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Recently diagnosed. A weight has been lifted

jaythos

jaythos

New Member
Hi everyone,

My name's Jay and was diagnosed with AS when I was 19, about 9 years ago. I've tried hard to reject my diagnosis, convinced that I was a bit 'socially stunted' and just need to work harder to build my confidence, social skills and develop relationships.
I got my licence, got a job, left home and moved to the city, and found a wonderful partner. But after years of inner turmoil, I had another meltdown. I thought that I'd 'conquered' my diagnosis, and learned to repress all the parts of me that made me different. I hated those parts of me - the awkward parts, the nerdy parts, the obsessive parts, the emotional parts, the sensitive parts. They felt like failures, or problems to be fixed.
Until I started seeing a therapist recently, I'd forgotten all about my diagnosis 9 years prior. I think part of me wanted to forget.
But the diagnosis that sounded like a disability 9 years ago now presents as a gateway to self acceptance, understanding, community and compassion. I've just finished reading my second book this week, personal accounts of people diagnosed with autism in adulthood and this feeling of being understood or 'seen' has been incredibly profound, and liberating.
I hope that my interactions on this forum and hearing the perspectives of others will deepen that feeling for me. I look forwarding to chatting with some of you soon!
 
Welcome!

I concur that reading about the experiences of others can be helpful, even empowering, in finding acceptance and understanding, and building on that to move forward.
 
WELCOME!

Yes it's almost exactly as you say. From bad and miss-diagnoses over the years and some not so great medication. Then the final ASD diagnoses last year in my early 30's
 
Hi and Welcome @jaythos

ITs good to accept the diagnosis and then be able to move on. It took me a while to accept that I might be autistic, but now that I have the dx I have been reading up and learning more about what it means and hwo it applies to me.
 
welcome to af.png
 
diagnosis in my old age at 68 was a huge relief. I learned everything was not "all my fault" and learned how to build a better life. I suddenly had answers to all those "whys" of the past and things began to make sense. Living my best life ever, since diagnosis. I am 70 now. Cheering you on!
 
autisticelders said:
diagnosis in my old age at 68 was a huge relief. I learned everything was not "all my fault" and learned how to build a better life. I suddenly had answers to all those "whys" of the past and things began to make sense. Living my best life ever, since diagnosis. I am 70 now. Cheering you on!
Click to expand...
I love to hear this, it really never is too late. Cheering you on too!
 
I remember when I was diagnosed, I didn’t fully understand what Asperger’s was but hearing what the symptoms were did turn on the metaphorical light bulb inside my head and a lot of the things that I did that were considered to be things wrong with me and to be “immature” made much more sense as it made me realize that nothing was really wrong with me and I was extremely misunderstood. Plus some of the so called “immature “ behavior was more of a result of how I was being treated as I wasn’t allowed to watch MTV until I was about 16 and that mostly left me with cartoons to keep myself entertained and I wasn’t allowed to watch MTV because I wasn’t “mature enough.” Yeah. Try explaining that one.
 
Welcome. I was diagnosed at age 60 when PTSD from earlier social isolation interfered with my life. What I have learned is that while autism has impacted me, I am much more that my autism, especially as past my mid 20s I was able to overcome the barriers it put in my way when I did not even know I had ASD.
 
Hi and welcome, it's good that you are here. Please do join in threads and discussion here, and post threads. I hope it will be helpful and supportive for you to be here.

:herb::bug::leafwind::rabbit::palmtree::seedling::sunflower:
 
jaythos said:
I'm hoping they give us cool hats
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You can't have my fedora! Or cowboy hat... I only have ten of them :p

I was informally diagnosed/suggested by a friend in my mid 40's, some online tests confirmed it, then had a formal diagnosis... I would have never thought about it aside from a friend's comment at a flea market, some of what I read made sense at the time
 
jaythos said:
Hi everyone,
jaythos said:
Hi everyone,

My name's Jay and was diagnosed with AS when I was 19, about 9 years ago. I've tried hard to reject my diagnosis, convinced that I was a bit 'socially stunted' and just need to work harder to build my confidence, social skills and develop relationships.
I got my licence, got a job, left home and moved to the city, and found a wonderful partner. But after years of inner turmoil, I had another meltdown. I thought that I'd 'conquered' my diagnosis, and learned to repress all the parts of me that made me different. I hated those parts of me - the awkward parts, the nerdy parts, the obsessive parts, the emotional parts, the sensitive parts. They felt like failures, or problems to be fixed.
Until I started seeing a therapist recently, I'd forgotten all about my diagnosis 9 years prior. I think part of me wanted to forget.
But the diagnosis that sounded like a disability 9 years ago now presents as a gateway to self acceptance, understanding, community and compassion. I've just finished reading my second book this week, personal accounts of people diagnosed with autism in adulthood and this feeling of being understood or 'seen' has been incredibly profound, and liberating.
I hope that my interactions on this forum and hearing the perspectives of others will deepen that feeling for me. I look forwarding to chatting with some of you soon!
Click to expand...


My name's Jay and was diagnosed with AS when I was 19, about 9 years ago. I've tried hard to reject my diagnosis, convinced that I was a bit 'socially stunted' and just need to work harder to build my confidence, social skills and develop relationships.
I got my licence, got a job, left home and moved to the city, and found a wonderful partner. But after years of inner turmoil, I had another meltdown. I thought that I'd 'conquered' my diagnosis, and learned to repress all the parts of me that made me different. I hated those parts of me - the awkward parts, the nerdy parts, the obsessive parts, the emotional parts, the sensitive parts. They felt like failures, or problems to be fixed.
Until I started seeing a therapist recently, I'd forgotten all about my diagnosis 9 years prior. I think part of me wanted to forget.
But the diagnosis that sounded like a disability 9 years ago now presents as a gateway to self acceptance, understanding, community and compassion. I've just finished reading my second book this week, personal accounts of people diagnosed with autism in adulthood and this feeling of being understood or 'seen' has been incredibly profound, and liberating.
I hope that my interactions on this forum and hearing the perspectives of others will deepen that feeling for me. I look forwarding to chatting with some of you soon!
Click to expand...

Dont care that youre different. Its what makes you more interesting than a lot of normies in society.
 
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