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Hello,

I come in peace. I am 30 years old in the US. I was formally diagnosed monday with level 1 ASD and ADHD. I sought professional help after mounting concentration and attention issues in grad school. The doctor I was seeing wanted me formally tested for ADHD and autism to determine where within the realm of neurodivergence I fell. The ADHD was pretty apparent and expected but while I've always struggled socially and had some odd interests, I never thought I was autistic.

I'm not sure if anyone will read this, but I want to get it out there for my own sake. I thought I prepared myself for whatever outcome that would come out of this evaluation but since monday, I've been conflicted about the ASD diagnosis. Bottom line is that it fits but I'm ashamed to admit this to present company but I'm kind of afraid of the stigma. Afraid if it gets out my peers at work will infantilize me, that I'll have more trouble connecting than I already do.


Anyways whats your special interests? I'm into planes, apple computers, US courts/government and science. I work as a chemist in a hospital I do lab testing to help diagnose and treat patients!

Thanks,

Tox

Welcome to Wrong Planet!
Unfortunately there is a lot of stigma but your diagnosis is personal information and you have no obligation to tell anyone else about it.

Welcome to Wrong Planet.

First things first. You are not broken, you are different. You possess some very special skills but you also have some very bad traits. Everyone has +s and -s. Things that they are good at and things that they are not good at. That is the way humans are. But many people have more +s and -s then most people. The secret in life is to use your +s to overcome your -s.

You may not realize it but you possess some unique skills. Skills that other people do not possess.

So the bottom line is BELIEVE IN YOURSELF.

Welcome to WP!

Before my 64^th birthday I would've been offended if someone even suggested I might be Autistic. I'd seen some commercials for the movie Rain Man and I was nothing like that! But I was increasingly becoming convinced I was different from everyone else. I just didn't know what that difference was.

While I was 64 I got an odd hint to read about Autism. It seemed awfully unlikely, I was nothing like Rain Man, but because I really wanted to know how I was different, even though it seemed unlikely, I did some reading about Autism. And it sounded like me!

By my 65^th birthday I had the formal diagnosis, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Level 1 (Mild), with an additional note that I also satisfied the criteria previously associated with Asperger's Syndrome. And I was delighted! It was not an answer I had anticipated but it turned out to finally be the correct answer.

And along the way I learned about Autism being a spectrum. True, I was nothing like Rain Man, I also had depressingly little in common with the folk at the other end of the spectrum. But, at least I was in good company!

congratulations on your recent diagnosis. For me diagnosis helped me make sense of my past and answered a load of "why" questions I had from my past right up until the time of diagnosis (for me age 68). finally the world begins to make sense when we see how autism worked in everything all that time without anybody knowing. the new perspective and learning about my worst weaknesses and my best strengths. has helped me make adjustments to every day life to make things easier going forward. give yourself lots of self care, and time and patience, things will make sense over time as you sort it all out. Its a lot to digest. Glad you found us, you are among others who understand.

Welcome to Wrong Planet!

Hi.

Welcome to WP