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late diagnosis, workplace assessment, impact on career?

Y

Hi all,

Although I don't have a diagnosis yet, I've realised in the past year that a lot of my experiences in relationships and at work might be related to being on the autism spectrum (I'm 39 btw). I've had an appointment with my GP a year ago (pre covid) and she assessed and referred me, but they rejected my referral because I now live in a different borough. Obviously haven't seen a GP since covid started so haven't been able to get a new referral.

Fast forward to now where I've had an excruciating year of working in a new job virtually, being bullied and almost pushed out by my previous very manipualtive manager, and have never felt so out of place and paranoid in my entire life (I mean I have most of my life, but this tops everything). Does anyone else find virtual working worse? I don't really pick up information from listening to it on a call, and I am mostly unclear of what I'm meant to be doing, find social interaction even more awkward, feel constantly excluded from meetings and at the end I'm just on the margins while other people do all the stuff, despite my over 10 years of work experience and 3-4 degrees. I'm signed off for anxiety and depression now after a recent team change (there's a lot of change where I work and I think I just couldn't hack it anymore and hardly slept, plus changing to yet a new patronising and over-bearing manager after a month of being managed by a woman who was brilliant but got promoted) and am re-considering getting assessed properly and perhaps doing it through my workplace.

My question is, will there be any backlash / impact on my career and prospects? Are there any legislative disadvantages to having been diagnosed? It's been a long and ardous path to just get to where I am now and I don't want to make it more difficult. I've previously disclosed mental health stuff at a previous job and it resulted in me getting lots of work taken off me and not being trusted with anything and being treated weirdly by my manager - when actually my main gripe with any work is that I never get included or any high profile stuff and can't see myself making progress or having an impact while watching others get all the opportunities and that depressing me.

Would really appreciate any advice from anyone who's gone through the process and how it's impacted their work!

Y

Parents

  •  yes it will, impact how the company views you, for a start it costs them money if u do it through work.

    what happened to u in past is very likely to happen again 

    I think u need to deal with the anxiety and depression as they are more damaging

    i would go for the diagnosis and see what is said about you.  If it is autism u could easily be moved to something lighter.

    getting a diagnosis should protect u more but each employer is so different and yours doesnt sound good --- I mean the managers are nasty.

    a diagnosis is good for u,, as u will know what the issue is,,,as for your work relationships u are throwing a dice 

    the employer should make allowances for u as an autistic but some employers dont know what to do and over react. 

    i feel really out of depth guessing what your employer will do.

    if u do get an autism diagnosis be careful who u tell keep it to a very strict minimum.

  • in reply to aidie

    Thanks yeah looks like general diagnosis outside of work might be a good idea and see what comes of it, I'll try and get something via my new GP - they can hopefully refer remotely. As for mental health stuff, that's been with me since age 13 and I've been in an out of various different types of therapy since age 18 and on an off medication for the last 3 years - never really been diagnosed with anything, but probably more a reaction to me struggling with deciphering and navigating social dynamics all my life and that making personal and professional contexts a recurring challenge...

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  • in reply to aidie

    Thanks yeah looks like general diagnosis outside of work might be a good idea and see what comes of it, I'll try and get something via my new GP - they can hopefully refer remotely. As for mental health stuff, that's been with me since age 13 and I've been in an out of various different types of therapy since age 18 and on an off medication for the last 3 years - never really been diagnosed with anything, but probably more a reaction to me struggling with deciphering and navigating social dynamics all my life and that making personal and professional contexts a recurring challenge...

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