Published on 12, July, 2020
Hello,
This is my first post as recent - Covid 19 catalysed - issues have caused me a few problems that have led me to the waiting list for an adult assessment for autism.
Long and the short of it is that I have a job I love but that requires a lot of interaction with a small group off colleagues. The dynamic worked well in the office and as an information provider I managed quite well.
Move it to remote (thanks to Covid) and I am working with messages (no inflection to help me understand if people are annoyed, dissatisfied or happy with my work) or worse Zoom meetings (how does anyone cope with a series of faces on the screen that randomly freeze and voices that sound like they're underwater?) So three weeks ago I fell apart.
It was my standard meltdown I suppose. A body that wouldn't move and a brain that was just a cascade of a million fragmented thoughts. ...but because I couldn't see a cause, I knew it wasn't anxiety or depression (my previous diagnoses when this has occured).
A brief chat with my GP after realising this happens repeatedly, and that there are a lot of telltales throughout my life that indicate potential ASD traits, and she has referred me for assessment. Probably, realistically, in 6 months time.
So does anyone have advice about how to survive in work in the period between meltdown and diagnosis. I was signed off for two weeks and spent the first one resting and just letting my mind spin away...but I get destructive if I don't work, so even though I'm not coping, I'd rather be doing my job.
How would I go about asking for adjustments without medical backup?
Thanks in advance, and apologies if this makes no sense.
I think employers need to be mindful of mental health these days, so I would choose the best person to approach about talking through what might make things easier for you - eg categories on your emails, one-to-one zoom meetings?