Long time reader, first time poster here. I was diagnosed in 2014 by a team of professionals, including an NP, psychiatrist and a social worker. The Dx fit me to a "t" and in the span of a few days I had answers to hundreds upon hundreds of questions that I'd asked over the prior 20+ years. It also helped me stop feeling afraid that my brain was going to spontaneously combust one day (learning what a meltdown was and how to handle it changed *everything*). At first, I had no idea how to go about disclosing, or who needed to know. I was very limited in whom I confided, and fortunately most reactions were positive and supportive (ranging from "I had always wondered that about you"..." to "It's like you have a map of the stars and can finally chart your course, isn't it?"). I had a couple crappy reactions, namely one person who had exceedingly bad information about HFA and what it meant to be "on the spectrum". I choose to interact with her as little as possible now.
I also know that I'm highly fortunate in terms of my current situation. I have a strong, multivalent educational background that includes the arts and sciences, and so I've always been able to land on my feet job and finance-wise. I'm in a supportive marriage and have one child. At my current job, everyone who works with me and most of the people I supervise know that I have Asperger's/HFA and are highly accommodating. There is also a strongly enforced anti-discrimination policy. Since getting my Dx, I realize just how important this kind of structure is. If I didn't have it, I would not be able to thrive--full stop.
On the personal side I do enjoy spending time with like-minded people, especially when there is a goal or objective at hand. I've never really understood just "hanging out" and I definitely need a far greater ratio of downtime to social time than almost all of the NTs I know and love. What else? Hmmm...I freak out if I have to drive anywhere new and need 2 apps and handwritten, turn-by-turn instructions to get where I need to go (topographical agnosia, anyone?). I read with freakish speed. My attempts at making small-talk feels like a comedy routine. I adore creature-comforts and love right angles. And as the parent of a very young, probably NT child, I welcome guidance and been-there, done-that information.
06 Feb 2017, 5:13 pm
