Late diagnosis sucks in a way. You finally understand why you’ve had so many difficulties in life. Why you maybe didn’t fit in, why people treated you differently, etc. I mean, it’s such a relief when you understand why you had all those issues, but the other side of that coin is that you also understand how much of your life was lost to the untreated and misunderstood part of you. Maybe people get physical and/or verbal abuse as children because parents can’t get a diagnosis because they don’t understand, or think you can be forced to be “normal”. Peers don’t get you, you’re the wierd kid, friendships are difficult. Missing out on connections that can help move your life forward. Lots of stress and anxiety.
It good to know now, but it hurts to know that life could have probably been different if you’d been understood and been offered tools to help yourself.
I’m only 27, but may have undiagnosed ADD. My schooling, career and health continue to be harmed by stuff I just can’t seem to get control over. Always been this way. I expect to die of heart disease while reaching for 30s.
Did the discovery have any deep impact on your life?
For context: I’m asking this because I’m socially close to a woman roughly in your age range that shows clear signs of autism, and I don’t know if I should encourage her to get diagnosed.
This summer I found out I’m autistic. I’m 60 years old.
Late diagnosis sucks in a way. You finally understand why you’ve had so many difficulties in life. Why you maybe didn’t fit in, why people treated you differently, etc. I mean, it’s such a relief when you understand why you had all those issues, but the other side of that coin is that you also understand how much of your life was lost to the untreated and misunderstood part of you. Maybe people get physical and/or verbal abuse as children because parents can’t get a diagnosis because they don’t understand, or think you can be forced to be “normal”. Peers don’t get you, you’re the wierd kid, friendships are difficult. Missing out on connections that can help move your life forward. Lots of stress and anxiety.
It good to know now, but it hurts to know that life could have probably been different if you’d been understood and been offered tools to help yourself.
I’m only 27, but may have undiagnosed ADD. My schooling, career and health continue to be harmed by stuff I just can’t seem to get control over. Always been this way. I expect to die of heart disease while reaching for 30s.
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Do you find it helpful to have a diagnosis, or would you have preferred to just be “weird”?
Did the discovery have any deep impact on your life?
For context: I’m asking this because I’m socially close to a woman roughly in your age range that shows clear signs of autism, and I don’t know if I should encourage her to get diagnosed.