Happy to have found my people

[Onna]

Hi everyone I was diagnosed a few months ago (Aspergers, female, 31). I’m starting to accept my diagnosis for what it is, because although I wasn’t surprised that I was diagnosed with it, I started to realise just how little I knew about it. Such as, I didn’t know what was Aspergers, what was masked and what was ‘normal’?? I was utterly confused. I’m intrigued to be figuring all that out though.

 

[tree]

 

[Isadoorian]

Welcome to the Forums! I hope you make new friends and enjoy your stay in the process!

 

[Monachopia]

Welcome! I'm just a year older than you and was also diagnosed fairly recently... I didn't know much about ASD before, but I'm learning so much here! I hope you find this forum informative and a comforting place to be, much like I have. <3

 

[Autistamatic]

Welcome on board @Onna , nice to meet you. This is a good place to explore what it means to be on the spectrum. I hope you enjoy and become part of our community

 

[Onna]

Welcome! I'm just a year older than you and was also diagnosed fairly recently... I didn't know much about ASD before, but I'm learning so much here! I hope you find this forum informative and a comforting place to be, much like I have. <3

You’re in U.K too, that’s cool. Do you ever feel a bit annoyed that you weren’t diagnosed earlier?
When I think of my childhood, I can’t help but wonder if it’d been better to have known sooner.

 

[Autistamatic]

Nice to know you're another UK member @Onna . There's plenty of us here. I was diagnosed 30+ years ago, before it had been fully accepted as a diagnosis. I still face(d) many of the same challenges that people diagnosed much later have also faced. Now you know about the nature of your differences the future can be a lot brighter

 

[Monachopia]

You’re in U.K too, that’s cool. Do you ever feel a bit annoyed that you weren’t diagnosed earlier?
When I think of my childhood, I can’t help but wonder if it’d been better to have known sooner.

Ah, you're from the UK too? =) That's cool! Where abouts?
I guess I could be annoyed, but at the end of the day, I have learned that autism in women wasn't recognised until relatively recently, so maybe it can't be helped. I always put it down to being overly shy and having social anxiety, but I guess if I knew it stemmed from AS, I may have had help sooner and my mental health would not have suffered quite as much as it did. But, better late than never in some sense..

How about yourself? Do you feel annoyed? What prompted you to get a diagnosis?

 

[Nitro]

Hi Onna

 

[clg114]

Welcome to AutismForum!

 

[Judge]

Indeed, you have found us.

Welcome to AF.

 

[George Newman]

Hi everyone I was diagnosed a few months ago (Aspergers, female, 31). I’m starting to accept my diagnosis for what it is, because although I wasn’t surprised that I was diagnosed with it, I started to realise just how little I knew about it. Such as, I didn’t know what was Aspergers, what was masked and what was ‘normal’?? I was utterly confused. I’m intrigued to be figuring all that out though.

Welcome to the forum, Onna.

 

[Onna]

Ah, you're from the UK too? =) That's cool! Where abouts?
I guess I could be annoyed, but at the end of the day, I have learned that autism in women wasn't recognised until relatively recently, so maybe it can't be helped. I always put it down to being overly shy and having social anxiety, but I guess if I knew it stemmed from AS, I may have had help sooner and my mental health would not have suffered quite as much as it did. But, better late than never in some sense..

How about yourself? Do you feel annoyed? What prompted you to get a diagnosis?

I’m living in Wiltshire, from up North originally, but have lived in Wales, London and Cambridge previously too How about you?
It’s not that I’m annoyed, because ‘it is what it is’ and I accept that. I feel disappointment sometimes though because, there were many problems when I was young (I stopped going to school at 11) and although they weren’t aware of autism in girls as much as they are now, I didn’t receive help from the authorities regardless. I would have loved to have gone to university.

Despite everything...I’m trying hard to make the most of my life now, I’m on a bit of a personal development journey at the moment.
What prompted me to get the diagnosis was simply because I thought there was a chance I had it, and I wanted to know if I did Also because if I was told that I had it, I’d have more insight into where I needed to correct my ‘flaws’?! For example, I often got irritated and didn’t know why, when I started to learn about sensory difficulties, I realised that I might be irritated due to the lights being too bright, or clothes being too tight etc. I hadn’t thought about the connection previously, because I didn’t think to focus on sensory difficulties, and that was because I didn’t know I had Aspergers! Phew. Sorry for talking your ear off lol

 

[disconnected]

Hi. Welcome.

 

[Autistamatic]

I’m living in Wiltshire

Not far from where my wife and I are. We're just south of you in Gloucestershire

 

[Onna]

Not far from where my wife and I are. We're just south of you in Gloucestershire

I went there a few months ago to Westonbirt!
Do you have trouble sleeping too? I’ve got work in the morning, yet here I am online I’m most awake at night... it’s a pain

 

[Autistamatic]

I do sometimes. I've got a lot of hassle on my plate right now. When I'm like that I throw myself into my video work until I'm too knackered to keep my eyes open. I keep one eye on this forum too just because there are so many decent, like minded people here.

 

[Tom]

So we are your people? You are our lost leader... About time you showed up.

 

[Pats]

Hi @Onna and welcome. Many here (myself included) were diagnosed late - some very late. Diagnosed at 58 and will be 61 in a few days. I also wonder what differences it would have made if I had know sooner - I feel like some things would have been better, but some things probably would not have been and I would never have done the things I've done had I known. So, as you said - it is what it is.

 

[SusanLR]

Same here.
Diagnosed at 58. Now I'm 61.
It might have helped some of the emotional issues I went through when I was younger.
That's really hard to know.
I home schooled high school, then went to University.

I'm not from the U.K. but I'm a night owl and stay up most all night.
Just go to bed when I get too tired to stay awake.
Welcome to your people!