Undiagnosed but my son isn't. Our behavior patterns are so similar its a safe bet to just go with I am. Living in America I've heard it could cost up to 3k just for a diagnosis.
in my case, because i got targeted 24 years ago for rape and torture from abuse and coping by identifying with/becoming like the people who abused me, while with poor mental health, it would probably be better for me not to say i'm autistic and try to explain that related to my behavior.
and if i try to explain i have scripts and adapt / become like people, its partly an autistic symptom, this just triggers their ire and mockery, as they respond better to me groveling and displaying guilt/dismay this is my fault.
In my case, it would be better to pretend i take fault.
to go into their abusive cop like narrative i deserve rape and torture for being bad, like the way if you go before a judge and say you are very sorry and want to redeem yourself, that gets less punishment than if you try to say you are innocent or the circumstance is not what you think.
I suspected for a while. And I wondered if I was just misinterpreting the signs. Then it came up randomly in a conversation with family that I'd been diagnosed as a child.
No one had told me. I was in my 40s when I got that confirmation. And it explained a great deal many life experiences.
I heard about that happening to someone, it must suck. The person's parents thought they were somehow protecting them and that it would be better if they learned how to be normal 😳😧
Yeah ... things could have gone differently for me if, instead of wondering if I was a space alien my whole life, I'd been given more tools to navigate a world hostile to my existence.
I suspect I have ADHD. I have all the symptoms of slow processing speed which is usually associated with ADHD. I'm not diagnosed but I feel like I might have imposter syndrome. Definitely some kind of neurodivergence.
I think research and self diagnosis can be a game changer for people. I think it has for me at least. I heard that self diagnosis has lead to actual diagnoses. I think self advocacy and self determination is a powerful thing that we as a society should embrace more.
The problem is unless you present strongly at an early age, you're likely to be un-diagnosed until high school or later. At that point insurance may not cover the testing and it's thousands for a good quality diagnostic test administered by a professional.
This is where I’m at. The more I’ve learned about autism (and ADHD) over the last year or so, the more convinced I am that I fall somewhere on the spectrum. All I want is a diagnosis for peace of mind!
This is something wifey and I both struggle with.
She was diagnosed with ADHD, anxiety and depression.
I grew up in hell, with no concept of medical care. Only recently getting things diagnosed and treated...
Our kiddo is autistic and we try to be very supportive of his individual needs.
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As a 54 year old who is learning I'm Neurodivergent this is hard.
I so wish I'd have known this a long, long time ago.
In my case, it would be better to pretend i take fault.
No one had told me. I was in my 40s when I got that confirmation. And it explained a great deal many life experiences.
She was diagnosed with ADHD, anxiety and depression.
I grew up in hell, with no concept of medical care. Only recently getting things diagnosed and treated...
Our kiddo is autistic and we try to be very supportive of his individual needs.