Well I think I might be autistic, I’ve wondered why I feel so different from other people, why it feels like I am taking my entire life, why when I lose focus, or am not being focused on i become completely silent and struggle to make even simple comments, and why I have had to watch and learn from others to become remotely social. I guess those are all signs of autism. I took that RAADS-R test and got a score of 141, which is slightly above the mean for autistics, I also took a few other of those quizzes.
But my question is what happens now? What do I do? I don’t feel comfortable asking my parents if I can get examined, I can’t really afford to do it myself, but I guess I could try. I don’t want to just start saying that I’m autistic, and have to mention that it’s self diagnosed because I think we all know the stigma around that.
Heck I’m still in the stage (or I assume it’s a stage because it matches that one post here where they talked about their stages of realizing they have autism, and I related completely to it) where I’m not sure if I am not just faking this whole thing. So what do I do now?
Man people are really rude, downvoting you when you’re just trying to seek help…
I’m learning about this myself. What helped and what I understand:
- Find a non-judgmental community open to self-diagnosed Autistics where you can talk and make friends. I recommend something real time (Discord, Matrix, IRC) or something where there is more community even if it’s slower paced (Forums)
- Learn about Autism. Deep dive. Learn about it’s history, masking, the spectrum, those who have high and low support needs, how Autism manifests, Autistic and Neurodiverse communities, the relationships we have with other disability communities and the LGBTQ+ community, injustices against us, the misguided communities seeking to “cure” our condition and Autism Speaks, ABA therapy, the difficulties we face in the workplace and relationships, etc.
- Self-examine and determine how Autism affects you, your mind, your body, your relationships and circumstances. Re-examine your past with a kind and forgiving eye now that you know better.
- Seek a therapist and/or Autism assessment if it suits you, helps, and you can afford it.
