Springwatch host Chris Packham, 62, admits he ‘loathed himself and felt broken’ before he was diagnosed with autism aged 44
Chris Packham has admitted he ‘hated himself’ and ‘felt broken’ before he was finally diagnosed with autism at the age of 44.
The Springwatch presenter, 62, appeared on Good Morning Britain on Tuesday with presenters Richard Madeley and Charlotte Hawkins, to raise awareness for World Auism Acceptance Week.
Chris, who struggled in his teens to understand why he was different, became aware of his diagnosis while in a relationship with a health care provider.
He said: ‘I grew up in the 1960s and 1970s when the condition was not widely known, especially among my parents and teachers. So by the time I was in my early teens, and certainly early twenties, my mental health issues were quite significant.
‘I hated myself, I thought I was broken. Obviously I was in a smaller cohort than most other people, so I blamed myself for everything that went wrong.
Chris Packham, 62, has admitted he ‘loathed himself’ and ‘felt broken’ before finally being diagnosed with autism at the age of 44
The Springwatch presenter appeared on Good Morning Britain on Tuesday to raise awareness for World Auism Acceptance Week
‘Young people cannot be in that position. If they want to work through education and find a fulfilling life, we need to give them a solid foundation of trust and support, and diagnosis needs to be a gateway to that kind of thing. of support.
‘So it’s not just about getting the diagnosis, but about what results from it.’
When you have autism, a person’s brain works differently than normal. It is not a disease and people have the disease from the moment they are born, although the disease may not be noticed until childhood and sometimes much later.
Autism exists on a spectrum. Some people will be able to live a fully functioning life without additional help. Others may need full-time help.
Classic signs of autism include communication problems, finding certain stimuli or overwhelming situations, and repetitive behavior.
He added: ‘I now know some of the people I knew when I was diagnosed, and they say it has changed me quite a bit. I feel much more confident to talk about my needs, my inabilities and the things I can do. better.
“I will put myself forward if the condition allows me to do something.
“And I’ll be much more upfront and honest about the disabling aspects of it, from my point of view.
Chris, who struggled in his teens to understand why he was different, became aware of his diagnosis when he was in a relationship with a healthcare provider
Speaking to presenters Richard Madeley and Charlotte Hawkins, he said: ‘I loathed myself, I thought I was broken. Obviously I was in a smaller cohort than most other people, so I blamed myself for everything that went wrong.”
Discussing how the long wait times will impact young children, he continued: “I was diagnosed when I was 44 years old. “So I was a functional adult at that stage, I had come to terms with some of the circumstances that I had learned to control myself.”
He added: ‘For young people at the most vulnerable and formative parts of their lives, the difference between a diagnosis at age nine and a diagnosis at 12, 13, 14 is significant.’
‘So there are certain things that are so challenging that I prefer not to confront them.
‘And if that’s in a professional context, I would say, ‘you know what, I’d rather not do that because it’s not good for me, it’s not good for you, it’s not going to be good.’ for us”.
‘This week is World Autism Acceptance Week, and what we’re trying to do is say that we wanted to develop a society where all autistic people can thrive. And that will only happen if society understands what autism means. And that’s why we have these kinds of conversations.”
The number of people waiting for a diagnosis on the NHS currently stands at over 172,000.
Discussing how the long wait times will impact young children, he continued: “I was diagnosed when I was 44 years old.
‘So I was a functional adult at that stage, I had come to terms with some of the circumstances I had learned to control myself, I was working, not everything was bad.
‘For young people in the most vulnerable and formative parts of their lives, the difference between a diagnosis at the age of nine and a diagnosis at the age of twelve, thirteen or fourteen is significant, because they will not receive a full education in that interim period. will not get the social support they need.”