I was 14 when I was diagnosed. It helped me put a reason to why I was different, and actually just being told this meant I could accept this, so I could just be different- and other people would just have to accept me.
If only it would turn out to be that easy- but in my ownself, it was a good thing. (it was during a time seeing several MH professionals for depression, and they came to the diagnosis individually, before all meeting, and discussing it)
I got diagnosed last August. I was 24 (still am). I guess to some extent I've entered a grieving phase and still haven't gotten myself out of it. My main gripes are how others interact with me. I've ended up being punished for my diverse behaviour, probably both explicitly and implicitly.
It seems like coincidence, but I've also started seeing less of my few friends now. And friendships seem to follow similar patterns, with interaction fading away until contacts are cut, or in some exceptional cases, I discover I was used for support (or for my non-social skills perhaps) because I seem to be the last person to value loyalty when everything else falls apart (at least in the small community I seem to inhabit).
I must admit it's hard. It doesn't help that I've just started final year of my studies. I am angry at many things and at nothing in particular, yet I feel my life resulted in me being bullied into silence. I have a nagging suspicion an outside reader might not make much sense at what I've just said (I know I'm currently not), but this is how I feel.
Vernon Smith was very accurate.. I can only handle 2 -3 hours in social groups.. it drains me, unless I have a place to go an sit and regenerate enough energy to make the performance go on until I go home. It is so draining.
Me, too! I've always said that for every hour I spend around people, I need an hour away from them to recover. I just wrote this big, long post about 'Am I Aspie or not?' Suddenly, my feelings are starting to make sense, even though I don't have a dx!
i can't rlly remeber my reaction to being diagnosed but i can remeber when i was out of school (2 years in total) that i had days were i loved having aspergers and days were i hated myself for having it now i love having it and wouldn't have it any other way.