GP “referral”

Hi, sorry if this has been posted elsewhere but based on reading on this website and the NHS as well as speaking to friends and family about me as a person, I think I have a form of ASD.

I went to my GP about this who referred me to my local mental health (IAPT) service to treat me for anxiety with my routine. I’ve been to a couple of sessions with these and explained I get anxious and panic when I can’t follow my routine or it gets moved around (if I can’t get to work/park in the same place)...to which the therapist said today that “having a routine so ridged doesn’t help your anxiety so we need to work on that”... honestly I’m at a bit of a loss as to what to do...do I go back to my GP?

Any thoughts welcome 

  • I was referred to IAPT too. 

    After a couple of sessions the lady (wellbeing practitioner) referred me to group therapy because we couldn’t understand each other at all (she kept suggesting what my feelings and thoughts were and I kept telling her that it wasn’t what I felt/thought). 

    After group therapy finished I asked facilitator what next and he referred me back to one to one sessions. 

    After few of those sessions it was suggested that I should try different talking therapy (counselling instead of CBT) and I was given list of local mental charities to contact. 

    So I started counselling and the lady suggested to go back to GP. I went and even through I asked to be assessed for ASD I was referred beck to IAPT. 

    I went there (for my first session) really angry and told them it wasn’t what I asked for. So they agreed that I shouldn’t been referred to them and they wrote a referral for ASD assessment (I guess through my GP) 

    And after then all I got to do was wait for 2 years without any further support.

    So yes, I would suggest going back to your GP.

  • Hi there if you are autistic then it is important that any therapy you have takes this into account. Have you taken the AQ/EQ autism tests that are available free online here?

    www.autismresearchcentre.com/arc_tests

    The results will give you a good indication as to whether you are likely to be autistic. If this is the case you can speak to your GP and explain that you believe the underlying cause of your anxiety is autism. Take the test results with you and make some notes about how autism affects your daily life to share with your GP. 

    To get an NHS assessment for autism you need to show that you experience significant difficulties. Here is an excerpt from the NICE guidelines explaining eligibility: 

    Identification and initial assessment of possible autism

    1.2.2 Consider assessment for possible autism when a person has:

    one or more of the following:

    persistent difficulties in social interaction

    persistent difficulties in social communication

    stereotypic (rigid and repetitive) behaviours, resistance to change or restricted interests, and

    one or more of the following:

    problems in obtaining or sustaining employment or education

    difficulties in initiating or sustaining social relationships

    previous or current contact with mental health or learning disability services

    a history of a neurodevelopmental condition (including learning disabilities and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) or mental disorder.

    I was referred to IAPT by my GP for CBT based treatment for anxiety last year. I put my treatment on hold while I was being assessed for autism. Now I am diagnosed I have started working with IAPT. I have to do an online package called silvercloud before I can get face to face sessions with a therapist. The online package is reasonably useful and when activities don't make sense because I am autistic at least I can point this out. 

    Good luck with everything!