Diagnosis made me feel like crap. Anyone relate?
I'm glad lots of people feel like their diagnosis helped them. I got diagnosed half a year ago and overall I feel like it's been more of a net loss than a net gain and I wonder if anyone relates to a couple of my major reasonings.
Disclaimer: I recognize I have some personal biases to work through. I am working on the ones I am aware of, and I hope y'alls comments also help me confront my biases more clearly. But some of my text may also offend people. I'm sorry if I offend anyone. I also recognize I have relatively low support needs which gives me a very privileged position, so I'm sorry if I come across as a whiny or uncaring asshole to those with higher support needs.
- I feel like I got a life sentence for having issues with social interaction. Sure, I can learn, but I feel like I'll "max out" earlier than I want to since you can't cure autism and since it's tied so closely to having issues with social interaction.
- I feel like I have to tamper my life goals. My therapist thinks it's unrealistic for people with autism to work full time, for example. Logically I know there are exceptions, just look at the thread today filled with people who do. I too work full time but it costs me so much energy. But I had hoped to find a different solution instead of "work less." Because working less means having less money to build a better, more stable future for me and my family.
- I find it hard to relate to certain behaviors or terms that are linked to autism. I recognize that this is partially bias that I should work on and I'm sorry if I offend anyone. But for example, the idea of "stimming" just feels weird to me. But because it's such a basic concept I feel even more alien, or as if I should find something to "stim with" so I can be normal within the autistic community.
- Me not having high support needs sounds nice, but the flipside is that it feels like I don't belong anywhere. since my diagnosis I've been feeling more alienated from NT folks, but I've also participated in a group education thing for adults with autism and I didn't relate to the other people in that group either.
- The fact that ASD envelops such a broad spectrum makes me feel like communicating I have autism accomplishes nothing. Because I still have to elaborate what that means in my case, because autism varies so much. And if it varies so much, what does the umbrella term even help with?
PS: I'm using a burner account since I don't want everyone who knows my real reddit to be able to find this.