Adult diagnosis with mental health problems Lincolnshire?

Here's the contact info for anyone wanting to get involved with Autism Lincs, which is a partnership between individuals, support groups and services like the NHS....

Autism.Partnership@lincolnshire.gov.uk

I'm involved with this and troublemake campaign to get the services in place that we're entitled to by law.

Drop them an email and they'll send you details of how you can get involved...by whatever means you're comfortable with (emailing your thoughts etc.) There's a Lived Experience group that meetings one evening a month and feeds into the Autism Strategy. This is a good place to meet other people and share stories about what services are working and what's not. I go to the A Team working group meetings (A for Autism!) that ensure everything that happens in gov't services has input from people on the spectrum and parent/carers. There are also technical groups on autism training delivery etc. that I'm involved with. And there are also consultations, where telling of your bad experiences will help them state a case and get things changed for the better.

(Sorry, no details yet on the current referral pathway.)

...yeah, it was relaunched earlier this year to make it more influential, but the website hasn't been finalised yet.

The more people on the spectrum we have campaigning for better mental health services, the more chance we have of being heard. And green dinosaurs are more than welcome to come to meetings!

Thanks for your reply Cinnamon,

I haven't heard of a local Autism Partnership Board and not having much look googling for it; so if you do have/find web address or email for them then that would be appreciated :)

regards,

soldersplash

Yay, another yellerbelly!

Sorry to hear how things are for you soldersplash. I hope they improve soon.

They are currently trying to improve mental health services for adults with ASD, but unfortunately it's starting from a low base. There's a local Autism Partnership Board that you can get involved with and help improve local services. (I'll check what the generic email address is to get involved with that.)

Don't want this to sound like a mindless platitude, but things will improve...

I am kinda pleased to see some more yellow bellies here!

After nearly a year of asking and chasing I eventually got put to the Complex Case Team as you mentioned. Got my Asperger/HFA diagnosis in Jan this year. Not sure where to turn next for help though? I'm suffering another major depressive episode and my GP has referred me to the local community mental health team. I'm waiting to hear from them. Previous experience of local community mental health service has been somewhat underwhelming i.e. perhaps get seen by someone 2 or 3 times during which time depression score decreases and I get discharged with no long term plan or help.

Dear Bee,

Lincolnshire does now have an adult referral pathway in place. I'm not sure about the time frame, but it's through the Complex Case Team at SW Lincs Clinical Commissioning Group, regardless of which CCG you are with, assuming you're not North Lincs, which is a completely different Trust!) Make sure they know in advance the differential diagnoses you want excluding, before you meet the clinician, to ensure they have the relevant experience.

I now have a diagnosis of mild Asperger's, got my bipolar diagnosis removed and now only take anti-ds.

Fortunately things are moving forwards here.

I hope you get the results you want.

I'm seeing a newly appointed consultant psychiatrist. (This will be very painful as she's my 'peer' and I'm just the mental patient). I would like to straight out refuse to try any more antipsychotic medication (BTW I've never been psychotic....it's simply what they prescribe to people who are agitated aka disagree with the psychiatrist) and would rather just take an antidepressant I've taken for years in the past.

If you argue  a lot, get frustrated etc but don't think that you have BI POLAR, have you read up on PDA autism? 

Hi

Just wondered if you managed to get a referral/diagnosis at all? 

I went for my second appointment yesterday with my psychiatrist who told me that he will refer me to a specialist to see if I have autism. He told me that I could be waiting ages and that he will put me on medication until my appointment. I'm not too sure about this if I am honest. I don't even take an asprin unless I'm in that much pain that I cannot function and am very dubious about taking medication before a diagnosis has been made. I've tried lots of anti depressants over the years which have had severe side affects and I've tried CBT which had severe consequences to my health too. I have an awful lot of asperger traits but I also fit the 'PDA' criteria as well. I'm unable to hold a job down because I don't like people, mainly communicate via wriiten format etc etc etc. It's frustrating that everything takes so long but after reading your comments, I'm wondering if I will get a referal at all with being from Lincolnshire. How did you et on?

*Sigh*

Got a reply from the social services boss:

 [i]"I have taken your query further as it seems that you have tried without success in gaining further information.  As my colleague made you aware, social care do not assess for Adult ASD and in normal circumstances your GP would make a referral.   As your GP is having difficulties finding out how to access services for you it may be worth contacting The National Autistic Society as they may be able to point you in the right direction to access services.  The web link is as follows..."[/i]

Well I tried calling the NAS helpline this morning for clarification but it was busy and I got timed out. Not sure whether the social services guy is being deliberately thick, but I very clearly stated that I understood he had responsibility for designating someone to be in charge of referral pathways....not that they diagnose. To whom is my GP supposed to refer me? He presumably used his googling skills and saw that the website has a list of designated people....and there's no-one for our local authority (south/central Lincs). He then prattled on about support groups.

So please clarify for this newbie here, social services IS legally obliged to designate someone with responsibility for ensuring adults in the area can access ASD diagnosis services?

S Sorry I'm so impatient. Got a psychiatrist's appointment at end of the week and really want to know where I stand before then.

Thanks Scorpion, that's what I wanted clarifying.

If only these psychiatrists could see me at a gym class or chatting, then they'd know they are on the wrong track.

I'll go to my next appointment ready to argue my case.

In a nutshell:

Cinnamon said:

Can a 'bog standard' NHS psychologist make a diagnosis of ASD?

No.

Cinnamon said:

Or does it require specialist training?

Yes.

Cinnamon said:

Ditto an NHS psychiatrist....can they make a diagnosis of ASD?

No.

Particularly when it comes to high-functioning autism in adults.

There are countless examples of people being misdiagnosed by psychiatrists and even psychologists that don't have the training to spot the often subtle signs of high-functioning autism in adults (some even fail the not so subtle signs of not so high-functioning autism).

In my opinion, if Asperger's or High-Functioning Autism if even slightly suspected as a possibility, especially with an adult, then the diagnosis processes should start with them being seen by a Psychologist with specialist training, only then, if they rule out Asperger's/HFA should the person be referred to a Psychiatrist.

Unfortunately the standard diagnostic pathway is completely the other way round, and we get sent to Psychiatrists that aren't trained to see Asperger's/HFA first.

Thanks autismtwo.

Can a 'bog standard' NHS psychologist make a diagnosis of ASD? Or does it require specialist training?

Ditto an NHS psychiatrist....can they make a diagnosis of ASD?

I'm asking because I want to make the point to the psychiatrist that she's not trained to diagnose ASD and therefore should not assume I'm high or mixed state bipolar because I talk too quickly, argue, am irritable and pedantic. The previous psychiatrist did come to that conclusion...not knowing that I also sleep 10-12 hours a day and so not believing I was depressed.

"I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder a long time ago"

The university of Israel has done research on Bi-polar and says it is a body balance disorder, not a mental disorder. There research said that the cognitive part of the brain is keeping the body balanced, but when the environment is too stimulative, the person with bi-polar has a problem with orientation so uses an abstract cognitive mind to keep level, however they can not sustain these, so the brain/mind gets overworked(O.C.D) by the environmental stimulas until it peaks and then collaspes, hence bi-polar up and down, they measured eye movements and found them to be faster, which is also a sign of high stress and adrenalin. They noted that balance coordination and autism were linked also, including the OCD, stress and anxiety, long-term anxiety produces depression. There conclusion, some people with BI-POLAR may be on the autistic spectrum.

"I would like to straight out refuse to try any more antipsychotic medication (BTW I've never been psychotic....it's simply what they prescribe to people who are agitated aka disagree with the psychiatrist) and would rather just take an antidepressant I've taken for years in the past".

Medication does not help autism long-term, I found this after 4 yours of pill taking for depression, OCD and anxiety. I withdrew from the medication, my psychiatrist was supportive of this. If you are not responding to the drugs nor the CBT, as was in my case, the residual diagnosis could be Aspergers Autism.

I think a clear main difference between BI-polar and Aspergers is the social scene, someone with Aspergers can function within a functional role at work, but social gatherings find it really difficult, where as in the right mood a person with BI-polar has no problem with groups and gatherings, in fact maybe the life and soul of the party. Someone with Bi-polar tends to be obsessional with high energy, then a drop off, can't leave the house as the body adrenaline brings them down, like a high to low cycle. Someone with autism is more balanced in there persona and behaviour be that nervous, afraid or excited but never over the top manic, one day and down the next like a trait of bi-polar. I have a friend who is bi-polar, likes stimulas, where as I do not. I have sister-in-law who has bi-polar likes stimulas and is up or down depending on the fix cycle. So, you others can easily tell someone who is bi-polar. You ask the question, what are they going to be like today. Where as with autism, change is the enemy.

"I don't think that talking about my childhood will help. Particularly not as ASD traits are clearly behind a lot of my problems."

Correct, however social development training is needed with Autism.

"Where do I turn now? My local authority haven't implemented the statutory guidance on autism. My mental health trust have told me they are not commissioned to provide ASD services. The primary? health trust won't fund me to be referred out."

Join the club, same story across the land, caught between red tape and bullshit system. Remember a diagnosis can be an initial assessment by a psychologist and backed up by your psychriatist via the NHS.

Some sort of mood disorder, though maybe not bipolar) and perhaps one linked to a university or city as my background is academic and cosmopolitan (my local mental trust staff can't understand people like me). Arghhhh

I sense your frustration, people with Aspergers hide there autism well due to high IQ but have low emotional resilience.

Personally, I would say write a letter to the doctors involved with you and let them give you an opinion, refusing the drugs may help. If you condition get worse.., you find yourself spiking up and down, it is bi-polar, if you find yourself clear headed but with anxiety and social difficulties it is probably Aspergers.

Hope you find get this resolved, by the way to accept a diagnosis you are not 100% happy with aka BI-POLAR has to be considered for a review by your doctor, if still not satisfied get the BI-POLAR diagnosis on paper and seek a private doctors view with a case to seek damages.