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Wondering if I should ask for diagnosis

NAS66106

Hi, i'll try and make this brief , I'm in my last year of a masters at Uni, and trying to finish a dissertation but i find it so hard to focus. I;ve suspected I have autism for the past year or so, and did go to the doctors, and he said he referred me, but never heard so might go back this tuesday. He didn't believe me though stating I had good eye contact when I know I don't (as this has been brought up to me at uni)

I;ve done online tests and they suggest probably. so some things about me

-HATE change in routine. For example going away on holiday to new place takes 3-4 days to talk to anyone and not be in a foul mood not wanting to do anything, as I adjust to the new people and environment around me

- Eye contact , I just can't hold eye contact with people, especially at Uni, I look, then look away, then look backk (trying to force myself) because they said that it looked like I was not interested and ignoring them in a report

-LAck of concept of time - time flies super quick, I need to constantly watch the clock to be on time

- Need Strict, step by step instructions for a task, I will always ask people for more details and detailed steps otherwise these confuse me

-Obsessive about my hobbies - martial arts. I will film myself doing a technique and watch it 50,60,70 times in a row.

- Hard to know if someone is angry or anything with me, a

- in practical exams, when a teacher is watching, I completely freeze and act abornmal, when they leave the room I revert to my normal self

- Have a very hard time explaining my thoughts and ideas on the spot, they are in my head but I cannot verbalise them . In my head I feel like I know so many facts and data, yet when I speak it doesn't come out right.

This is evidence whenever I have had written exams, I often get A grades and Distinctions even with a week of revision as I can memorise information very easily.

- Cannot concentrate on ANYTHING for long ... I get distracted very easily, for example doing an essay, work for 20 min, go to look up a paper, think of a song i like, before I know it an hour has gone and im looking through songs. It seems so hard to focus on information. And takes me around an hour before I can start typing. I am TERRIBLE at maths, cannot process it at all.

There are more, and I don't want to take too much of your time.

What do you think?

thanks

Parents

  • It's clear to me that you are worried something is different about you, and believe me, I know exactly how that feels. You're not alone.

    If you have requested a referral in the past and nothing has come of it, and you still feel the same way now, I would recommend you go back. It's crappy, but you need to advocate for yourself. Especially with the NHS, since resources are spread so thinly. Explain to your doctor that you asked to be referred, were told that you were referred, but you're concerned as you never heard anything back. It sucks, but referrals can get lost in the system. 

    I would recommend you be prepared, with a full list of EVERYTHING about you that you feel isn't quite typical. I note from your comment there are a number you haven't listed here, but it's helpful for the doctor to have them all. Spend some time compiling the list, and then if the doctor asks, you have it all there, and one of your points is that you find it difficult to verbalise - alert him to that, so he knows you find it difficult to get your point across and feel heard. If you're anything like me, it can be difficult to remember everything in the moment, and my mind goes blank, so if I don't have the list, I don't get all the information across to the other person, and it's a situation where the more info you can provide, the better.

    Good luck - hope my reply is somewhat helpful.

Reply

  • It's clear to me that you are worried something is different about you, and believe me, I know exactly how that feels. You're not alone.

    If you have requested a referral in the past and nothing has come of it, and you still feel the same way now, I would recommend you go back. It's crappy, but you need to advocate for yourself. Especially with the NHS, since resources are spread so thinly. Explain to your doctor that you asked to be referred, were told that you were referred, but you're concerned as you never heard anything back. It sucks, but referrals can get lost in the system. 

    I would recommend you be prepared, with a full list of EVERYTHING about you that you feel isn't quite typical. I note from your comment there are a number you haven't listed here, but it's helpful for the doctor to have them all. Spend some time compiling the list, and then if the doctor asks, you have it all there, and one of your points is that you find it difficult to verbalise - alert him to that, so he knows you find it difficult to get your point across and feel heard. If you're anything like me, it can be difficult to remember everything in the moment, and my mind goes blank, so if I don't have the list, I don't get all the information across to the other person, and it's a situation where the more info you can provide, the better.

    Good luck - hope my reply is somewhat helpful.

Children