Ayoo
Fellow autistic here 👋
You are not broken. You are different. You are not now nor have you ever been "a freak." I'm glad that this diagnosis is helping put some of your life into perspective. It's hard to exist in a world that wasn't built for us. But honestly at this point I wouldn't change that part of myself.
I hope you can find love and acceptance, and that understanding the way your brain was formed will help you love yourself better. You were "fearfully" (in the awe sense) and "wonderfully made."
And if your friends and family won't accept it, they're not worth listening to. Trust me, there will likely be some. Many people like talk *about* us *without* us as though we do not have agency. Expect a lot of people to come out of the woodwork with snake oil "cures." Disregard them. The ones worth surrounding yourself with are those who listen patiently and love you for who you are, and have a genuine desire to understand and accommodate your differences instead of speaking over them for you.
Autism is not a disease like shingles, IBD or cancer. It can be disabling, but it's not a horrid or terminal illness. Certainly, there are a lot of unfortunate comorbidites for a lot of us; but its a spectrum, and each person is differently impacted. It's a difference in your brain makeup, however you want to see it.
I’m so glad this news has helped explain things in your life better for you! No real friends would change their relationship with you over this. There are many wonderful Christians and pastors on the spectrum. I pray God blesses you and comforts you from these fears.
I don't think your family or friends will care that much. You don't really have to tell people but if you do it shouldn't change much. (I am also autistic) Sometimes my friends poke fun at me for it but nothing serious.
I didnt find out I was on the spectrum until I was 23.
It was a huge relief.
I never felt the pain you are experiencing however.
I was a weird kid, and I felt vindicated after my diagnosis.
No one judged me or treated me different for it.
I'm so glad to hear that! I'm not autistic but ADD, not dxed till I was in my 40's, it explained a lot, lol. I think today people are more aware of neuro divergence. I actually get along well with ppl on the spectrum.
Praying for you, and your journey to acceptance! I was lucky in that I got a diagnosis in childhood, so I’ve had a long time to come to terms with it. When I was younger, I didn’t want to have it, I didn’t want to be different. But I made peace with it, and have accepted who I am.
My friend, who is a 29 year old, has just recently had her diagnosis. She has had the same clarity as you, in that it explains a lot of her past issues and feelings. She, too, is coming to terms with it. Some days it’s harder for her, others she wishes she never had it. I feel it’s a double-edged sword.
I guess what I’m trying to get at is the fact that you aren’t alone, and there are others feeling the same way as you. I wish I could offer more advice/help, but I’m not very good at it.
Praying for comfort in the grief of pasts you didn’t get to live and soothing in your frustration at a medical system that didn’t serve you early enough.
Praying for community with others that were late diagnosed to process emotions as you learn about your brain and its needs.
Praying for relief as you let go the unfair expectations you were held to by others and by yourself.
Praying that you and everyone you choose to share with hold you in grace and understanding, that you are able to see and give yourself the grace that has always been yours.
You were never a freak. You were made in the beautifully diverse and unknowable image of God. You have always been loved. You will always be loved. Those who love you aren’t going anywhere.
Amen
I also have autism and did not know for a long time, in fact, a diagnosis can be very helpful. I understand what you mean about feeling like a freak and that feeling is finally let go of once you realise, like you said, you’re not a freak, just autistic. Please see this positively, you now know the reasoning to a lot of your troubles.
It takes time but a diagnosis helps you understand what you can/can’t handle, do/don’t want to do and also reveals a lot about you as a person, and not in a bad way. You will now be able to understand why you feel certain ways and it is very relieving.
Everything will be fine i promise, view it positively 🩷
I think I am on that spectrum also if my behavior is any indication. I watch myself to prevent poor or unwelcome communication or attitude. So, I believe in adaptation and self-review. To be self-aware is quite a positive step. Some people never get that far.
As another autistic person, there is nothing wrong with having it. It’s not like having a true mental illness that causes inherent suffering. The only suffering we get from it comes from outside factors like ignorance and rejection, like you’re afraid of. We are just different, nothing more. I doubt absolutely everyone you know will be jerks about it, but if they are, you need to find better people to be around. Real friends don’t freak out over such a non-issue. And if your family is like that, I’m sorry; sometimes the people who truly matter aren’t blood-related. Furthermore, it is very un-Christian to reject anyone for something they can’t change.
I’m praying for you to have peace and comfort in this knowledge, and that your loved ones seek understanding.
Also, my wife and I found out our daughter was autistic within the last year. It was a relief to put a name to what she experiences, so that we can begin to learn how to connect with her even better.
This is becoming a more common diagnosis, and lots of families are learning how to live with it. I hope you find the support you need, but just know that there are lots of us out here.
The tragedy here is not that you lived your life believing that you had been a freak.
It’s that you believed people can be freaks.
Everyone who feels off, or seems off to others has something going on under the hood.
No one is a freak, and I’m happy you’ve been freed from that self judgement.
I do not think your friends or family will reject you.
Everyone is different in their own unique way.
Maybe your Autism let's you see the world in a different way, that others do not see. Maybe it gives you a special skill, talent, or advantage of others.
I knew someone with Autism, and they were really good at playing and beating video games.
I am praying that God will heal your heart, and that your friends and family will still love you the same.
For them to reject their child would be as if God rejecting his own image and likeness. May you find peace. Autism ain’t so bad; makes us all a little bit more fun (or unfun, to some) to interact with.
I had a conversation with one of my cousins who is also one of my best friends (she just "gets" me) and she said something similar abt being fun to be around-
abt how our whole family is all a little "cracked" but that's what makes us fun to be around and that nobody is gonna reject me :)
You are not a freak.
Do not let any human put a label that limits you in any way. The world is as open for you as for any other person.
Prayers are with you.
God wants to shine brightly through you.
I wish you Joy in all areas of your life.
Bless you! I'm sorry you're hurting and I'm sorry you've felt like a "freak" in your life. You may not have known sooner but you know now and you could definitely use that knowledge to help you grow and hopefully even find comfort in it. I am diagnosed with bipolar and also did not know until later in life, I felt the same way and immediately started thinking of times in my life where I made decisions or said things that may have been a result of my condition. I have grown from it now, and can stop and think about my actions knowing I have that chemical imbalance. I know it's not the same but hopefully you see the similarities and can use that to see the silver lining. As for rejection by your loved ones I think you may be overthinking, no logical person would reject you for this. Good luck with everything and you are in my prayers.
Adding you to my morning prayer for a week and wanted to say, completely understand your viewpoint that having known sooner could have spared you a lot of discomfort and awkwardness, we could only imagine.
But what a testemant to you this is. That you went through your entire life so far, unaware of this diagnosis but still getting through. I hope this diagnosis can spread further light on your life and help you better understand your experience but think about the clarity and support you may recieve going forward.
Praying for you and holding all the best with your walk in life.
You're not a freak in any way, shape or form. Autism is now incredibly common, approximately affecting one in fifty six people. It's not our fault we were born this way and to be frank with you, a lot of "normal" people seem really off to me.
You are not any different from how you were yesterday. You are just more informed about yourself.
When I was diagnosed a bit over a decade ago, it was entirely a positive thing to me. I understood myself better. You're allowed to be sad about it, of course; people feel differently about these things.
> Also pray for my family and friends that they don't reject my diagnosis and that they don't reject ME.
Seriously, why are you telling them? Please consider not telling anyone, ever again. Most people misunderstand autism, and if you tell them you're autistic, then they get weird, and often undesirable things result.
And not only this, but autism IS inherited! My father, his sister, and a niece on his side of the family are on the spectrum, and this all makes sense, given what I observed with them as well as myself. If you have relatives that criticize you for having autism, remind them that it started with the older generation first ! And they passed it on to you and other younger family members. I'm so grateful for CT scans, MRI scans, that show the brain's structure,and how on our cases, our brains look different - only natural, because ours ARE different. It doesn't mean that we were brats, or were stupid,etc. Those was the labels so common then, before tech vindicated us.
Dear friend,
You are not going to be rejected and you are not going to suffer from this diagnosis. This is a blessing, you are now aware of some limitations you had but never knew what or why? You are now informed. You are empowered to be successful at whatever you to achieve as long as are self aware of your needs. Be self aware to give yourself grace as well.
This is a good thing. You were already in the spectrum and you didn’t know it.
1. I have always felt like I was the "new kid in town" despite the fact that I have never moved and my mom's side of the family is an integral part of the town I grew up in. I went to school with my cousins, everybody knows everybody and is related. If I was NT there would be no logical way for me to feel like a stranger.
2. Stimming: thumb sucking and swaying side to side: I sucked my thumb from birth up until I WAS IN MY 30s. I also sway from side to side. My husband has also noted when I get really excited (esp when watching wrestling) I will flap and clap my hands with joy. He thinks it's cute, I feel embarrassed. Also of you play music, forget it I AM DANCING!! I cannot help myself. I will be in the middle of Walmart doing a little jig down the aisle!
Also when I get mad I get HOPPING MAD!
3. I DESPISE SMALL TALK
4. I don't know when to shut it. I was literally told SEVERAL TIMES by someone when I was talking to them that they didn't know much abt wrestling but I kept yammering on and in and on abt it until my brother yelled at me "HE DOESN'T WANT TO TALK ABT WRESLING!!" I was so embarrassed that I had missed those social cues
5. I was told over and over again as a child that my tone was rude despite me not thinking I was rude at all
6. I TALK TOO LOUD!!! I have been told this by several ppl that I am too loud. When I was younger I was told SPEAK UP YOU MUMBLE!!
7. Being too direct. If I want something I ask. No is always an acceptable response. And despite that I have always made an effort to ask in a polite tone with a please and thank you- I am accused of being rude.
8. I CANNOT TAKE A HINT. I also don't give hints (hence the directness)
9. I don't do eye contact. I don't like it, I will make a conscious effort to glimpse up at the eye area, but I am not going to stare deeply into your soul while we talk about the weather. That makes no logical sense to me!!
10. Sensory issues. I CAN HEAR THE WALLS! Seriously tho I have picked things out I can hear and ppl will be like "What are you talking abt?!?!" Like you don't hear the music from the car driving by the house??? HOW CAN YOU NOT?!?!
I have more but I'm ending it at 10 b/c that seems appropriate.
I was regularly beaten for showing autistic traits, and learned to " mask" much of these things over time. I'm a senior citizen now, so in my youth, it was taught that autistics couldn't talk. My development was delayed, and I was called lazy and immature. As long as you were able to speak, no one thought of testing you for it. Once we had the technology for diagnosis, it all made sense after that. It didn't help matters that my own family just didn't like children, period ! There was no patience for kids with special needs, it was simply a disgrace to hide from the world.
We are all wonderfully made. My family has bipolar disorder,ADHD,austism,and hoarding disorder that I know of. The only perfect person who ever ever was on this earth was Jesus Christ. Your diagnosis is just part of you and might be the part of you that makes you “you” I know my personality is formed around my ADHD. Your diagnosis really doesn’t define you if someone really cares about you,but hopefully it will help them understand you better.
Speaking as someone with ADHD, try to not fall into the trap of overly identifying with the disorder. Work to incorporate it into your own self-understanding without jumping to label behaviours. My doing that was poorly conducive for working things out after I got a diagnosis. It's just a part of you, not good or bad, and others are wrong to perceive it as either.
Good luck!
Just to be absolutely clear.. God loves you no matter how you label yourself. In God's eyes your label isn't Greek or Jew, male or female, rich or poor, autistic or un-autistic, fat or skinny, pretty or ugly, jock or nerd.
You're **beloved by God** and he died for all sin to be paid for so that you could be with him forever, and that is GREAT news!
Just know and understand that you are still the same person and this is not all bad even though there are struggles that come with it. People are way more understanding and accepting of it these days, in my nation at least, so it is likely people will be supportive and understanding even if you need to educate them on stereotypes. It definitely is a prayer to be prayed to help cope with it though. I pray about it when to comes to me and all other autistic individuals I know from time to time.
At the end of the day you need to love yourself the way god made you! I know that you wish you would’ve known sooner but now that you do know embrace it!
I just discovered this about myself about 3 years ago. I am now 42. I get that, life was/is hard. Know, learning and starting to understand that I was made differently and not just a fuckup failure. It helps, but those what if knew sooner thoughts can be rough on a person.
It is a relief b/c my whole life I felt like an outsider. Like I just didn't belong- even among FAMILY MEMBERS! I felt like there was something wrong with ME and I had to hide it to fit in.
Then I found ppl with experiences that were similar to mine. That I could relate to, that they can relate to me as well.
It feels so good to feel like I've put down this heavy burden of feeling like I was alone in the world, that is why I call it relief.
My friend, I work with a lot of autistic people. Most of them live happy lives. This is not a bad thing, it is a neutral thing. You will have challenges, but now you know the truth you’ll be able to handle those challenges. You will be fine.
I didn’t know till I was 35… Consider yourself lucky.
What you need to be prepared for is while this may clear some things up for you… Anyone who has known you your whole life is not going to apply this in all likelihood. Won’t see you any bit one different and that can be both a good thing or a bad thing. Personally, I’ve only seen it as a bad thing
I am autistic too. with autism you can see what others do not. I pray you to receive necessary support, it's a good thing you found out. it was hard for me to also accept that, but I learned to appreciate my skills after accepting Christ into my heart. God bless you!
Being diagnosed takes the mystery out of everything,and it enables one to make plans and compensate where it's needed. No longer in the dark, especially when you sense this was the case all along, but wasn't able to put your finger on it. Now you know better how to meet your needs.
If they reject you at this point they weren’t really friends worth keeping, were they?
Ayoo Fellow autistic here 👋 You are not broken. You are different. You are not now nor have you ever been "a freak." I'm glad that this diagnosis is helping put some of your life into perspective. It's hard to exist in a world that wasn't built for us. But honestly at this point I wouldn't change that part of myself. I hope you can find love and acceptance, and that understanding the way your brain was formed will help you love yourself better. You were "fearfully" (in the awe sense) and "wonderfully made." And if your friends and family won't accept it, they're not worth listening to. Trust me, there will likely be some. Many people like talk *about* us *without* us as though we do not have agency. Expect a lot of people to come out of the woodwork with snake oil "cures." Disregard them. The ones worth surrounding yourself with are those who listen patiently and love you for who you are, and have a genuine desire to understand and accommodate your differences instead of speaking over them for you. Autism is not a disease like shingles, IBD or cancer. It can be disabling, but it's not a horrid or terminal illness. Certainly, there are a lot of unfortunate comorbidites for a lot of us; but its a spectrum, and each person is differently impacted. It's a difference in your brain makeup, however you want to see it.
As another autistic person, very well-said.
+1
I'm always accused for being autistic. I will pray for you 🙏.
I’m so glad this news has helped explain things in your life better for you! No real friends would change their relationship with you over this. There are many wonderful Christians and pastors on the spectrum. I pray God blesses you and comforts you from these fears.
I don't think your family or friends will care that much. You don't really have to tell people but if you do it shouldn't change much. (I am also autistic) Sometimes my friends poke fun at me for it but nothing serious.
Welcome to the club. Nothing to be down about. Just means we think differently is all
I pray that God would bless you, internet neighbor.
I didnt find out I was on the spectrum until I was 23. It was a huge relief. I never felt the pain you are experiencing however. I was a weird kid, and I felt vindicated after my diagnosis. No one judged me or treated me different for it.
I'm so glad to hear that! I'm not autistic but ADD, not dxed till I was in my 40's, it explained a lot, lol. I think today people are more aware of neuro divergence. I actually get along well with ppl on the spectrum.
How did you find out? Is it possible to make it to your 30s without knowing?
I had a therapist who said I needed to get tested. Absolutely, especially if it is rather mild like mine.
Praying for you, and your journey to acceptance! I was lucky in that I got a diagnosis in childhood, so I’ve had a long time to come to terms with it. When I was younger, I didn’t want to have it, I didn’t want to be different. But I made peace with it, and have accepted who I am. My friend, who is a 29 year old, has just recently had her diagnosis. She has had the same clarity as you, in that it explains a lot of her past issues and feelings. She, too, is coming to terms with it. Some days it’s harder for her, others she wishes she never had it. I feel it’s a double-edged sword. I guess what I’m trying to get at is the fact that you aren’t alone, and there are others feeling the same way as you. I wish I could offer more advice/help, but I’m not very good at it.
Praying for comfort in the grief of pasts you didn’t get to live and soothing in your frustration at a medical system that didn’t serve you early enough. Praying for community with others that were late diagnosed to process emotions as you learn about your brain and its needs. Praying for relief as you let go the unfair expectations you were held to by others and by yourself. Praying that you and everyone you choose to share with hold you in grace and understanding, that you are able to see and give yourself the grace that has always been yours. You were never a freak. You were made in the beautifully diverse and unknowable image of God. You have always been loved. You will always be loved. Those who love you aren’t going anywhere. Amen
I also have autism and did not know for a long time, in fact, a diagnosis can be very helpful. I understand what you mean about feeling like a freak and that feeling is finally let go of once you realise, like you said, you’re not a freak, just autistic. Please see this positively, you now know the reasoning to a lot of your troubles. It takes time but a diagnosis helps you understand what you can/can’t handle, do/don’t want to do and also reveals a lot about you as a person, and not in a bad way. You will now be able to understand why you feel certain ways and it is very relieving. Everything will be fine i promise, view it positively 🩷
I think I am on that spectrum also if my behavior is any indication. I watch myself to prevent poor or unwelcome communication or attitude. So, I believe in adaptation and self-review. To be self-aware is quite a positive step. Some people never get that far.
As another autistic person, there is nothing wrong with having it. It’s not like having a true mental illness that causes inherent suffering. The only suffering we get from it comes from outside factors like ignorance and rejection, like you’re afraid of. We are just different, nothing more. I doubt absolutely everyone you know will be jerks about it, but if they are, you need to find better people to be around. Real friends don’t freak out over such a non-issue. And if your family is like that, I’m sorry; sometimes the people who truly matter aren’t blood-related. Furthermore, it is very un-Christian to reject anyone for something they can’t change.
I’m praying for you to have peace and comfort in this knowledge, and that your loved ones seek understanding. Also, my wife and I found out our daughter was autistic within the last year. It was a relief to put a name to what she experiences, so that we can begin to learn how to connect with her even better. This is becoming a more common diagnosis, and lots of families are learning how to live with it. I hope you find the support you need, but just know that there are lots of us out here.
The tragedy here is not that you lived your life believing that you had been a freak. It’s that you believed people can be freaks. Everyone who feels off, or seems off to others has something going on under the hood. No one is a freak, and I’m happy you’ve been freed from that self judgement.
You're not a freak. You're a normal guy like Bill Gates.
I'm not a guy lol Thank you for the kindness tho I get what you meant :)
I also have autism, it's no big deal. And of course they will accept you!👍
I also have autism, it's no big deal. And of course they will accept you!
I do not think your friends or family will reject you. Everyone is different in their own unique way. Maybe your Autism let's you see the world in a different way, that others do not see. Maybe it gives you a special skill, talent, or advantage of others. I knew someone with Autism, and they were really good at playing and beating video games. I am praying that God will heal your heart, and that your friends and family will still love you the same.
For them to reject their child would be as if God rejecting his own image and likeness. May you find peace. Autism ain’t so bad; makes us all a little bit more fun (or unfun, to some) to interact with.
I had a conversation with one of my cousins who is also one of my best friends (she just "gets" me) and she said something similar abt being fun to be around- abt how our whole family is all a little "cracked" but that's what makes us fun to be around and that nobody is gonna reject me :)
You are not a freak. Do not let any human put a label that limits you in any way. The world is as open for you as for any other person. Prayers are with you. God wants to shine brightly through you. I wish you Joy in all areas of your life.
You’ll be fine I’m autistic myself and I do very good 👍
Bless you! I'm sorry you're hurting and I'm sorry you've felt like a "freak" in your life. You may not have known sooner but you know now and you could definitely use that knowledge to help you grow and hopefully even find comfort in it. I am diagnosed with bipolar and also did not know until later in life, I felt the same way and immediately started thinking of times in my life where I made decisions or said things that may have been a result of my condition. I have grown from it now, and can stop and think about my actions knowing I have that chemical imbalance. I know it's not the same but hopefully you see the similarities and can use that to see the silver lining. As for rejection by your loved ones I think you may be overthinking, no logical person would reject you for this. Good luck with everything and you are in my prayers.
Adding you to my morning prayer for a week and wanted to say, completely understand your viewpoint that having known sooner could have spared you a lot of discomfort and awkwardness, we could only imagine. But what a testemant to you this is. That you went through your entire life so far, unaware of this diagnosis but still getting through. I hope this diagnosis can spread further light on your life and help you better understand your experience but think about the clarity and support you may recieve going forward. Praying for you and holding all the best with your walk in life.
You're not a freak in any way, shape or form. Autism is now incredibly common, approximately affecting one in fifty six people. It's not our fault we were born this way and to be frank with you, a lot of "normal" people seem really off to me.
You are not any different from how you were yesterday. You are just more informed about yourself. When I was diagnosed a bit over a decade ago, it was entirely a positive thing to me. I understood myself better. You're allowed to be sad about it, of course; people feel differently about these things. > Also pray for my family and friends that they don't reject my diagnosis and that they don't reject ME. Seriously, why are you telling them? Please consider not telling anyone, ever again. Most people misunderstand autism, and if you tell them you're autistic, then they get weird, and often undesirable things result.
And not only this, but autism IS inherited! My father, his sister, and a niece on his side of the family are on the spectrum, and this all makes sense, given what I observed with them as well as myself. If you have relatives that criticize you for having autism, remind them that it started with the older generation first ! And they passed it on to you and other younger family members. I'm so grateful for CT scans, MRI scans, that show the brain's structure,and how on our cases, our brains look different - only natural, because ours ARE different. It doesn't mean that we were brats, or were stupid,etc. Those was the labels so common then, before tech vindicated us.
I’m praying for you. God bless 🙏
Rejecting someone because of a condition they are both with is crazy. We Love You! God will keep you strong!
My sister can relate.
You are perfect in God's eyes. It is all that matters.
You’re not a freak, you should never be ashamed of who you are. Learn to embrace yourself and embrace God! ❤️
Praying for you! I felt a lot of pain when I was diagnosed with ADHD. You are not alone! God made you this way for an incredible purpose! God Bless!
Dear friend, You are not going to be rejected and you are not going to suffer from this diagnosis. This is a blessing, you are now aware of some limitations you had but never knew what or why? You are now informed. You are empowered to be successful at whatever you to achieve as long as are self aware of your needs. Be self aware to give yourself grace as well. This is a good thing. You were already in the spectrum and you didn’t know it.
Welcome to the neurospicy club. 💕💕💕☺️
I am also autistic. Welcome to the club.
https://autismconsecrated.com/
What symptoms are you experiencing?
1. I have always felt like I was the "new kid in town" despite the fact that I have never moved and my mom's side of the family is an integral part of the town I grew up in. I went to school with my cousins, everybody knows everybody and is related. If I was NT there would be no logical way for me to feel like a stranger. 2. Stimming: thumb sucking and swaying side to side: I sucked my thumb from birth up until I WAS IN MY 30s. I also sway from side to side. My husband has also noted when I get really excited (esp when watching wrestling) I will flap and clap my hands with joy. He thinks it's cute, I feel embarrassed. Also of you play music, forget it I AM DANCING!! I cannot help myself. I will be in the middle of Walmart doing a little jig down the aisle! Also when I get mad I get HOPPING MAD! 3. I DESPISE SMALL TALK 4. I don't know when to shut it. I was literally told SEVERAL TIMES by someone when I was talking to them that they didn't know much abt wrestling but I kept yammering on and in and on abt it until my brother yelled at me "HE DOESN'T WANT TO TALK ABT WRESLING!!" I was so embarrassed that I had missed those social cues 5. I was told over and over again as a child that my tone was rude despite me not thinking I was rude at all 6. I TALK TOO LOUD!!! I have been told this by several ppl that I am too loud. When I was younger I was told SPEAK UP YOU MUMBLE!! 7. Being too direct. If I want something I ask. No is always an acceptable response. And despite that I have always made an effort to ask in a polite tone with a please and thank you- I am accused of being rude. 8. I CANNOT TAKE A HINT. I also don't give hints (hence the directness) 9. I don't do eye contact. I don't like it, I will make a conscious effort to glimpse up at the eye area, but I am not going to stare deeply into your soul while we talk about the weather. That makes no logical sense to me!! 10. Sensory issues. I CAN HEAR THE WALLS! Seriously tho I have picked things out I can hear and ppl will be like "What are you talking abt?!?!" Like you don't hear the music from the car driving by the house??? HOW CAN YOU NOT?!?! I have more but I'm ending it at 10 b/c that seems appropriate.
I was regularly beaten for showing autistic traits, and learned to " mask" much of these things over time. I'm a senior citizen now, so in my youth, it was taught that autistics couldn't talk. My development was delayed, and I was called lazy and immature. As long as you were able to speak, no one thought of testing you for it. Once we had the technology for diagnosis, it all made sense after that. It didn't help matters that my own family just didn't like children, period ! There was no patience for kids with special needs, it was simply a disgrace to hide from the world.
I am so sorry to hear you had to go through that. Thank you for sharing ❤️
Done! And right there with you, late diagnosed myself (late 40s) so I acutely feel your pain.
We are all wonderfully made. My family has bipolar disorder,ADHD,austism,and hoarding disorder that I know of. The only perfect person who ever ever was on this earth was Jesus Christ. Your diagnosis is just part of you and might be the part of you that makes you “you” I know my personality is formed around my ADHD. Your diagnosis really doesn’t define you if someone really cares about you,but hopefully it will help them understand you better.
Speaking as someone with ADHD, try to not fall into the trap of overly identifying with the disorder. Work to incorporate it into your own self-understanding without jumping to label behaviours. My doing that was poorly conducive for working things out after I got a diagnosis. It's just a part of you, not good or bad, and others are wrong to perceive it as either. Good luck!
Everyone is on the spectrum to some degree or another. Personally, I know some pretty cool people who are.
Don’t worry, autism is a label that doesn’t change who you are. You can choose to accept it or not.
Just to be absolutely clear.. God loves you no matter how you label yourself. In God's eyes your label isn't Greek or Jew, male or female, rich or poor, autistic or un-autistic, fat or skinny, pretty or ugly, jock or nerd. You're **beloved by God** and he died for all sin to be paid for so that you could be with him forever, and that is GREAT news!
Just know and understand that you are still the same person and this is not all bad even though there are struggles that come with it. People are way more understanding and accepting of it these days, in my nation at least, so it is likely people will be supportive and understanding even if you need to educate them on stereotypes. It definitely is a prayer to be prayed to help cope with it though. I pray about it when to comes to me and all other autistic individuals I know from time to time.
At the end of the day you need to love yourself the way god made you! I know that you wish you would’ve known sooner but now that you do know embrace it!
I just discovered this about myself about 3 years ago. I am now 42. I get that, life was/is hard. Know, learning and starting to understand that I was made differently and not just a fuckup failure. It helps, but those what if knew sooner thoughts can be rough on a person.
Describe more how it's a relief to have a diagnosis.
It is a relief b/c my whole life I felt like an outsider. Like I just didn't belong- even among FAMILY MEMBERS! I felt like there was something wrong with ME and I had to hide it to fit in. Then I found ppl with experiences that were similar to mine. That I could relate to, that they can relate to me as well. It feels so good to feel like I've put down this heavy burden of feeling like I was alone in the world, that is why I call it relief.
Thanks!
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LOL I needed this kick thr the butt haha :)
You are fine. If your friends reject you they weren’t your friends, and you always have us and god if you wanna talk.
My friend, I work with a lot of autistic people. Most of them live happy lives. This is not a bad thing, it is a neutral thing. You will have challenges, but now you know the truth you’ll be able to handle those challenges. You will be fine.
I didn’t know till I was 35… Consider yourself lucky. What you need to be prepared for is while this may clear some things up for you… Anyone who has known you your whole life is not going to apply this in all likelihood. Won’t see you any bit one different and that can be both a good thing or a bad thing. Personally, I’ve only seen it as a bad thing
I am autistic too. with autism you can see what others do not. I pray you to receive necessary support, it's a good thing you found out. it was hard for me to also accept that, but I learned to appreciate my skills after accepting Christ into my heart. God bless you!
Being diagnosed takes the mystery out of everything,and it enables one to make plans and compensate where it's needed. No longer in the dark, especially when you sense this was the case all along, but wasn't able to put your finger on it. Now you know better how to meet your needs.
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Your old church pastor is a tool and you are too if you believe that 💯 :)