Published on 12, July, 2020
I went through a diagnosis late last year through the NHS and they have said that I don't meet all 3 criteria. I don't have enough compulsions or rituals.
I don't think they went into it enough, I always step off pavements with my left foot, I count the steps to get past houses etc and I practice stimming a lot to such an extent I have callouses on the backs of my thumbs but, at 58 I don't think there is much they can do anyway so probably not worth arguing about it. So I need to work out, like a few others, am I really Autistic or just weird?
This is something I worry about as I personally don't feel very ritualistic either. Strangely, mine are also about pavements although I like to always cross the same roads at certain places and feel agitated if I can't for any reason. I also do a lot of counting. I count when I fill up my kettle with water for example. I love the soothing counting of stitches when I'm knitting.
I have my initial assessment on 15th March so I may have the same outcome!
You say "not much they can do anyway" - what had you hoped for from diagnosis? For me, I hope for support with work because I burn out quite easily.
Hello Duck. I count a lot when I'm stressed, it helps to steady me, kind of anchors me in a comforting way. As a child, I would count lamposts, buses, cars etc, but now it's just numbers in my head. Usually I stop at say, 100, and count backwords to zero. I occasionally do it in French or German which requires a bit more concentration, especially backwords. (I'm not fluent in those languages, I just have a working knowledge) My psychologist calls this 'arithmomania'. If you search it on the 'net you'll see it's related to OCD, which I seem to have had to varying degrees all my life.
Ben