Diagnosis stress

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I'm very stressed out this week. Why? Because I have my first ASD diagnosis session tomorrow, and I am very nervous. I have barely left the house because of it, and have been feeling sick, so I hope that it wont be too bad tomorrow, or I might not go back for the next one.

You'll get through it. It certainly isn't a terrible experience.

Chillax to the max! I got diagnosed on Tuesday, and it all went absolutely fine. Bit embarassing listening to my dad tell the doctor how smart I was when I was little, but that's as bad as it got. The doctor was very positive about it, actually. He reckoned AS had given me a lot of strengths, and they're going to work with those strengths to help me cope with stress a bit better. So it was a worthwhile thing to do for me, and I'm sure it'll all turn out good for you. Just be yourself, be honest, and be prepared to answer a million-and-one questions!

I was diagnosed (yes I do have Aspergers, not that this is a surprise) and the diagnosis wasn't too bad. Now I feel a little lost as to what to do with myself. I've put a lot of energy over the past year in to getting this diagnosis, and now I have it.

Whew! Bet you're glad that's over, eh? The closure is a nice feeling - a straight "yes or no" at last. (For me it's not quite over, though - I still have to tell my mum, who doesn't believe in it!)

Well, now basically it's just about getting on with your life. You can tell people, or you can keep it to yourself. Your choice. What did you want it for in the first place? University? Work? They'd be good things to focus on now, and hopefully a whole lot less stressful now that you'll be able to get any support you might need.

Yes, it is a relief to know that I do have it for sure, rather than thinking I probably have it but might not. I think it's still sinking in at the moment though.
I have told Tamara (someone I know who works with Autism and who was the one who encouraged me to get diagnosed) and Kay (who is my boss at the place I volunteer, and who I told because I was having problems with other workers complaining about me). My parents know about the diagnosis (they paid for it) and I think I'm going to keep it at that for telling people.
I think I mainly got the diagnosis to understand why my life seemed so much more difficult than everyone else.
I've spent my whole life struggling to make friends, finding lots of things difficult, and generally struggling. For so long I assumed it was because I was a bad person, and then when I started to learn about ASDs I realised that it wasn't that I was a bad person. The only trouble is that knowing why things are so difficult doesn't make things any less difficult.
I have ordered a few books on ASDs to try and see if I can learn anything.

I hear Tony Attwood has written some very good books - and some FOR Aspies, not just about us.