I just diagnosed with level 2 autism and adhd but my iq test shattered me, please help
I just got my results back after days of testing from the psychologist and she diagnosed me with level 2 autism and adhd with generalized anxiety disorder and major depressive disorder. I am struggling to understand how level 2 autism could have been missed all my life- I'm 31 years old. I am heartbroken that I didn't receive proper help growing up despite my mother trying very hard, taking me to professionals all my life to try to get answers as to what was happening with me. It was very overwhelming and has been quite a lot to digest.
She was going over all my test results in great detail with me and she eventually reached the iq test, which I didn't want to take in the first place and was extremely upset when I found out I was taking it. All my life I've been told by teachers, peers, family, associates etc that my intelligence level was well above average and as silly as it sounds it's something that means so much to me and is a core part of my identity and sense of self. She told me my intelligence was average except I think one section that I scored higher in and it completely shattered me and I have not stopped crying since she told me. I have always struggled with self-esteem and had low confidence all my life but my intelligence is something I've always felt secure about and has been the one thing l've taken great pride it. I feel like she just destroyed the last piece of my identity I had left after finding out so much about myself today and I don't know where to go from here.
How can everyone that's known me all my life have been so sure I was highly intelligent, teachers and counselors, and then the iq test shows I'm average intelligence? I feel heartbroken, can anyone explain this to me?