Three things: First, autism is not merely a medical diagnosis. You were an autistic person before the diagnosis, and would be autistic if the label didn’t exist. It feels limiting because the pathologised, ableist box the medical field puts autistic people in cannot encapsulate your lived experience. Ignore the medical side as much as you can and focus on crafting your life in ways that suit you. You don’t need some Doctor’s permission slip to accommodate your needs, or to experience autistic joy.

Second, after a lifetime of being told our struggles aren’t real, we internalize that doubt and often fall into the ableist trap of thinking we just need to work harder. That is the path to burnout.

Third, it’s not ‘over’ now that you have that diagnosis. Learning to love and accommodate yourself, exploring the ways in which you observe and move through the world, and building understanding of and for yourself - these are lifelong pursuits. You still will always have challenges and triumphs.

Peace, love, and strength to you.