It’s a common experience for individuals with a New Autism Diagnosis to grapple with a feeling known as imposter syndrome. This sensation often manifests as questioning the validity of your diagnosis. You might find yourself wondering, “Am I really autistic?” or “Is my autism ‘autistic enough’?” These doubts can even extend to questioning the competence of the diagnostician, fearing they might have made an error. This can lead to a deep-seated fear of being exposed as a fraud, of not truly belonging to the autistic community. For many, imposter syndrome is amplified when comparing their autistic traits to others – it’s crucial to remember that autism is a spectrum, and each individual’s experience is unique. Furthermore, internalized ableism and societal stigma can fuel these feelings, making you question if autism truly explains your experiences or if you even deserve the diagnosis. The act of masking, a survival mechanism for many autistic individuals, especially those diagnosed later in life, further complicates these feelings of self-doubt.
Autistic masking is a significant factor contributing to imposter syndrome. Most autistic individuals, particularly those who receive a new autism diagnosis as adults, have developed masking strategies to navigate a neurotypical world. While everyone adjusts their behavior to different social contexts to some extent, autistic masking is far more profound and often detrimental. It involves consciously and unconsciously suppressing your authentic self, including your autistic traits, to ensure safety, conformity, acceptance, and inclusion. This constant act of masking takes a significant toll on an autistic person’s overall well-being – impacting their mental, emotional, and physical health. As you begin to understand your autistic identity following a new autism diagnosis, it’s vital to recognize the extent to which you have masked throughout your life. Understanding the impact of masking and what aspects of yourself you may have suppressed is crucial in making informed decisions about how you want to live authentically and embrace your unique neurodivergence.
If you are experiencing imposter syndrome after receiving a new autism diagnosis, please remember this vital truth: you are not alone. The doubts, worries, and the persistent fear of being “exposed” as “not really autistic” are shared by many in the autistic community. It’s important to internalize that you are “autistic enough” simply by being you. There is no need to “prove” your autism to anyone. You are welcome, valued, and valid exactly as you are.
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