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
Absolutely do go and see your GP and seek their assistance. The NHS is able to do a diagnosis and then provide appropriate help and support should you require it.
I would suggest that rather than ask them to refer you for a diagnosis, help them first understand the difficulties you encounter in your daily life. The GP may need to apply to the local NHS Trust to fund a referral, so they'll need to be able to articulate a justification. "I'd like a diagnosis please" is perfectly reasonable but tricky for them to translate into a funding request; inadvertently upsetting your wife the mental issues you've touched on will be far more useful to them.
The harder thing to do will be keeping an open mind and staying patient. Mention the extent to which you sleep, touch on the depression but also before you go try (this is hard) to articulate the nature and causes of that depression. (It's only now that I'm not depressed that I can differentiate between anxiety, stress and depression.) What you may find is that there are other explanations for some or all of these things, so work with your GP and help them find the best way to respond. They have a range of options available, and a diagnosis might need multiple assessment covering various different things.