Published on 12, July, 2020
just wondering if anyone has self referred privately and after the initial face to face chat the psychologist says you make eye contact, you understand love and anger, you have friends and you completed school so it’s just anxiety and I wouldn’t recommend paying for the full assessment (in brief thats what I understood she meant!)
i get that autism and anxiety are closely linked but this just explained so much and now I feel totally lost again. We didn’t discuss any of my current struggles, she just asked questions on childhood through to teens and I had no answers for developmental stages as I didn't know.
i know the online aq tests are just a guide but is it possible just to have anxiety snd still score highly on these?
any help appreciated! Feeling lost.
Sounds like you've been royally fobbed off. I'd be a bit miffed - especially if you're paying for it.
May I ask what got you there in the first place? How did you decide you needed diagnosing? What set of circumstances and symptoms lead you down the ASD path?
I did the private route - paid for by the company healthcare insurance - I didn't have any childhood data - mainly because 1 parent dead and the other is (I suspect) an undiagnosed aspie living in total denial - so there's no useful data to be gleaned from talking to them.
Thanks for your reply. That was my initial thought but then I worried I’d just made the whole thing up in my mind. The reasons i felt I could be on the spectrum included I find it difficult to put into words my struggles but to sum up - never knowing what to say in conversations or how or when its my turn to talk, misinterpreting what people mean, hating eye contact (but learning its a must to show your interest!) extreme difficulty with decision making, making endless lists and not knowing where to start, diagnosed with generalised anxiety by the GP. Really bad memory, sensitivity to temperature, noise- can pick out a ticking clock and drive myself crazy until its removed, dont like contact- handshakes, hugs, never instigate them and find them incredibly awkward and uncomfortable, hate social situations- all of them! Work, shopping, events etc. A member of the family was diagnosed on the spectrum this year and I’ve done a lot of research and had many ‘lightbulb’ moments. I just don’t know what to do now
I completed school, had friends at school and have a few select friends now, got married. got two kids and a full time job and I am on the spectrum. To the average person I appear normal and lead a normalish life but as plastic has mentioned all this normality takes its toll and in my case has lead in later like to complete burnout. From your reasons above it looks to me as if you are very much similar to me. If I were you I would seeek a second opinion. Good luck