“I put on a show for the sake of others, all the while denying myself the opportunity to live authentically.”
‘I spent my whole life trying to fit in, suppressing the things about me that made me different.’: Woman diagnosed with autism at 41
‘Sometimes, I felt in control. Then I was a prisoner in my own head.’: Mom battles antidepressants, misdiagnoses to find ‘understanding’ of PMDD
“I was unhinged. I used to imagine watching my children from heaven, making sure they were safe. I would visit the doctor, pleading for someone to help me. I didn’t know what was wrong with me.”
‘If you can empathize with others, you’re not autistic.’ I wondered if I was an alien.’: Nonbinary person shares long journey to autism diagnosis, urges ‘knowledge about autism can save lives’
“‘You’re not trying enough.’ They gave me even more diagnoses, so I worked on them a lot. But nothing helped. It made me hopeless. Now, I know I was working on the wrong disorders.”
Living with Autism, I Have a Fear of Being ‘Found Out’
“I deleted the hashtag, and it hasn’t gone back up since. On the same day, I posted about autistic pride. I was still afraid. Maybe if I pretend I don’t have autism, it won’t be an issue in my professional life.”
‘You’re just NOT trying hard enough.’ I KNEW I was different, but I tried to brush it off. Then something magical happened.’: Woman diagnosed with autism shares journey, ‘I will live a BEAUTIFUL life’
“‘You’re WAY too sensitive.’ They don’t know I am constantly aware of the clock ticking, people typing, colleagues moving, screens shining, lamp shining, them laughing, the radio playing. This world is so LOUD.”
‘He’ll grow out of it,’ they’d say. I didn’t. I spent YEARS masking myself to fit who I thought I needed to be. I learned to celebrate my differences.’: LGBTQ man waiting for autism diagnosis, ‘I was BORN this way’
“I began to only stim in the privacy of my bedroom or the bathroom and treated it like a dirty secret I’d hopefully grow out of, along with my attraction to boys and all things deemed feminine.“
‘If you had autism, you’d be a unicorn.’ My social life was thriving, but I was a mess on the inside. I hated not being myself.’: Woman shares autism diagnosis journey, ‘My differences are a gift’
“I was told I was special or unique. I was the center of attention, and not in a good way. From the clothes I wore to the things I said, everything was wrong. I couldn’t fit in with the ‘normal’ people.”
