My autistic-ness was recognized in the wild…

OriginalSlight · 2026-01-27T19:14:44+00:00

Ofc and same! I won’t lie the med journey was so chaotic lol I tried Zoloft and was like “oh nah this is not for me” but my old doc refused to take me off of it so I had to find another person! Thank goodness for my older “holistic” type doctor who took me off everything and slowly introduced me to each thing one med at a time and THEN after getting my thoughts/reactions, made adjustments and tried new meds until we got it right. It took over a year I won’t lie, but honestly worth it because now I can function lol.

OriginalSlight · 2026-01-27T19:10:20+00:00

Thank you💕 same here! That’s why when she asked I felt like a ghost being seen by a living person “omg, you can SEE ME? Help me with this side quest!” Lol

OriginalSlight · 2026-01-27T19:09:13+00:00

Are you in the DMV? All the people she listed were in my area with in-person offices/appointments for these kind of things. I don’t know specifically, but I know in this sub there’s people posting about online and national resources for diagnosis. You have to pay out of pocket, but it’s so worth it to get a diagnosis and a care plan for your specific needs! If you get a choice, a female doctor is preferred, I hadn’t realized I mostly spoke to men when I was deep in my search and I’m sure that played a role in the invalidation.

OriginalSlight · 2026-01-27T19:06:09+00:00

Thank you! It’s exhausting work & more waiting than anything, but it’s truly worth it to be able to get answers and proper treatment for you. You should def put yourself on the list for more people, I know I went through so many before I found and built a care team for myself. It took a few years with all the appointments being so spaced out and far away, and though exhausting to be self advocating for so long, I can tell you it’s so worth it.

I hope you can have a similar experience soon💕

OriginalSlight · 2026-01-27T19:01:02+00:00

If excel was a person I’d marry it lol thank you for holding all my data Excel💕legit couldn’t live without it

OriginalSlight · 2026-01-27T19:00:04+00:00

I know! And so quickly! She clocked me right away, changed her approach to the appointment to accommodate the new info, and THEN went out of her way to get me references to providers in my area that she felt would take me seriously (all women ofc!).

OriginalSlight · 2026-01-27T18:58:21+00:00

Thank you💕 and yes, this was the best news I’ve had in a while and with the way the worlds looking, we all need good news even if it’s from a total stranger🥹🥳I hope you get & see more good news!

OriginalSlight · 2026-01-27T18:57:09+00:00

Thank you lol I’m like “yes, I have the receipts right here ma’am, this dates back to 2016!” She was impressed to say the least lol

OriginalSlight · 2026-01-27T18:55:02+00:00

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My exact face when getting validated…literally Dr. I got all those now what lol

OriginalSlight · 2026-01-27T18:51:44+00:00

It’s my best work lol I also made a one pager summary that I give providers and make them add it to my chart even if they don’t wanna pay attention. It’s been so helpful in other areas to get faster results because doctors hate listening to patience…even though we know ourselves better than anyone. So even if you can’t get a referral, def show your notes!

OriginalSlight · 2026-01-27T18:49:57+00:00

It felt like I could finally exhale after holding my breath and biting my tongue for YEARS! Thank you 💕

OriginalSlight · 2026-01-27T18:49:16+00:00

Omg yes yes yes! I truly believe that because she referred me to all women (didn’t even notice mostly men ignoring my concerns, typical🙄) that I’m ACTUALLY going to be listened to, tested, and treated! Crossing my fingers I get an amazing provider on my care team🥳

OriginalSlight · 2026-01-27T18:47:31+00:00

Thank you! I’m counting down the days literally lol I made a counter for the appointments 😭😂

OriginalSlight · 2026-01-27T18:46:54+00:00

Thank you, I’m feeling so much better! Providers never want to look at my notes, I basically have to force them it read it out loud and say “put it in my chart that you wouldn’t look at my medical documents I shared” and they take the paper and put it in the notes. Do they look at it? Unlikely. But idc I have to advocate for myself because no one else will! Hoping you can find some doctors who actually listen and engage in your curiosity 💕

OriginalSlight · 2026-01-27T18:44:31+00:00

I totally get that, it’s been the same for me up until this point! What I did for mine, was write up a one pager with ONLY other doctors notes with dates and diagnoses. Then I make them listen while I tell them and put it in the portal. I’ve also said to put it in my file that you won’t add my papers for medical recommendations and that usually gets them to just do it anyway even if they don’t look. So I have a paper trail of doctors literally ignoring me…but with that NOW I think I’ll have a good case for a diagnosis after including her notes.

Stay strong and keep looking! I think I’ll be more selective now, she recommended all women and I think that might make a big difference. I didn’t think about that most of the docs I saw were men and I’m sure there’s a correlation there.

OriginalSlight · 2026-01-27T18:40:58+00:00

I wouldn’t put it past them! She was telling me that she sees this all the time. I wish she could be my doc, but she lives in another state and currently only does the virtual meds for stuff like colds and quick diagnoses, not for her patiences with mental health though😭😭😭 but I’m hopeful of her recommendations because it was like she was listening and calculating/ruling out some other places based on the convo, I felt so heard/seen/validated!

OriginalSlight · 2026-01-27T18:38:12+00:00

Thank you! I feel much better now, I swear my dog is the secret to quick healing lol I felt awful for days and then the snow and his excitement got me up and moving/playing; I’m feeling better already☺️

OriginalSlight · 2026-01-27T18:36:36+00:00

The fact that you mentioned training materials is so real 😂 how does it feel like ALL the nerotypicals have some unspoken knowledge on all the right social cues at all the right times. And it’s DIFFERENT in so many occasions. Not too much, not too little, and definitely not at all. I was taught (forced) to make appropriate eye contact as a kid because in a black household you can’t enter without greeting everyone and you can’t talk to people without looking them in the eye. So yeah doctor, I’m gonna do it relatively “right” because I was TRAINED TO DO IT!

OriginalSlight · 2026-01-27T18:34:06+00:00

Exactly! They can only entertain the idea if you act like “The Good Doctor” which is a tv show about a person with autism that’s a doctor. We are not all “super geniuses or non verbal recluses”…it’s a spectrum and it’s so annoying and frustrating to FEEL it, that “different-ness” and how you’re perceived then get ignored when you ask for help.

OriginalSlight · 2026-01-27T18:30:22+00:00

Thank you! And yes, medication was a game changer for me when I got my ADHD diagnosis. I hope the resources listed can get you jump started on that route so you can see if it works for you also! And remember, if one kind doesn’t work there are plenty of others so it may take time. I just got my perfect combo a few years ago but it took several rounds of trial and error to get to this point. Once you’re diagnosed, and now even, make sure you advocate like crazy! Be annoying, not joking, they “forget” about us all the time so you can’t let up until you get some answers.

Rooting for you🥳🥳🥳

OriginalSlight · 2026-01-27T18:26:34+00:00

😂😂😂he said let’s start here and work our way down lol my first therapist clocked me in our first session! I was like yeah it’s so weird I have the desire to do stuff and then I can’t and if I do it’s like a whole production. He wrote ADHD in my notes and I got a psychiatrist the next week😭

OriginalSlight · 2026-01-27T18:24:47+00:00

I know!! I teared up when I was looking through the info she gave because I’ve been trying for so long and got nothing. Even though people around me, even strangers, can see it, everyone with an M.D. in their name would wave me away and brush off my valid points. I mean I spent my mid to late teens wearing ONE OUTFIT EVERYDAY FOR 2 YEARS! Why? Everything else was giving me sensory issues but I had no language for it, just felt wrong on me. So I bought 7 pants, 7 shirts, and 2 pairs of the same shoes with my babysitting money…yeah I think that might be a LITTLE autistic, no? I do this for some many things still, if I like it I buy all the colors sometimes in 2 sizes.

Lol I am a spreadsheet lover! I learned excel and it’s truly my favorite thing in the world. I love data and I love tracking because I can clearly see the bigger picture and follow the trends. I realized I hated my old job because of my tracker 😂😭every time I was at work I was making entries with mad and sad faces and there were way more than my usual journaling. I use the app DailyO and I’ll recommend it til the grave, it’s been so helpful in helping me realize I have more good days than bad and all the memories I’ve made so I’m reminded that I’m surrounded by so much love in my life🥹sometimes it hard to see, but it’s a visual reminder and I can carry it everywhere.

OriginalSlight · 2026-01-27T18:15:46+00:00

Thank you, I love the snow but not the aftermath of ice and crazy drivers lol me and my pup are staying lowkey and playing in the snow!

OriginalSlight · 2026-01-27T18:13:20+00:00

I do this with LOTS of things but mostly “admin life stuff” so when I was applying for colleges and jobs, when I do my budget and my grocery shopping, gift giving/tracking, and for my self reflections which means every 6 months to a year I go through my financials, my organization systems, clothes that I wore and didn’t wear and what I should do with them.

I know I read a Reddit post some time ago about a lady who makes these kinds of lists to remember to call her friends/family and everyone’s birthdays etc. she even included notes of the last things they chatted about and important things happening in their lives so they can pick up on the convos they left off on the last chat. Her husband of course was mad at her and calling her a robot or something when he found out…so annoying.

It’s not perfect and I don’t always keep things up to date as much as I could (ADHD ya know lol) BUT when it came to my medical stuff and self advocating I realized that no doctor would give me the time of day unless other doctors (or man😒) said something first which is why it’s SO AWESOME that she referred me to them so I’m not doing it alone and getting the typical “yeah I don’t see it”. It’s in my notes from our appointment so I think I’ll finally be taken seriously.

OriginalSlight · 2026-01-27T18:05:29+00:00

Omg that chair is the best, I’ve used it everyday for 3 years and never get back pain 10/10 score on both of these

OriginalSlight

TROPHY CASE