How Lily’s Late Diagnosis Helps Her Support Others

In this meeting of The Late Diagnosis Club, Dr. Angela Kingdon welcomes Lily George, a 25-year-old Autistic mental health worker who was first misdiagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder before realising she is Autistic.

Lily shares what it’s like to work inside the psychiatric system as an Autistic person — supporting others while still learning to support herself. Together, Angela and Lily discuss late diagnosis, unmasking, accommodations, and what happens when you finally start to live as your authentic self.

🪑 Attendees

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

Guest: Lily George — Autistic mental health worker and late-diagnosed self-advocate

You: The Listener!

🗒️ Meeting Agenda

• Opening remarks from the Chair
• Member introduction: Lily’s path from misdiagnosis to clarity
• Discussion: Mental health, masking, and self-advocacy at work
• Key learnings from the meeting
• Club announcements

🧾 Minutes from the Meeting

1️⃣ Opening Remarks

Angela opens the meeting by acknowledging how often Autistic women and AFAB people are misdiagnosed before finding the right language for who they are.

“Sometimes it’s not that we missed the signs — it’s that the system wasn’t built to see us.”

2️⃣ Member Introduction: Lily’s Story

Lily was diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder in her teens and spent years believing she was “too emotional” or “too much.” When a therapist suggested she might be Autistic, everything shifted. She began exploring her neurotype, pursuing formal diagnosis for workplace accommodations, and finding self-acceptance through Autistic community.

3️⃣ Discussion Highlights

• From Misdiagnosis to Understanding: Why BPD and autism are often confused — especially for women and AFAB people.
• The Autistic Worker in a Psychiatric System: Supporting others while masking your own needs.
• Unmasking and Regression: Why things you used to force yourself to do may feel impossible once you stop masking.
• Self-Advocacy: Asking for adjustments and understanding in a clinical workplace.
• Autistic Joy: Pattern-matching, special interests, and rediscovering comfort in authenticity.

4️⃣ Key Learnings

• Misdiagnosis delays belonging, not identity.
• Self-identification can be just as valid as formal diagnosis.
• Autistic people make better systems when they’re allowed to be themselves.
• You don’t have to be fully “figured out” to start helping others.

🔗 Links

Follow Lily at her Life with Lily YouTube channel

📣 Club Announcements

• 🎧 The Late Diagnosis Club is available on all major podcast platforms.
• 💬 Join our online meetups and community at latediagnosis.club.
• 💜 There is a small charge — but no one is turned away for lack of funds.
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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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