My Story of Undiagnosed ASD

I don't know why I feel the need to talk about things like this on here, but maybe it will help someone struggling by them feeling less alone...

So at 16 I left school, got 12-13 GCSES B-C ish. Fairly average grades. I started college and had a lot of diffuculty with fitting in and I couldn't concentrate on my A-Levels and I was constantly anxious every day, especially with the bus journey being packed to capacity and an hour long. I quit because I couldn't take it any more.

I got a job, and I kept it for about a year and a half, and I studied Music Tech at a closer college and my god I struggled so bad trying to juggle my job and a full time course, but I got through the year. I didn't pass, but I stayed until the end. The class wasn't so bad but I still had issues concentrating on the work.

I quit my job and studied Public Services at the same college, and didn't even make it to October as I fell out with the entire class. I started drinking because I felt like no matter what I did, I always fell out with people and I'd never be able to keep proper friendships because people are cruel and sly.

I started a hairdressing apprenticeship, and it was OK. My boss was good to me, but my colleagues were really not and no matter how hard I worked I was lazy and it was never enough and my pay was effing dreadful. I was getting drunk and doing all nighters and I really felt like **** so I went to the doctors and they started me on anti depressants and I was also doing counselling which did NOTHING for me! I tried about 5 different anti-depressants until I got referred to a psychiatrist, and then I had to wait months for an appointment.

I couldn't stand being at my job any more, so I just stopped going in. No notice period, no phone calls. I literally cut off all communication with my boss and just didn't go in. I had my psychiatrist appointment and he ruled out that I might have ASD and ADHD, so I got referred to the right people, taken off anti depressants and started on Quetiapine for the anxiety. In the meantime, I applied to do hairdressing at the college as a full time course and they did not give me a course offer because I'm so terrible socially. I tried to appeal their decision several times but they had made their mind up and I was heart broken. Since then I've been diagnosed with ASD (still waiting for my ADHD diagnosis). I applied to do art and design and I had an interview and they liked my art and now I'm going to be doing art and design starting on Friday! Things are finally starting to look up for me after years of crap. I hope this goes well.