And then you get to message your VERY republican/lolbertarian bootstraps bootstraps TRUMPer boomer dad, whose communications are biannual at best lately and mostly crank government conspiracy, and ask if he has autism.

ffs... families are weird about so many things...

Thank god for Molly; her daughter is autistic and she had a wealth of resources for me

Yeah, that sounds about right with that kinda family.

wow jesus. i'm so sorry evie

So not only do I get to climb Mount Five Stages, deal with internalized and likely incorrect feelings about autism

And misinformation lets not forget that

Iiiii get to do it with the least helpful man on the planet.

(Although this? Would explain a lot about him.)

(Not in a negative way, just why he and I can’t seem to connect, and things my mother said now get reframed in a light of “he’s not emotionless” and that he’s a boomer with no diagnosis or coping skills.)

Anyway this has been going on for two or three weeks and I’m starting to crumble under some severe stress, I’ve had a migraine for a week, I really need my job and my routine and my world back. :|

Like I started smoking again.

I did start working out again and my ankle is better, there’s that.

//curls up with in spirit//

In asking my dad for autism family history, I realized I don’t fucking know anything about his medical history

So I just went ahead and asked for that too

Exacerangutan:

I wish I could offer something more substantial than internet hangouts and rp, but

You are a good guy Paul <3

Just genuinely one hell of a guy

asdfsgh come on now

Also I guess if anyone had resources or information about adult ASD diagnoses, they’re welcome.

Ummmmm hm madredhattie SweetJerry wherethefigslie

I can poke at a friend or two who I think are diagnosed although I haven't talked to them about that specifically in a long while so I'm not 100% sure

Exacerangutan: that would be really helpful, if they’re available. Thank you

I haven't been officially diagnosed so I'm unfortunately no help? My therapist just sort of went "Mm yeah that sounds right." but then like. I got no testing or anything

I just went to my therapist with a list of reasons of why I thought I was autistic and she went "yeah"

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

But I support you on your quest and I hope it goes okay for you!

Good luck, bud. I'm really sorry this is hitting but at least maybe it'll be helpful to know.

Molly's a gem though

Molly is one of the best things to ever happen to me

dealing with family on top of all of the figuring, just. :/ fuck, man.

Dad says he doesn’t think he has autism, but I should keep an eye on my blood pressure, and also my uncle and grandfather are both alcoholics

sry turns out my friend I thought of didn't actually get a diagnosis just an argument between two therapists

Exacerangutan: yikes

yeah fun times all around

it's worth getting screened with a separate therapist or psychiatrist, but also worth asking the question; will the diagnosis and/or associated therapy styles help you?

and that's really something to discuss with your healthcare person.

for example, I have a few traits that make me wonder if I'm on the spectrum, but none of those have ever impacted my life severely enough for me to be interested in seeking treatment. to go into the ones that are less alarming, I have sensory overload issues and tend to take people at their word and miss underlying reasons for why they could be lying.

sudden changes of plans bother me, the sooner and more drastic the change the worse I become. I'm over-empathetic (which can also be a symptom, particularly in females) and choose clothing based on textures first.

But I've also been able to manage all of those through my support system and other methods of coping (I don't go to malls, I don't buy clothing in textures I hate, I remind myself that change isn't the end of the world, etc etc)

beyond that, some of those can be attributed to anxiety, so... there's not much reason that I feel to be diagnosed. in the end, a diagnosis, in the medical sense, is a framework for a doc to look at and say "okay, this is how we'll approach this, ideally to make sure you're happy and functional".

it can also help you develop a sense of belonging/community with other people. so it's up to you in the end. (...oh yeah, the other symptom I have is infodumping, if you couldn't tell.)

^ very valid point

All of these things are issues I deal with. And re getting screened , I do have trouble functioning for long outside of my home. Coping skills / behavioral therapy would be useful.