Would like to get help on whether or not making the big step

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UnAmourDeSwann
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14 Aug 2021, 2:00 pm

Hello!
A few months ago, I've had a conversation with someone one the internet and she shared with me how she was diagnosed autistic at the age of 28. As I didn't know what it meant really I asked her what it was.
She basically told me some characteristics, and I immediately related to a lot of things she shared with me.
Now, I may or may not, have been passionately doing some research on the matter, such as doing a few quizzes, reading articles, researching terms, went on official autistic centers websites and so on.
I have this intuition that I do have autism but I know now that it is kinda hard to be diagnosed and I'm not really sure why that would be good?
Bc if I do anyways, it's only mild autism. Actually I really doubt it, it's weird it's like, one second I'm sure I do and the other I'm just making this up for attention or something.
I'm not asking for a diagnosis! I know only a trained professional can do that for sure.
I just feel like it really isn't worth the work and the people meeting and stuff, but at the same time I'm kinda obsessed.
I really feel not so different than other people! Just sometimes things like driving or going to a concert are just hell on earth to me but that doesn't mean anything, a lot of people experience this!
So, I thought, actually asking people on the autism spectrum would enlighten me!
Maybe you could help me understand how being diagnosed was a good thing, or how it really isn't worth the effort, whatever you think would help bc I must admit I'm lost here.
pls don't insult me though
I didn't really told my family about the diagnosis thing but I kinda told them like "oh I really relate to that autistic character that is said to be a good representation of autism ah ah" but I wasn't really met with support so, I guess that makes me not want to waste people's time too



HeroOfHyrule
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14 Aug 2021, 2:14 pm

I relate with a lot of what you said, especially having "intuition" about it, but also often wondering if you are somehow "faking" it. Sometimes it just "clicks" that autism is a high possibility, though it can still be hard for some people to really believe it until they get a diagnosis. There's actually a lot of people here who don't have one, some of them were denied one or just have never felt the need to seek one out. I don't really have a diagnosis after two assessments at different stages of my life.

I personally don't think that you have to rush to go professionally "confirm" having ASD, and that it may even be beneficial for you wait a bit, and possibly even hang around here and see if you "relate" with others before you make a decision, even if you don't want to post and you just lurk. You can get assessed any time, but if you don't think you need a diagnosis for accommodations or services then it could be useful to give thinking about it more time. It can be an expensive and/or lengthy process, and there's no guarantee that even if you do have ASD that you'll be diagnosed.



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15 Aug 2021, 10:39 am

Welcome to WP!

My circumstances are slightly different :roll: than yours. First, I'm male. Second, while I had increasingly suspected I really was different from most people I had no clue what the difference might be--I first suspected I might be on the Spectrum when I was 64 years old. By that time I was already comfortably retired so I had no compelling reason to get an Adult Autism Assessment except that I wanted to know, one way or the other, for sure. Learning about Autism on the Internet and the Autism-Spectrum Quotient Test had persuaded both me and my bride that I probably was a High Functioning Autistic but without definitive confirmation I would have been hesitant to ever mention it and would've felt a strong need to always qualify that I had not been formally diagnosed.

So, I got a formal assessment and a formal diagnosis of: Autism Spectrum Disorder, Level 1 (Mild).

When the Psychologist told us the diagnosis she then asked what I thought about it. I had four thoughts:
(1) It was wonderful to finally know what the difference was! (Actually, what I might have said might have been more like "It's wonderful to finally know what's wrong with everyone!")
(2) Maybe I can use this information to get my healthcare providers (I am old) to communicate in a more useful manner with me.
(3) Ooooh! Maybe this could be a new "special interest"?!
(4) Now, when someone bumps up against some of my Autistic traits I can note that "I have a doctor's note for that!"

Well, courtesy of the Pandemic, I and my formal diagnosis haven't been getting out much. But, so far, for those four points:
(1) It is wonderful to know. It explains so much of what I've experienced in life.
(2) Not so much. Before I got the diagnosis I asked healthcare providers to put things in writing and some did, some didn't. Now when I ask for things in writing I also mention the diagnosis. Still, some do, some don't.
(3) I do enjoy WP! And I see you've found your way here, too.
(4) My bride was tired of hearing that before we left the Psychologist's office! :D


_________________
When diagnosed I bought champagne!
I finally knew why people were strange.