I love that Elizabeth Gilbert quote. One of the hallmarks I've seen called out for women autistics is our tendency to create elaborate inner worlds. There is room in imagination for all of ourselves, every smallest reflection and squashed impulse. That's something nobody can take away.
I will be 71 in December and have always known that I was different from other people. I thought I was just introverted. I was highly intelligent throughout school, but didn't attend college. I got married and then got pregnant. When she was 1and a half I got divorced and enjoyed living alone with her. I never thought to have myself tested and neither did my parents. As long as I behaved and made good grades they didn't think too much about the fact that I had no social life. I didn't make friends easily and never wanted to go outside and play. I preferred to read alone in my room or make art.
At my age, would it be worthwhile to get tested or just keep wondering? I also think I have some ADHD traits and maybe a little OCD. Any one want to respond?
PS. My daughter is AuADHD. She leans more toward the ADHD side.
Absolutely, its definitely worthwhile to get tested! For me it was the biggest gift I could've ever given to myself, and my family too. I didn't realise I was autistic until my son was diagnosed, and now several of my family members have realised they are also either autistic or ADHD or both! And seeing as your daughter is AuDHD it's highly likely that you are aswell. X
I visited a psychiatrist Dec 3 for a re-evaluation of a memory baseline test I had done a year ago. I asked if she did testing and she said no. I asked if she knew of anyone who did in the city where I live and again was told no. She asked me why I wanted to know. I told her that I wanted validation. She said that where I live it would be impossible to find someone to test an adult my age. I do live in a pretty small community, but I'm only an hour or so away from a larger city. We drove 45 minutes for me to see her. It was very disappointing to find that out.
Oh no! I'm so sorry to hear that, are there any online assessments where you are? In Ireland we have a place called the Adult Autism Practice and my assessment was all done online. Before that I had mentioned the possibility of autism to my doctor but she dismissed it and said there would be no point getting a diagnosis at my age which was very disheartening, it really shouldn't be so difficult for an adult to get an assessment, no matter where you are in the world!
This mirrors my experience pre and post discovery. The post discovery untangling of myself from those around me has been filled with ups and downs. But, knowing that it’s ok, I’m autistic and this is normal for me, is a massive comfort and connects me to others like me. Thanks for sharing.
I've been waiting for something new from you, and this didn't disappoint! Thank you for this. Every single sentence struck a chord with me. It felt like you were articulating my own experiences and emotions. Your honesty and insights arei quite moving and comforting. Thank you for putting into words what so many of us feel but struggle to express.
Thank you so much! It's amazing how many of us share these experiences, especially when you think about how so many of us would've grown up feeling like we were the only ones, that we were alone, only to realise as adults that there's a whole community of people who share in our experiences! Your words are so encouraging, they mean the world to me, thanks again :) x
'Decorating my space with other people in mind' oof, yes. And over explaining myself, so much. Definitely working on making inner space for all my contradictions, especially from being autistic and ADHD.
Oh same here, it's no easy feat! The two sides, autism and ADHD, are so often in conflict with each other. It's like being constantly pulled in opposite directions. But yeah the overexplaining thing, I find it's like I can't get the words out fast enough or coherently enough and so I overexplain to try to compensate. And most of the time I just end up confusing myself! My favourite word at the moment is clarity. I realise that sometimes I need clarification on things, and I need time to communicate my thoughts clearly, often times its much easier writing it down rather than trying to communicate verbally. At least then I can take my time! :)
I love that Elizabeth Gilbert quote. One of the hallmarks I've seen called out for women autistics is our tendency to create elaborate inner worlds. There is room in imagination for all of ourselves, every smallest reflection and squashed impulse. That's something nobody can take away.
I will be 71 in December and have always known that I was different from other people. I thought I was just introverted. I was highly intelligent throughout school, but didn't attend college. I got married and then got pregnant. When she was 1and a half I got divorced and enjoyed living alone with her. I never thought to have myself tested and neither did my parents. As long as I behaved and made good grades they didn't think too much about the fact that I had no social life. I didn't make friends easily and never wanted to go outside and play. I preferred to read alone in my room or make art.
At my age, would it be worthwhile to get tested or just keep wondering? I also think I have some ADHD traits and maybe a little OCD. Any one want to respond?
PS. My daughter is AuADHD. She leans more toward the ADHD side.
Absolutely, its definitely worthwhile to get tested! For me it was the biggest gift I could've ever given to myself, and my family too. I didn't realise I was autistic until my son was diagnosed, and now several of my family members have realised they are also either autistic or ADHD or both! And seeing as your daughter is AuDHD it's highly likely that you are aswell. X
What type of doctor does this testing?
A psychologist or psychiatrist will usually do the assessment :)
I visited a psychiatrist Dec 3 for a re-evaluation of a memory baseline test I had done a year ago. I asked if she did testing and she said no. I asked if she knew of anyone who did in the city where I live and again was told no. She asked me why I wanted to know. I told her that I wanted validation. She said that where I live it would be impossible to find someone to test an adult my age. I do live in a pretty small community, but I'm only an hour or so away from a larger city. We drove 45 minutes for me to see her. It was very disappointing to find that out.
Oh no! I'm so sorry to hear that, are there any online assessments where you are? In Ireland we have a place called the Adult Autism Practice and my assessment was all done online. Before that I had mentioned the possibility of autism to my doctor but she dismissed it and said there would be no point getting a diagnosis at my age which was very disheartening, it really shouldn't be so difficult for an adult to get an assessment, no matter where you are in the world!
I will have to check into that! Thank you for the suggestion!
This mirrors my experience pre and post discovery. The post discovery untangling of myself from those around me has been filled with ups and downs. But, knowing that it’s ok, I’m autistic and this is normal for me, is a massive comfort and connects me to others like me. Thanks for sharing.
I've been waiting for something new from you, and this didn't disappoint! Thank you for this. Every single sentence struck a chord with me. It felt like you were articulating my own experiences and emotions. Your honesty and insights arei quite moving and comforting. Thank you for putting into words what so many of us feel but struggle to express.
Thank you so much! It's amazing how many of us share these experiences, especially when you think about how so many of us would've grown up feeling like we were the only ones, that we were alone, only to realise as adults that there's a whole community of people who share in our experiences! Your words are so encouraging, they mean the world to me, thanks again :) x
'Decorating my space with other people in mind' oof, yes. And over explaining myself, so much. Definitely working on making inner space for all my contradictions, especially from being autistic and ADHD.
Oh same here, it's no easy feat! The two sides, autism and ADHD, are so often in conflict with each other. It's like being constantly pulled in opposite directions. But yeah the overexplaining thing, I find it's like I can't get the words out fast enough or coherently enough and so I overexplain to try to compensate. And most of the time I just end up confusing myself! My favourite word at the moment is clarity. I realise that sometimes I need clarification on things, and I need time to communicate my thoughts clearly, often times its much easier writing it down rather than trying to communicate verbally. At least then I can take my time! :)
Yes writing is so much easier, definitely prefer messaging to phonecalls! Gives time to (over)think what you want to say
Most definitely. I have an app called Phone Link that lets me text from my desktop and use all the apps on my phone.