Getting diagnosed on the NHS

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

Parents
  • 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. 

  • That all sounds very scary and I so hope you get good help. Making the first steps yesterday was quite liberating and made me really think about myself. Would autism explain lots of things could my learning issues with English and Maths be linked,  and my occasional depression, or my sleeping excessivley?

    It is really the last year that has made me think so much about mental health. Last spring I was on a real high, my main obsessive subject, actually place, used my obsessiveness in a good way to win a planning inquirey and I am now a somebody at that place and writing my third book about that place. Then in the last few months I have been dealing with my 80 year old parents rapid decline into dementia, the toughest thing I have ever done.  

    Will be going to the doctor on the 31st so will keep you posted.

  • Yes, please let us know how that went.

    For me, I am reading Tony Atwood to see if I am Aspergers - so far it would seem that I would be diagnosed by DSM 4, but not 5 as I only have one definite characteristic from B1-4, and one other only maybe, and you need two min.

    This is slightly confusing, but it looks like they have restricted the criteria for diagnosis in DSM5 to lower the number of people who qualify for expensive treatment. 

    Have you gone through the diagnostic requirements and seen in advance how you might get on?

    What were the books you wrote?

Reply
  • Yes, please let us know how that went.

    For me, I am reading Tony Atwood to see if I am Aspergers - so far it would seem that I would be diagnosed by DSM 4, but not 5 as I only have one definite characteristic from B1-4, and one other only maybe, and you need two min.

    This is slightly confusing, but it looks like they have restricted the criteria for diagnosis in DSM5 to lower the number of people who qualify for expensive treatment. 

    Have you gone through the diagnostic requirements and seen in advance how you might get on?

    What were the books you wrote?

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