I have just had my confirmation for my referral and the doctor seemed a little bowled over by the amount of evidence I produced. What I did was since I found out I started keeping notes of things I thought were Autistic traits I have just in a big list and I've been moving it over to a larger document laying out evidence such as developmental stuff family told me and stories from my past.
This document is around 20 pages now. I am doing this so when it comes time to go for my assessment in a couple of years I have tons of information built up. When it came to talking to the GP, he's already had a report from elsewhere but I pulled out the most stereotypical evidence the doctor is likely to be clued in about and just did a bullet point page, a full sheet of A4 with things I could just list to him.
As it happened I saw him in person rather than on the phone so I showed it to him, I had already done the AQ10 that the local authority needs to process a referral so I gave that to him too and I just briefly talked about how it has been affecting my life.
Like I mentioned I did have a psychiatrist for the ADHD assessment suggest a referral for ASD so I had a leg up there and my history reads like a stereotype for misdiagnosed ASD with Anxiety and depression disorders and Bipolar etc so it is somewhat going to depend on your history and also your doctor. I would bear in mind that you don't have to take no for an answer though, you can seek other opinions if you think your doctor is unfair or if your lucky enough to be in a self-referral area you can bypass the GP altogether if you want.
It's kinda sad that one has to basically prepare a court defense to be taken serious. In still waiting to get therapy for my depression and anxiety. But if I'm right and I really should have autism, it would make it so much easier to cope until the therapy will happen.
I'm even tempted to pay for it myself if the way ting list is too long. Atm I'm hardly holding it together and something has to happen, the one or other way.
Yeah, it is I agree. Though I have had to fight for just about every diagnosis I've had. it was hard to begin with but I've been shown to be right several times now. It's getting easier, once you get things embarrassingly right 3 or 4 times they tend to believe you.
If you can afford to play it then it might be a good option, I know I can't so I'm settling in for the long wait.
Also regarding therapy, have you tried checking in with a local mental health charity? I did recently when I got told the only option on the NHS in my area is CBT which didn't work on me last time, and I was put in touch with a local group that do therapy privately but funded by charity. the waiting list is only 3 weeks and is costing me £5 a session because that's all I can afford.
But if I'm right and I really should have autism
I don't know your mind obviously, but I found it liberating to leave this thought behind and just admit to myself I'm Autistic, and once I accepted it myself I found things to get easier, self diagnosis is really accepted, one of the major reasons being how long it takes to get diagnosed. Self diagnosis might not give you official support but it may help explain things to others and yourself. Feel free to discard this advise if it doesn't fit you, I just recognized something I did at the beginning of my discovery.
Oh absolutely avoid it! I certainly wasn't suggesting it! I was just highlighting that the medical system is broken for such things. Unfortunately generally if there's physical evidence of mental health issues, they should have been treated long ago.
All I can really suggest is just try your best to keep plugging along. Thinking about it, something I did a few years ago was as at my surgery which doctor specialised the most in mental health matters and made damn sure I was seen by him, that sort of requires there to be a choice of doctors in your surgery so I don't know if that's an option but just in case it is, it might be a route for you.
Yeah, I've found this to be a great supportive environment, it helps that things are anonymous here because it's easier to be honest, lots of the people here helped me realise it was ok to call myself autistic even though I didn't have a piece of paper.
I'm with you there, I am my own harshest critic by far but I am getting better. One of the reasons I started that massive document of evidence, to begin with, was because the first person I had to convince was me. I still backpedal a bit I had a horrid night over the weekend when I decided I was deluding myself and everyone around me, the next morning I re-read my document and sure enough, I was back on track, I couldn't refute it.
If I can be a little blunt, in my experience with previous mental health diagnoses those people who won't believe you now, won't when you have a piece of paper. They may have to act on it once it's official but usually, in my experience, those people still think it's all make-believe, and they're usually the people who haven't had mental health issues, its ableist BS but unfortunately reality.
If you think you need more than those few days off, make an appointment with your GP and ask for a sick note, give yourself room to breathe, if you have someone who you can take with you to support and advocate for you all the better.
Oh absolutely avoid it! I certainly wasn't suggesting it! I was just highlighting that the medical system is broken for such things. Unfortunately generally if there's physical evidence of mental health issues, they should have been treated long ago.
All I can really suggest is just try your best to keep plugging along. Thinking about it, something I did a few years ago was as at my surgery which doctor specialised the most in mental health matters and made damn sure I was seen by him, that sort of requires there to be a choice of doctors in your surgery so I don't know if that's an option but just in case it is, it might be a route for you.
Yeah, I've found this to be a great supportive environment, it helps that things are anonymous here because it's easier to be honest, lots of the people here helped me realise it was ok to call myself autistic even though I didn't have a piece of paper.
I'm with you there, I am my own harshest critic by far but I am getting better. One of the reasons I started that massive document of evidence, to begin with, was because the first person I had to convince was me. I still backpedal a bit I had a horrid night over the weekend when I decided I was deluding myself and everyone around me, the next morning I re-read my document and sure enough, I was back on track, I couldn't refute it.
If I can be a little blunt, in my experience with previous mental health diagnoses those people who won't believe you now, won't when you have a piece of paper. They may have to act on it once it's official but usually, in my experience, those people still think it's all make-believe, and they're usually the people who haven't had mental health issues, its ableist BS but unfortunately reality.
If you think you need more than those few days off, make an appointment with your GP and ask for a sick note, give yourself room to breathe, if you have someone who you can take with you to support and advocate for you all the better.
