New to the site & to diagnosis (female/adult/USA)

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beyourpet
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16 Sep 2014, 3:48 pm

Hi everyone, I'm new to the forum and pretty new to everything ASD (in terms of having a word for it, not new to my own life!:cat:). I was just recently diagnosed this past month after several years of researching and then finally deciding I needed to go in to get an official diagnosis. It feels great to finally have some clarity and certainty about myself and my future. I just told my parents in the form of a very long letter included in a fairly bulky package (tons of info about ASD so they'd have good resources to learn about it), and I feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. I'm still feeling really uncertain about how to proceed in terms of if I should tell any of my other friends and family. I have a fiance and of course he's been there every step of the way... I also feel that I should talk to my siblings about it, especially since my bro is probably on the spectrum as well... I'm an adult and live with my fiance about 15 hours away from my family, so it's a bit awkward to just bring these things up out of the blue. The main reason my parents were easier to talk to is because they knew I was going to see a doctor. The diagnosis process was prompted by my getting to my wits end with anxiety and depression. Around the time I went to this doctor I was going through a really stressful period in my life and was starting to have severe panic attacks all the time, as well as fainting spells... The urgent care doctor I went to was no help and I decided that what I needed was my stress to be reduced and my family to support me better through the things that are difficult for me (and not so difficult for them). I couldn't keep pretending I was normal, it was killing me.

Anyway, I feel optimistic about my diagnosis right now, but also in a state of shock and uncertainty. I know I'm a little wrapped up in my own world, researching and getting into learning more about the ASD community, so I don't want to act rashly by branding myself with the label for all to see. I know it's kind of a private matter and stigma is inevitable, but I'm also getting interested in the mental health awareness side of things and wanting to speak up about social anxiety, depression, etc...
I guess I'm hoping joining this forum will be a nice supplement for talking about this stuff until I feel more ready to do so in my personal life.

I've been a member of Asperclick for a while now (run by Willow Hope, an AS YouTuber) and have been enjoying conversing with others there, but this site seems quite a bit bigger so I wanted to join it as well. So anyway, hello all!
...
I just realized I haven't said anything about myself really, so here's a quick description of me:
My name is Brit. I'm an artist, with a focus on photography, traditional work, and writing. I am a big internet user and have been since the early 90s. I have a blog for my personal life and a website for my artwork. I have 2 kitties and a dog, I *love* animals. I have a fiance who is way more successful and put together than me, he tends to kind of take care of me like a surrogate father, but I also take care of him in the form of being a house wife and fur-baby mother. As you might see from my profile, I'm interested in art, psychology, the paranormal, criminology, abandoned houses, life simulation games, slice of life/daily life, animals, and food.

Feel free to talk to me!
I'm here looking to make friends, gain insight on various ASD related things, and just have a place to vent. :heart:



RoadRatt
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16 Sep 2014, 7:59 pm

Hey beyourpet welcome. :sunny:

Love your avatar!



cathylynn
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16 Sep 2014, 9:00 pm

hi,

i love my cat. i write for ASAN ( www.autisticadvocacy.org )as a volunteer. i just use my first name and last initial on my writings, so can be an advocate and avoid personal stigma at the same time.

welcome.



wzeigler
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16 Sep 2014, 10:10 pm

beyourpet wrote:
I feel optimistic about my diagnosis right now, but also in a state of shock and uncertainty.


Hi cathylynn! Your blurb was very interesting. :hail:

Almost everyone here, in this section, talk about that state of shock. I have felt that too. :shrug:

After years of excelling then crashing and burning then learning about Asperger's is, among other things, a lifelong sentence, restricting us in very personal ways. It is quite a shock! :wall: Yes, I understand your wanting to warm up to it here before telling family. :help:

Anyway, I wish you a good fortune in your life and joy here in WrongPlanet.net! :queen:



IAmTheCatalyst
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16 Sep 2014, 10:29 pm

I'm new as well, and still in that shock phase. hahaha. :roll: I'm also from Virginia! The weather here is perfect right now. Not to hot. Not too cold. No sun glaring in my eyes...


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beyourpet
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17 Sep 2014, 12:16 am

IAmTheCatalyst wrote:
I'm new as well, and still in that shock phase. hahaha. :roll: I'm also from Virginia! The weather here is perfect right now. Not to hot. Not too cold. No sun glaring in my eyes...

Ah so cool to meet another Virginian! I'm originally from Texas (as well as some other states in young childhood but I grew up in Texas), but my fiance and I moved here a few years ago for him to go to school.
If you don't mind me asking, what general area of the state do you live in? I'm in central VA.

Yes the weather has been really nice! I LOVE autumn here so I'm excited that it's coming, it is a truly magical time to be in such a place!



beyourpet
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17 Sep 2014, 12:27 am

wzeigler wrote:
beyourpet wrote:
I feel optimistic about my diagnosis right now, but also in a state of shock and uncertainty.


Hi cathylynn! Your blurb was very interesting. :hail:

Almost everyone here, in this section, talk about that state of shock. I have felt that too. :shrug:

After years of excelling then crashing and burning then learning about Asperger's is, among other things, a lifelong sentence, restricting us in very personal ways. It is quite a shock! :wall: Yes, I understand your wanting to warm up to it here before telling family. :help:

Anyway, I wish you a good fortune in your life and joy here in WrongPlanet net! :queen:


Thank you!! It's nice to know that there are such kind and welcoming people out there who understand what I'm going through!



beyourpet
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17 Sep 2014, 12:30 am

RoadRatt wrote:
Hey beyourpet welcome. :sunny:

Love your avatar!


Thanks! It's Louis Wain's work.

cathylynn wrote:
hi,

i love my cat. i write for ASAN ( www autisticadvocacy org )as a volunteer. i just use my first name and last initial on my writings, so can be an advocate and avoid personal stigma at the same time.

welcome.


Nice! I've checked out their site a few times before. That's a good idea about using your first name and initial. It's funny because I feel like I'm overly honest about myself and my feelings so I'm having to keep a really tight reign on myself, even though it feels unnatural... I feel like taking a more subtle approach like you are but still getting out what I want to say might be smart.



IAmTheCatalyst
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17 Sep 2014, 2:26 am

beyourpet wrote:
Ah so cool to meet another Virginian! I'm originally from Texas (as well as some other states in young childhood but I grew up in Texas), but my fiance and I moved here a few years ago for him to go to school.
If you don't mind me asking, what general area of the state do you live in? I'm in central VA.

Yes the weather has been really nice! I LOVE autumn here so I'm excited that it's coming, it is a truly magical time to be in such a place!


Southwest Virginia. I also just realized I skipped over the part where you mentioned you're an artist. I am too! In fact I finished half of an abstract painting tonight, and plan on finishing it tomorrow. The paranormal is also one of my obsessions, since I was a child. I guess I came to the right place. Haha. :)


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beyourpet
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17 Sep 2014, 10:46 pm

IAmTheCatalyst wrote:
beyourpet wrote:
Ah so cool to meet another Virginian! I'm originally from Texas (as well as some other states in young childhood but I grew up in Texas), but my fiance and I moved here a few years ago for him to go to school.
If you don't mind me asking, what general area of the state do you live in? I'm in central VA.

Yes the weather has been really nice! I LOVE autumn here so I'm excited that it's coming, it is a truly magical time to be in such a place!


Southwest Virginia. I also just realized I skipped over the part where you mentioned you're an artist. I am too! In fact I finished half of an abstract painting tonight, and plan on finishing it tomorrow. The paranormal is also one of my obsessions, since I was a child. I guess I came to the right place. Haha. :)


Ah so cool! It seems like we actually have quite a bit in common. Feel free to PM me or talk to me elsewhere online if you feel like it! :) Part of the main reason I wanted to join these forums was to make friends, so it's good to see I'll have things in common with at least some people.
I'd love to see your art sometime! :D



IAmTheCatalyst
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17 Sep 2014, 10:58 pm

beyourpet wrote:

Ah so cool! It seems like we actually have quite a bit in common. Feel free to PM me or talk to me elsewhere online if you feel like it! :) Part of the main reason I wanted to join these forums was to make friends, so it's good to see I'll have things in common with at least some people.
I'd love to see your art sometime! :D


Ah....oh, I just realized I even start a lot of my sentences the same way (mostly with ah, well, anyway, or yeah with me). Perhaps I will pm you sometime, but I'm exhausted from today. I went to a store by myself for only the third time in my entire life. It was a big goal of mine, but it'll take me a couple days to recharge from all that anxiety. I got a lot of odd stares in the store, I must have been stimming like mad and didn't realize it. :D


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beyourpet
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17 Sep 2014, 11:22 pm

IAmTheCatalyst wrote:
beyourpet wrote:

Ah so cool! It seems like we actually have quite a bit in common. Feel free to PM me or talk to me elsewhere online if you feel like it! :) Part of the main reason I wanted to join these forums was to make friends, so it's good to see I'll have things in common with at least some people.
I'd love to see your art sometime! :D


Ah....oh, I just realized I even start a lot of my sentences the same way (mostly with ah, well, anyway, or yeah with me). Perhaps I will pm you sometime, but I'm exhausted from today. I went to a store by myself for only the third time in my entire life. It was a big goal of mine, but it'll take me a couple days to recharge from all that anxiety. I got a lot of odd stares in the store, I must have been stimming like mad and didn't realize it. :D


Eek I know the feeling of that kind of anxiety. :skull:
Take care of yourself and give yourself plenty of down time! Good job today. :heart: Feel free to talk to me anytime!



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17 Sep 2014, 11:43 pm

hello!!
welcome to the club. 8)

i like your avatar, i am familiar with louis wain. read a bit about him as a kid.
he may have been schizophrenic, on the other hand he may have been also an aspie!


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softlyspeaks41
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18 Sep 2014, 1:14 am

Hello Brit and welcome to the club! My AS became official not quite four years ago now, amidst some major upheaval in other areas of life..and well I suppose I'm still coming to terms with stuff. The diagnosis did come as sort of a relief..as you say there was more clarity, I wasn't just a super geeky strange shy guy who couldn't engage in conversation from an instruction manual (lol). At the same time there's some uncertainty where my path is headed. Well, it's a little less murky anyway , with a subsequent approval of some services . Oh, I'm also into the paranormal. :D And from not too far from your state..New Jersey. I've seen a few of Willow Hopes videos. She's awesome isn't she? I wonder if that "Asperclick" is for males too.
Anyway, it's very nice to "meet" you!



beyourpet
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18 Sep 2014, 1:59 pm

softlyspeaks41 wrote:
Hello Brit and welcome to the club! My AS became official not quite four years ago now, amidst some major upheaval in other areas of life..and well I suppose I'm still coming to terms with stuff. The diagnosis did come as sort of a relief..as you say there was more clarity, I wasn't just a super geeky strange shy guy who couldn't engage in conversation from an instruction manual (lol). At the same time there's some uncertainty where my path is headed. Well, it's a little less murky anyway , with a subsequent approval of some services . Oh, I'm also into the paranormal. :D And from not too far from your state..New Jersey. I've seen a few of Willow Hopes videos. She's awesome isn't she? I wonder if that "Asperclick" is for males too.
Anyway, it's very nice to "meet" you!


Yeah Asperclick has all genders/locations/races whatever. It's open to everyone. I joined before I was diagnosed. Willow is a pretty active mod on there so she keeps it pretty even handed, I haven't seen any drama or hate there. It's a pretty great forum!
Nice to meet you! :)



beyourpet
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18 Sep 2014, 2:06 pm

Kiprobalhato wrote:
hello!!
welcome to the club. 8)

i like your avatar, i am familiar with louis wain. read a bit about him as a kid.
he may have been schizophrenic, on the other hand he may have been also an aspie!


Thanks! Yeah I've self-studied a lot about schizophrenia and psychosis and his art has some pretty fascinating insight. Although that image of the "progression of psychosis through his art" was somewhat falsified. Someone (I think it was a psychiatrist studying his work? I might be wrong there) laid out the work in that order to display the worsening of his mental state... But he was still creating more "normal" looking art while he was institutionalized, as well as the pattern heavy stuff. So it wasn't quite a straight progression like that. Still, you can see what his mind was doing with the colors and patterns, it's very interesting!