• Replies 13 replies
  • Subscribers 84 subscribers
  • Views 7203 views
  • Users 0 members are here
Options
Related
Hints and tips
  • To quote someone's message, first select/highlight the relevant text, and then use the Quote button that appears
  • To "mention" someone, type @ followed by the start of the forum name, and choose from the list; that person will get a notification of being mentioned

way to get help for suspected adult autism

NAS50325

(VERY LONG SORRY)

hi I'm about 80% sure I have autism /add for a while now through seeing by chance some videos here and there on social media sites and it was enlightening to see because for the past 15 or so years I've been walking around wondering what is "wrong" with me... after seeing these videos I digger a little deeper and found nearly if not all symptoms basically describe me and my struggles that come with autism. wondering why the world reacts to me in certain ways etc. I feel depressed, no self esteem anxiety which I feel have been bought on because i went so long without a diagnosis and becoming more and more alienated from the world I'm in a bit of a hole. something was picked up when I was a child (discalculia) but i feel now this was a misdiagnosed 

I have been to my gp and a referall was sent,the first time they got me in contact with mind, (the mental health chairty) but after a telephone assessment with them it seems they basically can't help with what I need

2nd attempt I had a referall sent to the maudsley hospital which came to nothing haven't heard anything back for months now...

is there any other paths I can't take to get help other than private? I'm thinking more and more about ending it all but as soon as j mention depression my gp thinks that's what the problem is and then I'm treated for depression rather than what is the root cause to my pr9blems,which is the autism itself. after enough saving I can afford private but then I'm so worried that they will tell me I don't have it I've heard people go for an assessment be told they don't the first time they then try again and be told that in fact they do have autism.  thanks for any help 

Parents

  • Sorry to hear that you’re struggling to get a diagnosis. I can completely relate to ‘wondering what is wrong with me’ as I spent most of my late teens and twenties wondering exactly that. Am I weird? Am I a really bad person? Trying to find reasons why I was so terrible at making and maintaining friendships. It’s good though that you’ve realised the reason for your difficulties. Discalculia is a difficulty with processing numbers and rather than bring misdiagnosed it may very well exist alongside autism but for some reason when you were a child they picked up on the discalculia but not the autism.

    I really don’t understand why the GP referred you to MIND for an Autism diagnosis as it’s not their scope of practice. Personally my GP referred me first to the local mental health team who did a secondary more in depth assessment than the GP then I was referred on to the Maudsley hospital for the ADOS and Psychiatric examination (basically assessment and diagnosis). One thing I do know and I was told this my the MH team is that you need to get your GP to chase the Maudsley if you haven’t heard back from them. I had to get the GP to chase them and I eventually got an assessment appointment after 6 months. I think the delay is partly because they have to apply to your local PCT for funding for your assessment. So maybe make another GP appointment and ask them to chase up the Maudsley regarding your referral. 

    Ending it all is not the solution, please don’t do that. I know it may feel as though there’s no hope and you’re never going to get your assessment/diagnosis but I really believe that you will get there, it just takes time and unfortunately all these assessment centres have a high case load so it can take a while for them to get back to you. It is of course quite possible for depression to coexist with autism and if this whole process is making you feel really down then maybe being treated for depression while you are waiting for your assessment to be arranged would make things a bit easier for you, everything is so much harder when we’re depressed. 

    Hope everything works out for you

  • in reply to Kitsune

    ok thankyou I will try again because my gp did refer me to a local mental health team who also asked more in depth questions then that's who referred me to mind but I think when I mentioned the depression they seemed to ignore everything else I was explaining (suspected autism or ADD) because when mind called.me they they seem under the impression I was only asking for help with depression and anxiety so not much more came of it.

    I can keep the depression at bay somewhat because of all the CBT I had before and general therapies while working out what the problem was. just seems like if I mention how down it's making me I might be heard more but then if I don't mention it then I might not be taken seriously enough? I've tried psychology uk who have an nhs funding form on their website and they then write a letter to.my gp asking for a referall based on what I write to see how likely I "qualify" . thanks for the reply 

  • in reply to NAS50325

    I’m just wondering has the Maudsley actually specifically written back to you or your GP and said that they won’t assess you? If not then what I suspect has happened is that following your assessment by the local MH team you have been referred to two different places, MIND for depression and The Maudsley for ASD assessment. As MIND specialises in MH treatment and support they would not have been informed of the ASD/ADHD side of things so would have been oblivious to the other referral and just focused on the MH stuff. I think the Maudsley is just being slow to reply.

    Its really good that you are able to keep your depression at bay to an extent using CBT etc. Please though if it does get too much do go to your GP for help, they should be able to take a holistic approach and treat depression while also supporting you to get an ASD diagnosis.

Reply
  • in reply to NAS50325

    I’m just wondering has the Maudsley actually specifically written back to you or your GP and said that they won’t assess you? If not then what I suspect has happened is that following your assessment by the local MH team you have been referred to two different places, MIND for depression and The Maudsley for ASD assessment. As MIND specialises in MH treatment and support they would not have been informed of the ASD/ADHD side of things so would have been oblivious to the other referral and just focused on the MH stuff. I think the Maudsley is just being slow to reply.

    Its really good that you are able to keep your depression at bay to an extent using CBT etc. Please though if it does get too much do go to your GP for help, they should be able to take a holistic approach and treat depression while also supporting you to get an ASD diagnosis.

Children
No Data