-ASC screening. Plus, recounting memories from childhood and realizing how much I mask throughout the day, my stims, sensory issues, and how often I think about social interactions when it comes naturally to most people, it does not come naturally to me...
 
Welcome.

I am self-diagnosed at 64 years old. I am 72 now. I had a good career and masked all the time. When I figured out I was autistic (after reading a couple of articles about autism expression in professional women), suddenly my life made sense.
 
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BefuddledClarity said:
How was it like for you? Diagnosing at age 55? Did you always know deep down?
Click to expand...
From very early childhood I always knew I was different to everyone else but we didn't have the words to describe things like autism back then. I was very successful in life until I burnt out in my 40s, and then I ran away in to the rainforests to live like a feral and was homeless for 12 years. I never do things by halves.

It was while I was living out in the bush that I heard people on the radio talking about autism and the pieces started to fall in to place for me. It wasn't long after that that I got a formal diagnosis and that got me a pension, I'm now officially retired.
 
hi and welcome 👋

i'm late diagnosed. very confusing history of misdiagnoses that we're currently trying to unravel.

late diagnoses has been very confusing but I've found this forum incredibly helpful. I hope you find it helpful too.
 
I’m like @WhitewaterWoman, self diagnosed at 64. At that age, and given my personal circumstances, there was no advantage to seeking a formal diagnosis. I knew who I was, and it made an immense difference to my understanding and outlook.

We appear to share a number of common interests - I hope you hang around, and that this community provides an affirming environment for you to develop.
 
I was diagnosed at 52... after a lifetime of feeling I was somehow "different" from my peers in many ways.

Mental health services are readily accessible in my area... if you have cash as an adult. Children are often covered under insurance, if you have it. Other than to receive my diagnosis, and a son who had some depression and self harm issues as a teen, that's all the experience I have with it. No anecdotal, personal opinion.

Now, I might have "trauma" and "PTSD", but my generation, for the most part, just pushed it down deep... it almost never rises to the surface.

I never had a problem making friends... like you... it's keeping them. It really is a significant, conscious effort... almost to the point of feeling "fake" to maintain a friendship. I tend to focus my attention on objects, concepts, ideas, non-fiction, useful things. So, in my case, my relationships are typically limited to pleasant, likable acquaintances... most of my co-workers. The one and only exception would be my wife of 39 years... like a cat, I have the mental energy for "my one person".

My family doesn't believe in autism either... "It's just a label" and a "Poor excuse". I don't have contact with them anymore. Keep in mind, my autistic behaviors resulted in physical punishment... there was a false "moral diagnosis" put upon me. I just closed the door on that relationship for my own mental health.

The diagnosis was a relief. Finally, an explanation... something I can study and learn about. It has been a journey of learning about myself. It's been good being able to understand... as opposed to being perpetually confused, frustrated.

Some words of advice that worked for me: 1. Have a sense of humor about yourself. 2. Keep your ego in check. 3. Think outwardly... positive energy, acts of kindness, etc. 4. The past happened... water under the bridge... embrace it, don't forget it... and internalize it as wisdom. 5. Take control... do not put yourself in a dependent or submissive position... with anyone.
 
Same here it is very nice to meet you.

Welcome to autism forums!:):cool:

I’ve been diagnosis disabled pretty much since the day I was born.

My family once wasn’t so sure about autism as well.

I also have trauma and want to write stories as well
 
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