My name is Marie, I am 46 years old and was diagnosed with ASD about 6 months ago. It is a long story how I ended up at the VA Mental Health Clinic. The important part is that once my doctor presented the ASD diagnosis, suddenly so many things about my life up until that point made sense. I did struggle a bit against accepting this "label" because prior to that, I was just different. What my doctor was presenting was concrete evidence of, and a reason for, my differences and that took some getting used to. I always knew I was different and spent many years suffering for it until I learned how to camouflage myself so I could fit in. After first learning of the diagnosis, I read some books by authors who tell the tale of their life on the Spectrum. When I finished the first book I was shocked to discover that 90% of the experiences the author described was exactly my life! I have presented the ASD diagnosis to my mother as a way of testing out how my family might react, but that didn't go well so I let it go and have chosen not to discuss it with anyone but my doctor.
I stumbled upon this forum and was encouraged to participate after reading the different discussion threads and seeing how supportive everyone is of each other. Living alone with this diagnosis has been very difficult, so I am joining this site in hopes that I might be able to find friends who understand and don't judge. Besides my doctor, I have no one to talk to my experiences about because no one in my life understands. When I've tried to talk to my husband about my ASD experiences, he usually has no comment. Literally, he doesn't say anything. So, here I am.
I stumbled upon this forum and was encouraged to participate after reading the different discussion threads and seeing how supportive everyone is of each other. Living alone with this diagnosis has been very difficult, so I am joining this site in hopes that I might be able to find friends who understand and don't judge. Besides my doctor, I have no one to talk to my experiences about because no one in my life understands. When I've tried to talk to my husband about my ASD experiences, he usually has no comment. Literally, he doesn't say anything. So, here I am.
