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Should I get diagnosed officially?

Grace

Hey! So I need some help.. Ever since primary school I have suffered with social situations, making friends, bullying etc. I am now 21 and after having counselling since I was 14 years old and not really getting any help/any better I've come to the conclusion there must be something else going on. 

It first started when I watched a documentary on a famous women who has autism and so do her 3 children. Her personality and ways she deals with different situations is very very similar to me! I then remembered that in college, after struggling a lot to deal with work load, focusing, remembering information and making friends, they asked if I had ever been tested for autism. 

So it got me thinking...could I be autistic? So here I am, after reading a lot of articles on autism, taken multiple online autism tests (and scoring very very high, results saying I indicate significant autistic traits) wondering what the next step is. 

I am in two minds, one half of me wants to get an official diagnosis so that I can have access to support systems aimed at adults with autism and finally find ways to cope with day to day things. The other half of me thinks that I can work with this myself and accept the fact I am highly likely to be autistic (I am totally at peace with this, I actually feel like this has taken a massive weight off my shoulders). 

For years and years I have always wondered, why me? Why do I struggle with day to day things, struggle to make/keep friends, get extremely overwhelmed with loud noises, have major meltdowns over tiny things and then can't get out of this mindset? But after myself and my mum who I am very close with having a 'light bulb' moment that I am probably autistic, I finally feel like I belong and actually there is nothing wrong with the person that I am! But I need help, I need ways to cope with all these overwhelming feelings and thoughts.

So yeah... please help! Is it worth getting an 'official' diagnosis from a medical professional? What benefits/negatives have you experienced either getting a diagnosis or not? 

Hope to hear from lots of you soon! 

Grace xo

Parents

  • Hello Grace

    I watched the same program and came to the same conclusion, took an online AQ50 test and got 35.  I did send a letter to my GP with the result of the test and a list of symptoms/effects I have with ASD.  All this was way before Christmas and I found out last week from the GP that they have sent a referral letter so I should hear something soon.

    I too 'know' I am autistic but I don't have too many social issues.  I do get random anxiety, I am not very good at conversation, especially in large groups and I cannot read people at all.  However, I think 53 years of ignorance and ingrained masking helps me deal with most situations.

    On balance I think the assessment will be useful. I am happily married at the moment but to a much older woman.  Should something happen to her then it might be necessary to have access to mental health facilities and a formal diagnosis could be useful.  It will also be a very interesting process, I like the idea of discussing autism with a professional.  I just hope I don't get someone cold and uncaring as some people have when going through this process.

    So I would say go to your GP, get a referral then you can always change your mind further down the road (there will be a looong gap from referral to initial session with the specialist).

    Definitely take an AQ50 test https://psychology-tools.com/test/autism-spectrum-quotient

    Read this book I Think I Might Be Autistic by Cynthia Kim - cheap from Amazon and a quick read.

    Take the result of the test to the GP along with a list bullet points of why you think you are autistic and you should get a referral.

  • in reply to Paul

    Thank you Paul, just bought a copy of that book.

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