Official diagnosis feels weird...

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So I guess I was just officially diagnosed. I had an appointment with a local ASD specialist that primarily treats teens and young adults like myself, and not surprisingly, he agreed that I meet criteria for ASD. We're gonna work on my social skills and other ASD issues. He also suggested some groups for teens and young adults that I could join.

It feels weird, I guess? I think I probably thought I'd be ecstatic after having an ASD specialist agree with me (especially after going through a previous assessment with a psychologist that mostly worked with kids who said I only had social anxiety disorder), but I don't really feel any different.

Did anyone else go through this? I feel like I should be super happy for getting this experience since I know there are a lot of people who wish they could get a diagnosis and other services for their suspected ASD, but I don't really feel anything right now.

Hey,

I remember being sat in the car driving back from the assessment. They had said yes, defiantly autistic.

I was sat in the back of the car. Cuddling lion. I was asking myself had I behaved had I done right. Had I faked it etc etc.

It took about a year before I felt comfortable with it. It's been 10 years or so now and I am starting to accept it properly.

I think it's okay to feel how you feel. Perhaps it's a great first topic for your next visit.

Best of luck

First of all, congratulations on your confirmation!

Well, a diagnosis in itself "doesn't change a thing", after all it's not like you change.
Maybe you need a bit of time for it to sink in, or you just got so used to your own suspicion about being on the spectrum that it simply doesn't make a difference anymore. It could as well be that you had too high expectations about what your diagnosis would trigger on you.
Maybe you will feel relieved after a while, or maybe you won't feel anything. Not everybody (instantly) feels super happy or feels anything at all and nobody expects you to do. What SpacedOutAndSmiling said could also apply. Just don't worry about it.

Hey!! ! Me too!! ! Mine on Friday!!

Congrats!

It is a little surreal. I have been piecing this together for two years, and became convinced over a year ago, and it still seems surreal.

While not faking anything, it feels like I'm someone else, but not. (They also threw a big change into my lap at the same time, so my feeling of... uh... whatever that feeling is, may be exacerbated by that).

If anything the legit diagnosis led me to doubting it slightly, but talking to some friends reminded me that I'm very obviously odd, so it isn't a shocking thing, if that make sense. (I'm really not communicating well when it comes to this. Too much emotion, too little expression). The evaluation report itself was interesting (one thing pointed out was that I have a limited emotional range).

Thank you guys. It's almost like I feel guilty for not feeling super excited...

Thank you! And congrats to you too
Interestingly, my assessor did something similar... After giving the diagnosis, he spent a good deal of time telling me how I'll need to change things so that I don't stand out as much.....and that made me nervous, so maybe that's it. Maybe I'm just afraid of the change that comes with being "officially" diagnosed.

I was ten when my parents told me that I'd been diagnosed with Asperger's. Freaked out. Took me a couple of days to get over it.

I wasn't excited to find out. I felt weird. And then I felt that it must be wrong, or I was worried that it was wrong, because I didn't really believe that I was that abnormal. Then I realized that of course I am that abnormal, so I felt like I was broken or a freak for awhile. Now I'm ok with the idea.

Oh, no, in my report, while he recommended psychotherapy, he said not to change me. But I was diagnosed through the Department of Vocational Rehabilitation. So his recommendation to THEM was that I was a bad fit for nursing (I have a license as a practical nurse), and that I should seek education for something in the sciences/research/highly analytical, preferably something that would work with my need to know how and why in explicit detail. So the DVR is paying for at least 4 years of college . Which is unnerving, as I didn't do this for 'assistance', but to get validation (and even then I expected more of a struggle). So regarding diagnosis I'm alternating between thinking it came too easy, and maybe he was a pushover and was wrong, and realizing that he was remarkably insightful, so maybe I just am more obviously autistic than I had considered. Regarding the school, I'm panicking as I need to come to a decision regarding my general major quickly as some fields have a much heavier first year course load than others, and it is already time for fall registration.

Uh, and I'm 33 about to start over in school. So I'm also both bitter and excited and nervous because I'll be 15 years older than my classmates. And I don't know what I want to 'be' when I grow up (although Neuropsychology is attractive, as is microbiology).

I'm rambling now. I hadn't shared because I was embarrassed. I probably should.

I've found myself very much on the same page as much of what you've said in the last couple days.

Yes, I've noticed that you've echoed many things that I have felt as well.

My diagnosis was only about 3 months ago, and I feel much better about it already. It's become just another facet of who I am, and something that I must deal with. So I'm looking at it as just another challenge in my life. A problem to be solved and analyzed. Not that I hate myself or anything, but I recognize how much I have to overcome.

I feel that I understand myself so much better, so that I think I now actually have the potential to accomplish what I want from life.

Gah, I had a long post but the forum deleted it.

Basically, he doesn't want to change me, but rather wants me to begin caring about conforming to social norms a bit more. Part of that may be because he knows I want to become a psychiatrist (that specializes in ASDs), so I'm obviously going to need to be able to interact with people in a career like that. I also understand wondering how obvious your ASD is. For example, the psychologist that diagnosed me with ADHD two months ago told me she knew I was on the spectrum the first time she saw me (presumably based on the way I was dressed).

As far as the school stuff goes, I understand! Right now my plan is to double major in psychology and neuroscience. Being on campus makes me really nervous, but I can't take my science classes and labs online, so I'm trying to cope with it. But I don't want to overwhelm myself either, because I actually had to withdraw last fall semester. But I guess I'm rambling too...but I'd love to talk to you more about college stuff. PM me any time.

@Yigeren: I'm glad that you felt weird as well. I also like how you said you came to see your ASD as "a problem to be solved and analyzed." I think that will help me, so thank you.

Sent one!

I felt terrible when I was diagnosed recently. I just hoped I had some kind of anxiety disorder that could be worked on, or I was a latebloomer of some kind. Then I found out that my chances at a normal life are doomed.

But it's probably better knowing than not knowing (if it will not cause you to become depressed). You can still use this information to improve your life, for as far as possible.


Jezebel, you should carefully consider whether you have the strong social skills needed to become a psychiatrist, because these kind of jobs are extremely difficult for an autist. A psychiatrist needs to be able to build up a bond with patients, able to handle all kinds of different people, being able to operate on many different levels all at once. In my personal circle, I know of no autist that would ever be qualified to handle this kind of job. It would be a shame if you got educated in a field where you wouldn't be able to work.

Last edited by brain_damage on 29 Apr 2016, 2:56 pm, edited 1 time in total.

According to Tony Attwood, aspie women can be exellent nurses. (2.48)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NZcDbPB-aA0

It was more issues at work. I was fine with my patients. It is really sad when it takes more whatever-I-lack to navigate co-workers than the people who have actual problems.

Yes, that is, what he´s pointing out as well.