I Reclaimed Life After an Autism Diagnosis at 31, Finally Finding a Name for My Struggles

Samriddhi Malhotra grew up feeling like life was more challenging for her than it was for others. At 31, she was diagnosed with autism, which shed light on the reasons behind her struggles, bringing awareness and peace. Here’s how she transformed her life.

By Krystelle Dsouza

October 18, 2023

In 2018, Samriddhi Malhotra from Gurugram was going through a rough patch in her personal life. Her seemingly perfect marriage was crumbling and she couldn’t recall the last time she felt truly happy.

While Samriddhi was uncertain about a lot of things at the time, there was one thing that was non-negotiable. She wanted to build a life her future self would thank her for. That same year, Samriddhi took a call to move to Goa.

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Within a week’s time, the 32-year-old was unrecognisable. Not only did her physical appearance undergo a transformation but her mindset did too.

“I started looking forward to waking up every day. I had never experienced this feeling before; of being able to readapt and redesign everything. I never wanted to let go of how I felt at that moment and so decided to continue living here,” she shares.

In fact, what the move to Goa also did was make Samriddhi more aware of her feelings. And it was around the same time she decided to seek help with a condition she’d been experiencing since childhood but had never been able to put a finger on.

As Samriddhi soon found out, she had autism. Here’s how she embraced the condition, marched on, and continues to take each day as it comes.

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(Edited by Pranita Bhat)

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