How Mike Spent Five Lost Years Before Realising He’s Autistic

In this meeting of The Late Diagnosis Club, Dr Angela Kingdon welcomes Mike Matthews — a late-diagnosed Autistic dad, writer, music obsessive, and dry-witted survivor of misdiagnosis, medical gaslighting, and five years of unanswered burnout.

Together, Angela and Mike explore the messy middle between “something is wrong” and “oh — it’s autism,” the years lost to misunderstanding, the grief and relief of late self-discovery, and the unexpected joy of building a life that actually fits.

🪑 Attendees

Chair: Dr Angela Kingdon — Author, community-builder, and Autistic advocate

Guest: Mike Matthews — Autistic dad, writer, punk enthusiast & playlist archivist

You: The Listener!

🗒️ Meeting Agenda

• Opening remarks from the Chair
• Member introduction: Mike’s misdiagnosis journey
• Discussion: Burnout, sensory life, stigma & spirals
• Member spotlight: Autistic creativity, playlists & book writing
• Key learnings
• Club announcements

🧾 Minutes from the Meeting

1️⃣ Opening Remarks

Angela welcomes listeners into a story many late-diagnosed adults know too well: years of searching for answers, a system that keeps missing us, and the emotional cost of untreated Autistic burnout disguised as “depression.” Mike’s path began after becoming a parent — when suddenly the time he used for emotional regulation evaporated, and everything fell apart.

2️⃣ Member Introduction: Mike's story

From the very first doctor visit, Mike’s concerns were waved away, misread, or treated with trial-and-error medications that created new problems rather than solving the old ones.

3️⃣ Discussion Highlights

• Five years of misdiagnosis: burnout mistaken for depression, sensory issues overlooked, and a formal evaluation that labelled him with the wrong disorder.
• Medication mishaps: antidepressants causing side effects, withdrawal “brain zaps,” and treatments that obscured the real issue — autistic burnout.
• Grief and relief: mourning the lost years while embracing clarity, self-knowledge, and a gentler relationship with himself and others.

4️⃣ Key Learnings

• Autistic burnout is not depression — and treating it as such can prolong suffering.
• Misdiagnosis is common, especially when sensory experiences are ignored.
• Self-knowledge changes everything

📣 Club Announcements

🎧 The Late Diagnosis Club is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all major platforms.

💬 Join our online meetups and community at latediagnosis.club.

📌 Check the LDC Notice Board for Member Contributions

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🌈 Celebrate autistic voices with early access, ad-free listening, and our full archive at AutisticCulturePlus.com

🌐 Visit www.autisticculturepodcast.com

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🎙️ Executive Producers: Amy Burns, Anamaria B Call, Andrew Banner, Anna Goodson, Ashley Apelzin, Audrea Volker, Ben Coulson, Brian Churcek, Cappy Hamper, Carley Biblin, Charlene Deva, Chloe Cross, Clay Duhigg, Clayton Oliver, Danny Dunn, Daria Brown, David Garrido, Emily Burgess, Eric Crane, Erik Stenerud, Fiona Baker, Grace Norman, Helen Shaddock, Jaimie Collins, Jason Killian, Jen Unruh, Jennifer Carpenter, Julia Tretter, Kathie Watson-Gray, Kenneth Knowles, Kira Cotter, Kristine Lang, Kyle Raney, Llew P Williams, Laura Alvarado, Laura De Vito, Laura Provonsha, Lily George, Nelly Darmi, Nigel Rogers, Rachel Miller, Tim Scott, Tyler Kunz, Victoria Steed, Yanina Wood.

🎧 Producers: AJ Knight, Bobby Simon, Da Kovac, Eleanor Collins, Emily Griffiths, Hannah Hughes, Jennifer Kemp, Jonas Fløde, Kate F, Katie N Benitez, Kendra Murphy, Lisa Dennys, Logan Wall, Louise Lomas, Melissa Nance, Nicola Owen, Rebecka Johansson, Sam Morris, Sarah Hannah Morris.

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