Back After an Absence & Officially Diagnosed

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I visited wrongplanet and posted a few things some time ago when I was starting to consider the possibility that I was an aspie. At the time, my teenage daughter had recently been diagnosed with non-verbal learning disorder by a psychiatrist specializing in autism. The same psychiatrist had me take the autism quotient test and I scored very high as an aspie. However, it was my daughter and not me who was being diagnosed so I didn't yet have an official diagnosis for myself. That happened about three months ago when I was seeing a psychiatrist for depression. He had me take the AQ test once again and concluded that I was indeed a "high functioning" autistic (by then Asperger syndrome had been dropped from the DSM). I had just turned 52 years old.

Where am I at now? I was misdiagnosed with schizoid personality disorder in my early twenties. Now I finally understand the real reason that I have always been awkward around other people and kept to myself. I have a name for the nameless "something" that I always felt was "wrong" with me. The thing I spent my whole life denying or trying to overcome through sheer will power. At long last, I have reached a place of acceptance. And more than just that. I have spent my whole life worrying about what was was "wrong" with me. Now I want to know what is right with me. I want to explore the unique potential that all of us have as autistics/aspies. I will no longer let other's bogus definitions of "normality" keep me from being happy. I survived school bullies and beatings and abuse from my father because I was what he called "a nonconformist." I survived neurotypical ignorance and prejudice. Now I choose to be me

Wow, surprised by how energized and passionate I got there. Anyway, just want to say hello to everyone. Looking forward to disussions and new friends.

Welcome back! You must have changed your username as you joined WP today. I can relate to how you feel about your diagnosis. Looking forward to seeing more of your posts.

Yep, I have a new username. Thanks for the welcome:-)

Good for you. As you say, "now I know what is right with me". I am terribly saddened to read of the past misdiagnosis, though I think it was very common for people on the spectrum in those years to be mislabelled in that particular way, and is less common now though it is still happening. I am glad you found your way to the truth and find it empowering and freeing. Make up for the lost time, and celebrate you!

Thanks so much.Yes, that was a different time. Thankfully, society seems to have come a ways since then. I feel sad when I remember a family I was acquainted with growing up where one of the children was diagnosed as autistic. His parents were warned by doctors to keep him away from their other children because he would negatively influence them. Institutionalization was common then. I have my share of scars from growing up in a time and place where being different was not just discouraged but punished. I hope in some way I can offer some inspiration or hope to young aspies today, as well as others who feel like they may not fit in for whatever reason.

Let's all celebrate what's right with us!

I had my time of finding out who I was and acceptance one and a half years ago at age 55. Pretty incredible and emotional feeling it was and still is. You know one thing that is right with us?. We somehow muddled through and made it. No trivial thing. As I think back I remember a bunch people who might have been autistic. I wonder if they made it because a lot of us didn't. Society is more accepting in some ways in other ways I think it demands more conformity especially in the world of work.

Welcome back.

You are a champion.

So true that muddling or way through and surviving is a big achievement. I will keep reminding myself of that when I start to feel like I haven't really achieved much. Thanks.