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Adult Diagnosis based off psychological report from childhood

NAS62373

Hi All, 

My name is Sarah, I’m 22 and Im here looking for some advice as to whether it’s worth getting a spectrum diagnosis as an Adult. Ill give you a bit of my back story.. As far back as I can remember I’ve never felt normal or like I could fit in. I really struggled with friends my whole life, especially as a child - I didn’t really know how to make friends or be around people my own age. I had epilepsy as a child so this masked a lot of my problems as it was always the focus when I was younger. As a result I saw many a child Psychologist back then, I was assessed back then and my parents were recommended to seek out a diagnosis for Aspergers. I didn’t actually know this till later in my life and once I looked into it I felt like my life and the struggles I have had finally make sense. All of a sudden I thought maybe my characteristics mightn’t be of a failing Neurotypical but of a succeeding Aspie. I’m happy in life right now, I still struggle with friends and anxiety, however, I’m lucky to have found a great boyfriend to whom I am engaged. This however has opened my eyes further as I’ve noticed that I am “me” around him but not “me” around any of my friends or even my parents. It’s left me feeling a little lonely as I don’t connect with anyone else on that level. It’s like my walls go up and I begin acting. I think I’ve been acting my whole life, I’ve definitely got better at acting the way I should and I can even make friends now but it’s so superficial as I’m not being me, I adapt to the situation at hand and change my personality accordingly. I think this is why I rarely maintain friendships, I find it exhausting. 

Ive taken many an online test and read through all the characteristics of high functioning autism and I really relate to these and have scored on the spectrum in tests.I also definitely see stronger characteristics of Autism when I look back on my childhood. 

I’m sorry for the long post, I’d love to know if anyone has been in a similar situation and how difficult it is to get a diagnosis as an adult.

Sarah. 

Parents

  • Hi Sarah

    I was diagnosed at 42.

    It's a double edged sword - it can help you in the workplace for adjustments to make you more able to cope with the environment but it can also be a label that puts people off.    It might unlock social services support for you whick may help if things get rocky for you in the future.

    The problem is it can take around 2 years for a diagnosis - unless all your old medical history allows you to fast-track through the NHS system.

    The company I worked for had medical insurance that paid for a private diagnosis for me - from it being suggested that I had all the traits to finding the top consultant to getting a referral to a full diagnosis was only a few weeks - but it's expensive.

Reply

  • Hi Sarah

    I was diagnosed at 42.

    It's a double edged sword - it can help you in the workplace for adjustments to make you more able to cope with the environment but it can also be a label that puts people off.    It might unlock social services support for you whick may help if things get rocky for you in the future.

    The problem is it can take around 2 years for a diagnosis - unless all your old medical history allows you to fast-track through the NHS system.

    The company I worked for had medical insurance that paid for a private diagnosis for me - from it being suggested that I had all the traits to finding the top consultant to getting a referral to a full diagnosis was only a few weeks - but it's expensive.

Children
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