Highly Functioning, Deeply Struggling: How I Learned I Was Autistic (Part 2)

Keywords Autism, diagnosis, late-diagnosed, burnout, sexual assault, disability, dissociation, gaslighting, interoception, anxiety, eurodivergent nervous systems, skill regression, identity loss, motherhood, neuro-affirming care, misogyny Masking and unmasking, relationships, communication The Long Game coaching Trigger Warning This episode contains non-graphic discussion of sexual assault, depression, medical distress, mental health crisis, and burnout. Please take care while listening. Pause, skip sections, or come back another time if needed. Summary In Part 2 of this two-part series, Bec continues her story from the point of leaving child protection and moves through adulthood — trauma, survival, diagnosis, and rebuilding life with language. This episode explores what happens after coping stops working, and what it looks like to begin again with a different nervous system map. Bec reflects on: Leaving child protection after severe burnout Workplace sexual assault and the heightened vulnerability of disabled women Dissociation as survival, not avoidance Periods of recovery through disruption, solitude, and embodiment Why lockdown unexpectedly supported her nervous system Motherhood as the final removal of masking The TikTok moment that cracked everything open Autism assessment, medical dismissal, and heart palpitations Interoception and why neurodivergent bodies are often misunderstood Skill regression, fear, and identity collapse after diagnosis Reframing intelligence, capacity, and worth Why diagnosis didn’t change who she was — but changed how she could advocate How all of this led to the creation of The Long Game This episode is not diagnostic advice. It’s a story about learning to live inside your body rather than constantly managing it — and about building a life that works with your nervous system instead of against it. If Part 1 was about surviving without language, Part 2 is about what becomes possible once language finally arrives. If you want to continue the conversation, bring it across to instagram @beccameroncoach_au or comment below.