How do I tell my friends I'm autistic?

Bug here! Its been (roughly 7-8) months since I realized I might be autistic, now I'm confident in it, after doing a lot more research & confiding in my mother who's thankfully been very supportive, but I haven't brought it up with any of my friends yet. I only have two or three people I'm close with, and I feel like I'm lying by not telling them. And guilt aside I do really want to tell them I'm just kinda terrified of a negative reaction or rejection. Does anyone have any advice?

Your answer

Cloudlight

2y ago

I would bring it up by letting your friends know that it's something you've been looking into and explain why you think it might be the case. Often, when people we are close to don't react well to different forms of "coming out", its because they have a specific conception of who you are, and while you've been developing new and changing perceptions of yourself, they haven't been involved in the process so they might feel caught off-guard by something that appears very sudden and different to what they think they know. Introducing the idea with detailed explanation of how it applies to you individually can help them understand it better.

gatoraid

2y ago

Thank you for explaining it like this, I appreciate it! I think this'll help me plan out what to say :)

Seath

2y ago

That's a really great emotional response and one I didn't think of, but it makes a ton of sense, solid advice I need to keep in mind even tho I'm not op

Seath

2y ago

I'd say if you're afab and want an official diagnosis then find a good psychiatrist that has lots of experience w autism specifically w women bc I got labelled borderline and I know that isn't what I have.

gatoraid

2y ago

This is a trouble I'm having, I live in the South so it's all strange, the place I have an appointment for the waits quite long and my mother's nervous of how a state-run "in and out" type of facility will handle it. I've been misdiagnosed with a few things in the process since I was young, it's such a sucky system

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