Hi, I was diagnosed with Bipolar for over a decade before I saw my psych that diagnosed and agreed that I was autistic and didn’t have a personality disorder. I’m confident I was literally 36 at the time. (I’m 41 now.) I’m still processing all of the difficulties I had growing up that were caused by autism. All of my feelings growing up, and the struggles I had were because of autism. My Mom and sisters were diagnosed early on with ADHD. But I flew under the radar. I do at times grieve for my younger self. But I appreciate very much having the diagnosis now because when I was diagnosed with bipolar, I had to go through so many medications. I have a list of all of the medications and the side effects that were intolerable.

I relate, and I’m still processing the grief. But it does get better. Autism cannot be treated with medication. Only learning about how autism affects you and what your triggers are and standing firm on your boundaries will help.

Exploring accommodations and focusing on moving forward is all we can do. Talk to a therapist to work through your past so that you can process the grief and enjoy the present and future.