Taking a friend to a diagnosis

Hello,

I wonder whether I can ask for advice. I've got a diagnosis appointment coming up, and I'm thinking about asking a friend to go with me. This might be a good idea because in new situations, I don't always explain myself articulately. Furthermore, I don't always act in my own best interests. However, because of past incidents, I am adverse to telling people private things about myself, particularly about the very personal topics that are likely to be discussed during a diagnostic process.

I've recently met an autistic person, and find that I can talk to that person much more freely about these topics. However, it might be an imposition to ask that person to go with me to the diagnosis, given that I don't know them very well. Furthermore, I would be worried about upsetting my friend by asking someone else, as it might imply that I didn't trust them.

I find these kinds of decisions very hard to make. I wonder whether anyone else has experience of taking someone with them to a diagnosis, and what they found the advantages and disadvantages to be. Thank you.

Parents
  • I was diagnosed at quite a young age. But I can kind of relate with appointments with the MHT for assesments and stuff in my adult years. Very much like yourself I find it very helpful to have someone with me, I sometime unknowingly play my situation down (according to my Grandparents) so it's good to have someone there to point these kind of things out, but it deffo has to be someone you trust 100% in my opinion, I took my nan, is it possible you could maybe have a family member go with you? 

Reply
  • I was diagnosed at quite a young age. But I can kind of relate with appointments with the MHT for assesments and stuff in my adult years. Very much like yourself I find it very helpful to have someone with me, I sometime unknowingly play my situation down (according to my Grandparents) so it's good to have someone there to point these kind of things out, but it deffo has to be someone you trust 100% in my opinion, I took my nan, is it possible you could maybe have a family member go with you? 

Children
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