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The other 2 current replies are great and in-depth. I'd like to add a more shallow, kind if like a TL;DR. (For reference, I got diagnosed mid 30s, wife idem.) 1) You need to find a proper therapist to assess if you have autism. Ideally someone specialised in such. Because otherwise, chance of misdiagnosis is too high. 2) Co-mobordities are common, ADHD and anxiety were given as examples in other reply. I had the latter diagnosis, and got Ritalin prescribed for symptoms of the former in past (I hated the ups and downs, and I could not afford Concerta back then. FWIW, I currently use Prozac, it works great for me, but does make me more oversharing but less edgy. There's multiple other options, I went to a psychiatrist specialized in autism.) If you already have another diagnosis do not assume it is a panacea. If you have ASD it is the root of your being, and all your other issues (see some examples at #3) more or less stem from it. 3) People go for a diagnosis because they are stuck in life for one reason or another (a trigger). Common triggers are work related (issues with coworkers, unemployment), social (divorce, lack of friends, drug abuse), or family diagnosis (children, cousins, etc). 4) Proper diagnosis is painful. Your entire life is basically reviewed with multiple professionals who have specific expertise on the field of autism. It takes a lot of time, energy, and probably money (I live in The Netherlands and it only cost me my 'own risk' of insurance). Try to prepare for it, I say this to warn if you are in a very stresssful situation in life. 5) There's a lot of bullshit about ASD on the internet, and self-diagnosed or misdiagnosed people. Via my diagnosis I met other people who had a proper diagnosis, and I learned so much about autism. OK it ended up longer than I anticipated, kind of how I am IRL too, masks my shyness too. Good luck! |