Should I tell my parents about my diagnosis

Page 1 of 1 [ 4 posts ] 

LvBas
Emu Egg
Emu Egg

Joined: 21 Oct 2025
Age: 21
Gender: Male
Posts: 3
Location: Italy

22 Oct 2025, 4:37 am

Hi, very recently I’ve been diagnosed with level 1 autism (20M) (sorry for my english I am italian)
I went through the whole diagnosis process on my own and haven’t told my parents.

I live in the city of my university, far from them, and I only see them a few times every few months.
They don’t have any problems with me, they kind of “adore” me because I get good grades at university and stay out of troubles, and they also help me financially.

However, now I feel a sort of resentment toward them.
They had 19 years to get me diagnosed, and even though there were clear signs, they never really cared, too busy constantly arguing (which caused a lot of meltdowns because they were very loud)with each other instead of caring about me. I also feel like the wouldn't really understand as psycology is not something they "believe" (in Italy is more common) and instead treat me as "strange".

Have you had similar experience or opinion about this topic



MartineRomy
Sea Gull
Sea Gull

User avatar

Joined: 24 Sep 2025
Age: 50
Gender: Female
Posts: 213
Location: Belgium

22 Oct 2025, 5:25 am

Some of the things that are now clear as early signs were trivialised or wrongly interpreted. I was just shy (and a bit weird).

Also very strong barrier between my two worlds home and school and (quite common) as long as results were ok, nothing bad. When they were not ok, just a phase. School did 'flag' a few times but mainly put down as difficulties fitting in + puberty. Remember, parents are not trained psychologists.

The view about psychology and treatments feels similar, bit sad that it still is the same (my story mainly 80s, early 90s). My grandfather did tell me to act normal or 'they' would take me away. He had enough local power to prevent questions. I've now been in a 'mental hospital' briefly, perhaps it would have been better if they had.

There are some people that do think my case would have been clear... or it would be now. But it is easier to look back knowing what was wrong.



LvBas
Emu Egg
Emu Egg

Joined: 21 Oct 2025
Age: 21
Gender: Male
Posts: 3
Location: Italy

22 Oct 2025, 7:00 am

Yeah for the moment i think I will not tell them, only to my closest friends (I have 5 of them). I think the view of psycology is better than the past, there is a bigger percentage of people open about it, just only not my parents.



Double Retired
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 31 Jul 2020
Age: 71
Gender: Male
Posts: 7,289
Location: U.S.A.         (Mid-Atlantic)

22 Oct 2025, 1:59 pm

There was no "official" diagnosis available for me until DSM-4, in 1994, the year I turned 40. Before that I was just "weird".

However, my symptoms were mild and I did not fit the Rain Man stereotype so it never occurred to me that the reason everyone else was so strange was because I was Autistic.

However, one of my sisters tripped over a hint. She works as a nanny for special needs children and took one with her when visiting our Dad. The report I got was that several times Dad said the kid was doing the same "weird" things I used to do! (This was in 2018 and Dad was apparently remembering me doing them in the 1950s!) My sister was fond of that kid and had previously mentioned that his parents suspected he was Autistic.

I did not think I was Autistic...as I said, I did not fit the Rain Man stereotype...but this was the first vague hint I'd ever received about what was wrong with everyone else. So, I got an Adult Autism Assessment and now I know why other people are weird!

LvBas...As far as your situation... Your relatives probably already think you are "weird". Mine did. If you tell them about your Autism it will just be more info as to why you are weird. You will likely still be judged on your accomplishments. When I told my siblings (a) they were not surprised, (b) they were not very interested, and (c) they immediately began speculating on whether they had a neurodivergence.

Of course, when I got the diagnosis Dad was almost 90 years old. He was completely disinterested and did not even want to discuss it. He appeared to think it was some crazy new fad that would pass.


_________________
When diagnosed I bought champagne!
I finally knew why people were strange.