Newly diagnosed newbie

[SquarePeg]

Greetings from South Africa.

On Friday, at the age of 39, I received the answer to a lifetime of questions: DSM-V Autism Spectrum Disorder Level 1. I guess that would have been Asperger's under DSM-IV.

Hoping to learn from this forum. I need to get control of my life. Also hoping to, at last, fit in somewhere.

 

[Dominic]

Congratulations on your diagnosis and welcome to the forum. There's plenty of content on here to get you on your way!

 

[SquarePeg]

Thank you, Dominic. Is there a thread along the lines of "ASD 101"? I don't know where to start reading. It is all a bit much at the moment. I'm experiencing some emotional turmoil caused by the diagnosis. Even though I've suspected it for years, it was surprisingly still a shock. At first there is a sense of relief and then feelings of anger and resentment start to surface. I don't want to be angry.

 

[paulb]

Thank you, Dominic. Is there a thread along the lines of "ASD 101"? I don't know where to start reading. It is all a bit much at the moment. I'm experiencing some emotional turmoil caused by the diagnosis. Even though I've suspected it for years, it was surprisingly still a shock. At first there is a sense of relief and then feelings of anger and resentment start to surface. I don't want to be angry.

Geetings from San Francisco and welcome to the group.
Lots and lots here to get you on your way to calm that approaching anger. There is no need for those feelings as you will soon find out that we aspies are possibly saving NT'S from themselves though most times our help and approach is not appreciated.
Good luck on this trip.

 

[SquarePeg]

There is no need for those feelings as you will soon find out that we aspies are possibly saving NT'S from themselves though most times our help and approach is not appreciated.

Hi Paul. That is a unique and positive way to view this and I will keep your words in mind. I'm not so much mad about having ASD as I am about the fact that it wasn't diagnosed earlier. As a kid and a teen my parents had me seeing so many shrinks and I was even institutionalized three times. Mostly I was labelled as being asocial, depressed, "difficult" and "acting out". They were always asking things like "Why are you being so difficult?"; "Why are you putting your parents through hell?"; "There are many kids worse off than you, so why can't you just fit in and be happy?".

Sorry about the rant. I guess this is not an unfamiliar story for many. I'll just have to let things go. Ironic that struggling to let things go is one of my many shortcomings! Haha!

 

[zurb]

Welcome to AC.
While some only experience relief, my personal theory is many of us experience a process very similar to grief on diagnosis. I certainly did, and I've seen a number of others react the same way. Its a natural response.
If you are seeking information, a great place to start is Tony Attwood's 'Complete guide to Aspergers.'

 

[paulb]

Welcome to AC.
While some only experience relief, my personal theory is many of us experience a process very similar to grief on diagnosis. I certainly did, and I've seen a number of others react the same way. Its a natural response.
If you are seeking information, a great place to start is Tony Attwood's 'Complete guide to Aspergers.'

NO you go ahead and 'rant'. You have been through hell and deserve a little relief.
Hope we can help you a little bit through the process.

 

[Rocco]

Welcome aboard Square peg
I can completely relate to your experience. I was given the same diagnosis about 2 years ago.
A friendly warning (based on my experience):
Prepare for a roller coaster of emotions. I experienced much the same range of emotions as in the Five stages (of mourning/death)
denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. With a few extra ones thrown in for good measure. Keep in touch with friendly-helpful-supportive folks.
This site is like my therapy, my social networking, and happy place.
Best wishes.

 

[gonzerd]

Greetings and salutations.

We all deal with getting a diagnosis in our own way I suppose. There probably are some different stages to get through, although those may differ a lot from person to person and the circumstances (child/adult, suspicion/total surprise, etc...). I'd say it's quite normal to feel some sense of anger if you've been through a lot of counseling and nobody picked up on it earlier. It's ok to rant and to vent a little, just don't get stuck in it; it can be fairly difficult to spot. And now that you do have a diagnosis, you can also use it to go forward, to find better ways of dealing with any issues that you might have experienced/are experience now.

Anyway, I thought I'd fetch you some links to threads here discussing the issues of diagnosis and the reactions to it:

How did everyone react to your Asperger's diagnosis
Behavior directly after adult diagnosis age 31
Feeling of belonging after diagnosis
After effects of recent diagnosis self discovery
Family members' reactions to diagnosis

 

[Dominic]

Hi SquarePeg,

just remember that your diagnosis hasn't in any way changed who you are. You are still the same person today as you were yesterday. Your diagnosis just gives you a name and a reason for for your uniqueness and why you experience the world differently. Learn to accept yourself and the be proud!

I think Gonzerd has covered all of the relevant posts that you might need to look at.