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Late Diagnosed
Приєднався 9 тра 2024
Welcome to Late Diagnosed. This is a channel where I share my journey in being diagnosed with ADHD and Autism at age 54, what I know now, what I wish I had known earlier and how I am navigating life after my late diagnosis.
New videos go live every Saturday at 6pm (GMT+10)
Follow along for new videos every week on how I am navigating life and working out how to unmask whilst still working my day job, paying my bills and living my life. It's a real, raw and honest look on life after my Late Diagnosis.
New videos go live every Saturday at 6pm (GMT+10)
Follow along for new videos every week on how I am navigating life and working out how to unmask whilst still working my day job, paying my bills and living my life. It's a real, raw and honest look on life after my Late Diagnosis.
5 Common Autistic Traits
5 Things I found out after being Late Diagnosed with ADHD and Autism that I experience myself.
Stomach issues
Delayed Processing
Special Interests
Strong Sense of Justice
Hypersensitivity
Bonus: Fatigue/Exhaustion
There are many things I am finding out, as I learn to live life on the spectrum, that have been my experience. I am now finding out they are attributable to either ADHD or Autism or both.
What common traits do you relate to?
Stomach issues
Delayed Processing
Special Interests
Strong Sense of Justice
Hypersensitivity
Bonus: Fatigue/Exhaustion
There are many things I am finding out, as I learn to live life on the spectrum, that have been my experience. I am now finding out they are attributable to either ADHD or Autism or both.
What common traits do you relate to?
Переглядів: 83
Відео
7 Major Signs of Adult ADHD
Переглядів 78День тому
How many signs can you spot in yourself or someone you know? Today's video, I look at 7 major signs of ADHD in Adults and specifically women but it doesn't mean these signs aren't also present in men who are as yet, undiagnosed. Personally, I can relate to almost all of them and there are many more signs than the ones outlined here. What do you relate to? What makes you think you might have ADH...
Would anything be different if I was diagnosed earlier?
Переглядів 6614 днів тому
Have you ever wondered if anything would be different if only you were diagnosed earlier? Today I explore if I think anything would've been different for me with an earlier diagnosis. Getting diagnosed later in life is complex. Masking has played a huge part in that, and you can check out some of the ways I've masked on this video: ua-cam.com/video/0cGKYU1IAyg/v-deo.html
Do you have sensory issues? What makes your skin crawl or gives you the icks?
Переглядів 5821 день тому
Most people understand that people with Autism or who are on the autism spectrum experience sensory issues. They may see autistic people in public wearing headphones or having a meltdown but what exactly are sensory issues for those who are neurodivergent? Today, I explore my own sensory issues and you may discover that you also have sensory issues but didn't know that it's not just meltdowns a...
What happened when I had a meltdown at work?
Переглядів 97Місяць тому
Recent changes at work have affected me more than I had initially anticipated. After some significant restructure at work, I moved into a new team, got a new leader, new colleagues and the way I was used to doing things also changed. Changes are hard for people with Autism and these changes were, and still are, a lot. What happened to cause my meltdown? Follow along as I reveal what happened an...
What's my biggest trigger? Triggers are inevitable when you're neurodiverse.
Переглядів 74Місяць тому
Today's topic I discuss my greatest trigger - being misunderstood. As a newly diagnosed AuDHD woman navigating what it takes to unmask, I am discovering that some things remain extremely difficult for me. Misdiagnosed with anxiety and depression at different points in my life, I found that actually the reasons I felt depressed or anxious were because I was trying to fit myself into a world wher...
What were my ADHD symptoms?
Переглядів 992Місяць тому
Getting diagnosed later in life answers lots of long term questions but it also means that it's harder to unravel all of the negativity that has been created in your own mind for feeling like a failure when you've compared yourself to the neurotypical world. Come with me as I explore some of the reasons that brought me to being diagnosed later in life, and follow me as I realise that my value i...
What is masking?
Переглядів 734Місяць тому
Just what is masking? As someone who is still discovering what this means for me, today I explore a few different ways that those who are neurodivergent, mask themselves in the neurotypical world. Masking is the process of appearing neurotypical so as not to draw attention to yourself - in effect, to hide who you really are because you find out, through the process of your life, that who you ar...
The challenges of getting a Late Diagnosis
Переглядів 1222 місяці тому
My Doctor was hesitant at first when I asked to be referred for ADHD testing. He didn't appear to understand how ADHD presents in older women who are going through menopause or who have a history of 'mental health' issues. What I know now, is that my history was actually undiagnosed Autism, not just ADHD and now that I know, I'm learning how to navigate life on the spectrum. Come with me as I l...
How to support your Autistic loved one
Переглядів 1722 місяці тому
Do you have a loved one who is Autistic? Do you wonder how you can help them? Today I discuss a few ways you can provide support to your Autistic loved one - especially if they are like me and are recently diagnosed and are still learning how to unmask. Welcome to Late Diagnosed, the channel where I explore my recent diagnosis of ADHD and Autism and how I am navigating life on the spectrum.
When I realised it was just ADHD and I wasn't broken
Переглядів 5312 місяці тому
All my life I felt like a failure, like I didn't fit in. Finally, all it took was watching a video at work and I realised why I felt like I had never fit in all this time. Follow my journey of how I realised that what I thought was a character flaw was actually only ADHD and Autism. My brain was just working on a different operating system. I wasn't actually broken after all.
The REALITY of Neurodivergence in the workplace. Fitting In Isn't Easy.
Переглядів 982 місяці тому
Have you experienced burnout at work? Has your workload become overwhelming? This is my story of being late diagnosed with ADHD and Autism and how I am navigating life on the spectrum. Follow along to see how I am working it out. Today I discuss how fitting in isn't easy and the cost to masking vs unmasking at work.
Autism. Just what was I like as a child? Questions and Answers.
Переглядів 2082 місяці тому
Today I will ask some questions about my early years and give you a little insight into this woman who is working out how to unmask. Welcome to Late Diagnosed where I explore what life is like for a woman who was diagnosed with ADHD and Autism at age 54. Let's explore together how I'm finding life on the spectrum. If you can relate to my content, feel free to hit the subscribe button. I'll be u...
I'm not a failure. I'm learning how to unmask.
Переглядів 1742 місяці тому
I'm not a failure. I'm learning how to unmask.
as someone who is just finding out at 31, your videos are very much helping me understand myself and what can be attributed to what. Thank you <3
@@MCBlaZiKeN you are so welcome and thank you for your comment. You've got this!
❤ this
Hi! To be honest this has really upset me!! Just today i was speaking with my friend about the trend of people being diagnosed with Autism in later life online. Lots of celebrities are doing this. I am a mum of 3 kids, with 2 on the Autistic spectrum. One of them being severe. If i was diagnosed now ,i would probably be labelled too, but i could cope just like you. As it was put to me one day ages back when my son was very young, by his therapist, that there is a bit of Autism in all of us, but its not till it impacts on us functioning in our everyday lives that its a problem. We have been so effected by Autism in our house, from our kids, to both me and my husband. Had to keep going though days i felt so broke. Only now are we seeing more light. I could not wish it on anyone. It is not something i take lightly or find easy even looking back on now. So when it is spoken about so frivilous i feel i have to say something. I don't mean to offend but i had to speak my mind when it affects me
I'm sorry that what I've spoken about here has upset you. I too, have seen the rise in more people being diagnosed later in life. I believe it's not so much of a trend as it is that understanding of neirodivergence is becoming more well known and as that awareness is growing, more people are realising that there might be answers to why they have personally struggled. I have heard many people (including therapists) also say "we're all a little bit on the spectrum" but I think that's just either a lack of education (we are all learning new things about autism daily) or perhaps a way to familiarise our experiences. Ie, we all experience similar things in life but when you're autistic, those experiences hit differently. I am certainly not offended by your comment. Your experience, like my own, is unique and with children on the spectrum, you have to deal with a lot more than I ever have. I appreciate your comment, and yours and other comments, help me to understand other people's experiences too.
My partner talks too much…..I get overwhelmed and feel like I’m getting firehosed. He has an appointment with a psychiatrist to be evaluated for adhd. He is 63 and if he does not have adhd I will be very surprised. He is easily distracted, forgetful, he procrastinates, over reacts, often doesn’t listen, often doesn’t follow through. He loses things, lacks time management, jumps to inaccurate conclusions. He can be very negative at times. His strengths are he is smart, creative, caring, artistic, funny and loving. We don’t sleep in the same room as he snores..I go to bed earlier than he does and when I am Ready to get in bed and read for 10 minutes before lights out, he often wants to sit on the bed and talk about Whatever is bothering him and he goes on and on and if I cut him off saying I am too tired to listen & can we talk in the morning He will get offended and pout like a child & say that I don’t care about his feelings! NOT TRUE But I am exhausted at the end of the day - I get up much earlier than he does - and I need my sleep. Getting bombarded with his problems & complaints at bedtime is awful. Do you have a suggestion for me as to how I can shift him wanting to talk at my bedtime to another time?
@@shelleycharlesworth5177 Hi Shelley, thank you for your comment. I would have a conversation with him outside these times and just explain that you love to hear his side of things and understand that late at night is when his brain is switched on and he wants to address it so ask if it can be addressed before a specific time (say 8pm for example). Reassure him that you being tired is not a reflection on his opinions or a rejection of it, but you are hoping to find a solution that works for you both because you value those chats with him.
@@LateDiagnosed very good thank you! I will try that!
For me, having an early diagnosis would have given me the support I needed. Today, I'm still struggling for a proper diagnosis. Unfortunately, here mental health is still underestimated, even by mental health professionals.
What country do you live in? I hope that with so many more people sharing and advocating about neurodivergence, that the medical community are becoming (or at least hearing about it more) more aware of how many people are struggling and need support.
@@LateDiagnosed I'm from South Europe, where physical healthcare is amazing, but mental healthcare is still a joke.
@@passaggioalivello I'm sorry to hear that they're not getting mental health care right yet.
I'm 59 and diagnosed (ADHD) just 3 months ago. The ONLY reason I would prefer to have been diagnosed earlier is that I would've understood my life earlier. But I totally understand where you are coming from. Thanks so much for this channel!
Yes most definitely! It's a quandary. I'm glad you've got your diagnosis and I'm glad you're here!
I'm struggling with noise (even music) and physical touch.
It's important to do what works for you. Have you got a safe space where you can decompress and get the quiet you need?
@@LateDiagnosed I don't really have a safe place.
@@passaggioalivelloI'm sorry you don't have a safe place. I hope you can find something that works even for short amounts of time for you. Perhaps a quiet corner in a library or in a quiet location out in nature for a walk or sitting still to gather your thoughts.
I share some of this. Walking past a branch of Lush, the soap seller, is always painful because of how powerful the combined scent is. I always choose unscented everything, given a choice.
The combination is overwhelming, I agree. I wo der if they're aware how many customers they potentially lose because of it.
What do you say after the word "hi"? Listened several times on various speeds and can't tell. 🙂 Neurospicy?
Neurospicies 😊
I’m 59 post menopausal woman diagnosed this yr started meds and hrt. Finally I feel peace and joy and the guilt and shame r starting to ease. Yes I have grief and anger but at least my golden yrs will b golden
Kathy! I love everything about this! Yes!!Your golden years will be absolutely golden! Thanks for being here. :)
THANKU for documenting your journey it helps others like myself recognise and get the help we were denied. I look back on my life and consider myself a walking miracle in what I have achieved. The more I understand about being neuro divergent the kinder I can b to myself and the more I’m able to extinguish and even laugh at the cruel inner critic that grew and blossomed in undiagnosed adhd.
I use a cup analogy to explain my cognitive deficit to others.
I hope it helps people understand you better 😊
@@LateDiagnosed for some it does.
I'm 48 years old now, and I was diagnosed back in January of this year...I strongly suspected for a long time that I might have it, because I had all the symptoms of inattentive ADHD, or people posting the memes on FB, and I'm like "....I'm in that picture, WTF??" One of the biggest irks for me, is whenever my husband (or anyone, really) is talking to me, I'm looking right at them, I'm nodding my head and looking like I'm following along...but I'm not. Instead, I'm thinking of 20-30 other things going on in my head, all the while the someone in the back of my brain is singing The Farmer In The Dell! XD I'm on medication for it now, and while it helps with some things, it doesn't seem to help with others, but...then again, I'm fairly new on these things, and maybe I'll need a change of dosage. What I *have* noticed, is that before the medication, I would look at my art space and how cluttered is - I knew I had to tidy it, put things into their proper homes, etc etc., but...just looking at the amount of work I would have to do, was completely over-whelming, and I would just tell myself "maybe tomorrow", but "tomorrow" never came. Since being on the medication though, I've got a little under half of the room tidied up, I've not only bought shelves, but assembled them myself! I still have a lot more to go on my art room, but since cleaning and tidying up as much as I have, it's been making me want to go up there and actually DO art! Which is a good thing because before, my art desk was just cluttered with stuff, and I just couldn't do anything on there unless I moved things temporarily to one place...which didn't help with the situation.
I laughed at your comment '20-30 other things all the while brain singing the farmer in the dell'. I relate so much! I have found the same with medication - being able to get some things done that have been laying dormant since forever. It's a great feeling to finally be able to get some momentum happening. Thank you so much for your comment. I'm so glad you're here!
Your story really resonates with me too. I wasn't diagnosed until the perimenopause. I found I was overstimulated all the time, couldn't sleep, zero focus etc. And the big one was that I get bored SO easily, which is how I found myself moving house all the time. HRT helped a bit but from my own research, the struggles I had were life-long. I haven't tried ADHD meds because I'm worried my autistic struggles will get a chance to shine hahaha
Thank you for your lovely comment. I've moved heaps too! The longest I've lived anywhere as an adult is where I live now. I only went for adhd meds to cope better at work. I rarely take on days off work. Lovely to have you here, thank you for following along 😊
Thank you so much for sharing your story & synthesizing an overwhelming amount of research that my unmedicated, menopausal brain has resisted. You've given me hope. 🙏🏼🤯❤
I'm so glad I can help. Menopause has made my own symptoms much worse and I'm looking more into that now and will be posting future videos on that subject. Thank you for following along. 😊
Well explained. Thanks for sharing.
Glad it was helpful!
@@LateDiagnosed@LateDiagnosed Afterward, I thought that, while serendipitous, your discovery was through a work-related training video. This is mentioned, as work is so tricky for ASD folks. While unfamiliar with your employer on that action alone, it is an employer worth keeping if that makes sense to you. Again, thanks for sharing.
@@jatorresrv most definitely worth keeping. A lot of work has gone into getting a flexible work arrangement.
Good pointers to start with. Subscribed to your channel Have been diagnosed very late in life, a year back What meds are you on? And how do you deal with side effects? Some meds have adverse, long term impact unfortunately
@naamnei Thank you! I'm on concerta slow release and surprisingly to me, no side effects (probably one of the only meds in my life I haven't had side effects from). We can be very sensitive to all kinds of chemicals/additives. I'm also coeliac. My psychiatrist is monitoring the effects on my heart in particular. We have a baseline and will keep monitoring.
I am 62 years old. I have had these symptoms and many, many others my entire life. My childhood was hell and this has lead me to compensate for not thinking like others throughout life. I am going for an official diagnosis next week but for me this is simply for confirmation. two of my adult sons have been diagnosed.
I'm glad you will have answers. I hope this realisation, like my own, will lead you to being kinder to yourself. My therapist has always taught me to be as kind to myself as I have always been to my sons. You deserve the kindness. I'm so glad you're here. 🥰
Can you work fulltime?
Hi, yes I can but I choose not to. I work 2.5hrs shy of full time currently. I work condensed hours so I have a day off during the week. It works really well for me and gives me a break during the work week.
so good and helpful! thank you :)
I just assumed masking was something everyone did. I’m now realising that’s not the case. Thank you for sharing. I love your honesty (and the yellow brightness in your videos)!
I’m not diagnosed but I’ve been masking for 56 years sense kindergarten, and I’ve never felt included even though I have “friends “ in still feel like I don’t belong,my adult grandson is on the spectrum and he can’t mask he’s just him and that’s hard on everyone because he has anger issues and he doesn’t understand why he does,he’s verbal and physical abled he’s 21 but not 😢
Thank you for sharing your story. It sounds like your grandson has a wonderful advocate in you. I read somewhere that having to fit in to a neurotypical world is traumatic and you are both likely feeling that. I know I do.
I have always had to mask because, since early childhood, I was denied as a human being. Even today, despite the masking, I'm still considered as trash. I ran out of spoons.
I'm sorry your experience has been so painful. Hopefully now that the awareness of what masking is, is becoming more known, people will be kinder to those of us who have had no choice in masking. I'm glad you're here and thank you so much for being open.
I think an earlier diagnosis could have made my life easier. The neurotypical world is so cruel.
You made me laugh out loud when you started talking about clinicians being aware of masking during diagnosis. Loved your reaction ❤
Thanks Tracy. Keeping it real 😋
As a level 2 autistic, undiagnosed during childhood, I have never had friends or acquaintances, so no one has ever supported me, but, instead, people threatened me.
I'm so sorry that has been your experience. Your value is not in the people around you who don't understand you, you are unique and wonderful just as you are.
@@LateDiagnosed Thank you.
The more of us talking, the better. Huge support to you for speaking out. You got a new follower.
Thank you so much
I totally agree. We're keeping learning because the neurotypical world didn't allow us to be us. And the world still makes it harder anyway.
The good news is that we are great at learning!
Hi, glad to meet you. I'm level 2 autistic, undiagnosed during childhood, and I'm still struggling for my legal recognition. Challenges are harder for us.
Glad to meet you too! I'm sorry you're struggling. Yes they are harder in a neurotypical world but awareness is growing slowly and you are perfect just as you are!
@@LateDiagnosed Thank you.
Did a clinician diagnose you?
Hi, thanks for your comment. Yes, I was diagnosed last year. The report is very comprehensive.
@@LateDiagnosed by a psychiatrist?
Yes
1st question: Have you suspected that you might have autism or did another person like a psychiatrist suspect the possibility of you being on the spectrum? 2nd leading question: If you suspected it yourself, why, when, and how did you start looking into the possibility?
Hi there, actually I had no clue I had autism. I suspected I had adhd after watching someone at work share about their adhd diagnosis and finding I related to so much of what they said. After discussing with my psychologist, she did some preliminary testing and then my GP referred me to a specialist to be tested. When I had my testing done, I was surprised when they said they'd be testing for ASD also.
Glad to have found your channel. I've recently been diagnosed with ADHD at age 59. This explains so many experiences throughout my life. Trying to work out how to better manage life. Thanks for this!
Thanks Deb, I hope to help you and many like you & me navigate life after diagnosis.