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Panic Room!

The Riddler

For a while now I have had an issue with travelling on public transport and going out to unfamiliar places. What seems to be the issue is the unfamiliarity of where toilets are. I say that because it’s what links everything together. I noticed this again recently when I went into a Subway in an unfamiliar area. I found I was instantly scoping for the loo. This is also why I have stopped using trains, because the toilets are very often out of order and on planes thee is also a point when you can’t leave your seat for god knows how long!!

What I think is that toilets have become a safe room! If I’m out and get anxious and need to detach myself for a while. the only place to reliably do this is to lock myself in a cubicle for 5 or 10 minutes.

Does anyone else have anything similar or is this an ASD unrelated issue?

Parents

  • I'd say it's very definitely an ASD related thing.  I'm not that bad, but I dislike public transport and get anxious especially if crowded.  I'm much more comfortable in a carriage with a few people.  Trouble is I can't drive either, so needs must.  

    Can you apply for the mobility component of PIP to get out and about by taxi more often?  Would that help?

  • in reply to Dawn
    Dawn said:
    'd say it's very definitely

    I tried this on my pip application but they knocked it back saying I could walk about and drive, so I had mobility and I must not have said exactly the right words to them and was to ill with some comorbid mental health issues that I have and didn't have the capacity to appeal it.

Reply Children
  • in reply to Arbor

    Sadly, they are notorious for knocking things back when the need is clearly there.  Apparently, 80% of appeals win, but that requires so much energy - and they know that.  They just hope you'll go away, so you don't cost them anything.

    I applied, not for the mobility part (though arguably I should have because I can't even drive), just the basic because I am spending thousands on autism informed counselling, assessments and little stuff like home phlebotomists, because no one will ever get any blood out of me if I've sat about an NHS waiting room on the brink of melt down for hours.  Get this: they awarded ZERO points for "managing health care" because I can take a pill out of a packet, even though the assessor said on the phone that they accept I can't access health care well, or sometimes at all!  Go figure! 

    They were quite keen to hurry through a decision before I got my diagnosis when they knew my assessment was coming up.  Wonder why that was?  Potentially, because they knew that would strengthen my case?

    I'll appeal, of course.