I Like Waffles
New Member
Hi, I’m a 24 year old female and I think I have Aspergers/ am on the autism spectrum, but I haven’t been diagnosed by someone. How do adults typically get diagnosed? It would be so reassuring to hear from someone in a similar situation.
I contacted an organization in my area that does disability evaluations including autism but they are more geared towards children. I started their intake process and I’m supposed to gather all my mental health related records and there’s a lot. I’m overwhelmed by the task because I’ll have to call so many people. I hope I get started soon.
I think I’m on the spectrum because I seem to experience emotions and sensations much stronger than most others around me. Like my scale goes from -20 to +20 when others experience 0 to 10. I have panic attacks over changes in routine, unfamiliar places, certain social interactions, and sometimes just randomly. I have a hard time interpreting my own and others emotions. Social interaction is exhausting for me though I’ve learned how to fake it until I make it. I don’t truly understand a lot of the dynamics though. I’m very good academically and am currently in veterinary school, but the older I get the more I am exposed to complicated relationships and friendships that I really struggle with. Verbal communication is difficult and I’m told I use the wrong facial expression and tones a lot, apparently people think I’m often angry or rude.
Over the years I’ve sought a lot of professional help and have been diagnosed with tons of things including panic disorder, anxiety, depression, ptsd and bipolar. I have also struggled with an eating disorder, and have been on a psychiatric hold because of suicidal thoughts twice. I’ve taken lots of different medications like Prozac, lamictal, gabapentin, and some other anti depressants. Most make me emotionally numb and have terrible side effects, or make no difference, so I’ve been off medication for about 6 months. I was in an eating disorder treatment program 5 years ago, therapy and psychiatry ever since then. I feel like a bunch of secondary problems have gotten addressed in therapy but that ive never found a core understanding of why life seems to be so challenging for me.
Has anyone else experienced something similar? sorry I’m not more concise...I’m not very good at that. Thank you for reading and responding
I contacted an organization in my area that does disability evaluations including autism but they are more geared towards children. I started their intake process and I’m supposed to gather all my mental health related records and there’s a lot. I’m overwhelmed by the task because I’ll have to call so many people. I hope I get started soon.
I think I’m on the spectrum because I seem to experience emotions and sensations much stronger than most others around me. Like my scale goes from -20 to +20 when others experience 0 to 10. I have panic attacks over changes in routine, unfamiliar places, certain social interactions, and sometimes just randomly. I have a hard time interpreting my own and others emotions. Social interaction is exhausting for me though I’ve learned how to fake it until I make it. I don’t truly understand a lot of the dynamics though. I’m very good academically and am currently in veterinary school, but the older I get the more I am exposed to complicated relationships and friendships that I really struggle with. Verbal communication is difficult and I’m told I use the wrong facial expression and tones a lot, apparently people think I’m often angry or rude.
Over the years I’ve sought a lot of professional help and have been diagnosed with tons of things including panic disorder, anxiety, depression, ptsd and bipolar. I have also struggled with an eating disorder, and have been on a psychiatric hold because of suicidal thoughts twice. I’ve taken lots of different medications like Prozac, lamictal, gabapentin, and some other anti depressants. Most make me emotionally numb and have terrible side effects, or make no difference, so I’ve been off medication for about 6 months. I was in an eating disorder treatment program 5 years ago, therapy and psychiatry ever since then. I feel like a bunch of secondary problems have gotten addressed in therapy but that ive never found a core understanding of why life seems to be so challenging for me.
Has anyone else experienced something similar? sorry I’m not more concise...I’m not very good at that. Thank you for reading and responding
