I Lived My Life as an Addict Until I Was Diagnosed With Autism, Here Is My Story

To go upwards towards the beginning of a recovery of the person I was always supposed to be, first I must hit rock bottom

Image by Simple-aign from Pixabay

I can only tell you personally about my own experience and that is of being an undiagnosed autistic woman. My research has been predominantly about women because I am female, but also because studies show that eighty percent of autistic women aren’t diagnosed until later in life.

‘Having spent a long time assessing you, we have decided that you are autistic.’

I stare in shock at the screen. It is November 2020, and we are deep into a pandemic that will leave behind a plethora of untold damage. It is also the year I find out I’m autistic, relapse after gaining two years of sobriety, and leave a fiancé I am supposed to be marrying in a coronavirus postponed few months.

To go upwards towards the beginning of a recovery of the person I was always supposed to be, first I must hit rock bottom.

‘Are you okay?’ the psychologist on my laptop screen asks.

‘Yeah,’ I nod, voice breaking, ‘I’m just relieved.’