hi, i’m alex, i’m 14 and i’m pretty sure i’m autistic. like, it would explain literally all of my life and my struggles. (i also struggle intensely with my mental health so that’s fun.) recently i’ve started the conversation with my parents about getting a diagnosis but since we’re planning on taking the nhs route it could take a while lol. in the meantime, after accepting to myself that i’m (probably) autistic, does anyone have any tips for unmasking and accommodating myself more? i’m right in the middle of exams atm (i’m in y10 but doing two gcses this year) which is very very stressful and i don’t think i can cope with the high demands of masking (which i do, a lot) on top of that.
for context, i struggle with sensory issues (the canteen at school is my idea of hell lol), i have no social skills apart from a carefully constructed mask but that means i only have surface-level friendships, i suppress my meltdowns at school and only have them when i’m alone in the bathrooms or something, and a bunch of other things along those lines.
thanks for reading and have a good day :)
You literally just explained my life lmao... anyway my advice would be
Find friends you can trust, or have deeper conversations with the friends you have. I know it sounds like a lot, and it is. I'm in a spot where I only have like 2 close friends and that's really ok with me, so even just one or two is the best I think. Also finding people with similar problems to you helps I think in being more open. Literally all the people I hang out around are neurodivergent to the extreme...
Find someone you can talk to about things as you're just going through life - whether it be a parent, a teacher, school counsellor, or therapist. Just having someone older who has wisdom about these things is really helpful.
This one is probably most important: Make a list of symptoms you notice that correspond with anything you think you might have. It really helps with the diagnostic process and helps you unmask and helps with self awareness (which is the first step in unmasking).
Do some reading about anything you think you might have, this also helps in identifying your symptoms. Also would recommend taking some online tests.
Have "safe spaces" where you can try to unmask/stim or do whatever you need to do
Talk to an adult about school accommodations for when you get a diagnosis - these have been a lifesaver for me and are the only reason I haven't failed yet (I'm in highschool), I can give suggestions about that if you want.
Lastly, take care of your body. Make sure you're eating enough good food and drinking enough water, find a good sleep schedule and find a good active hobby (for good days) like taking a walk or working out or biking or something, and find a couple good passive hobbies (for harder days) like painting/sketching, reading, writing, something creative, idk just something you like doing that's restful.
Sorry it's so long, but I hope this helped :)