Published on 12, July, 2020
Hi I am Rob and I am 50 and think I am autistic and was wondering about getting a diagnosis. I have booked a GP's appointment to start the process. On the A50 test I got 40 so there is a good prospect of me being diagnosed. I must admit the older I get the more mental issues I come up againt.
I have some very strong indicators, particually perfering things to people and being odsessive about those things. I am an obsessive plane spotter and would rather spend a week doing that than going on holiday with my wife. I didn't have children by choice because I knew I would not cope.Yet some traits I do not have, like I always get jokes and sarcasam.
I have a wife of 15 years and have always had a job. Although god knows how I have been married that long. I now get why my wife says that I say things in a wrong, or upsetting, way, to me I am just saying something, but not in a certian way. I think getting a diagnosis would give me some closure on why I am like I am.
Would be interested to know about your NHS diagnosis experiences
Rob
I should add that, like you, the mental issues are getting harder to deal with the older I get, it is quite scary as I have no plan B if I were to lose my job.
Hi Edmund C, if you *are* autistic and have been living as if you aren't the hidden effort involved in doing that can certainly lead to a host of mental health impacts which tends to get worse over time - certainly what happened to me. It takes time to unpick, but if you recognise yourself in descriptions of autism, adopting that as a working assumption and readjusting your life as appropriate can be incredibly helpful and mean that you don't need your plan B.