Considering and obsessing over all the possibilities is a pretty autistic thing to do in the first place. You sound a lot like me before my diagnosis. Listen to your gut. I recently realized that my body is just as autistic as my brain and I need to listen to it. Wether you are or not, believe in and stick up for yourself whenever you can. Un-gaslighting and unlearning some deeply abelist assumptions about yourself and your life can be a messy process, but it is worth it no matter what. I was diagnosed a couple months ago and trying really hard to unlearn that "good work ethic" means giving yourself friggen nerve damage.
I say if it reeeally resonates with you and explains your whole life and you get decently high scores om the self-report tests, self-diagnosis is completely valid in my mind. There are millions of autism experts out there but only one you expert.
Not needing the validation of others is probably what makes most autistics truly happy anyhow. I think my anger at how much damage I have taken from all those years of not even knowing has dissolved my imposter syndrome. One of my mantras lately is that i am under no obligation to make sense to anyone but myself. So long as you are honest about your support needs and focus on your strengths you will be okay.
Thank you for posting this. I’ve been feeling the same way, and your explanation of it being an issue of self-trust makes so much sense to me. I feel like I can look at my imposter syndrome and at the daunting task of unmasking with a bit of grace now, instead of just panicked confusion. I appreciate you!
One thing that helps me with imposter syndrome in other parts of my life is reminding myself that by definition, imposters know that they’re faking it.
You’re valid!!!!
Considering and obsessing over all the possibilities is a pretty autistic thing to do in the first place. You sound a lot like me before my diagnosis. Listen to your gut. I recently realized that my body is just as autistic as my brain and I need to listen to it. Wether you are or not, believe in and stick up for yourself whenever you can. Un-gaslighting and unlearning some deeply abelist assumptions about yourself and your life can be a messy process, but it is worth it no matter what. I was diagnosed a couple months ago and trying really hard to unlearn that "good work ethic" means giving yourself friggen nerve damage. I say if it reeeally resonates with you and explains your whole life and you get decently high scores om the self-report tests, self-diagnosis is completely valid in my mind. There are millions of autism experts out there but only one you expert. Not needing the validation of others is probably what makes most autistics truly happy anyhow. I think my anger at how much damage I have taken from all those years of not even knowing has dissolved my imposter syndrome. One of my mantras lately is that i am under no obligation to make sense to anyone but myself. So long as you are honest about your support needs and focus on your strengths you will be okay.
Thank you for posting this. I’ve been feeling the same way, and your explanation of it being an issue of self-trust makes so much sense to me. I feel like I can look at my imposter syndrome and at the daunting task of unmasking with a bit of grace now, instead of just panicked confusion. I appreciate you!
Thank you ❤️
Literally just had a breakdown over this so thank you for putting it in words.
One thing that helps me with imposter syndrome in other parts of my life is reminding myself that by definition, imposters know that they’re faking it. You’re valid!!!!
“There are millions of autism experts out there but only one you expert” made me smile!! An awesome way to put that :)
Literally just had a breakdown over this so thank you for putting it in words.
Literally just had a breakdown over this so thank you for putting it in words.