Cant get a diagnosis

Old post.. but yeah I have no threatening or violent behaviours.. quite the opposite.. call your doctor a clown from me.. ASD diagnosed Ste

eh, it sounds like the fitting advice would be to threaten them to get seen right? lol

It doesn't sounds like your GP is the problem but whoever the service they'd be referring you to. That said, I would still see a different GP if you choose to try again. If the problem really is further up the line, one option would be to get the referral and then, if you are rejected take it up with whoever sends you that letter. My daughter was initially rejected for an assessment because the doctors letter was really vague. When wrote a letter and questioned it, offering up more specific details, then her referral was accepted.

The doctor's response as you have worded it does in deed sound very concerning.  I would question both the doctors understanding of yourself and autism in general as well as the service to which he is referring.  But to be honest, given a response like that, I do tend to agree that going to another doctor may be in your best for your interests as well as considering how you yourself present and what you say.   

My advice is to first rule out other factors, that could still exist with an ASD diagnosis. I live in Australia. I understand the way things are done in other countries our different, but for the most part beleive the hierarchy of diagnosis from what I have read is very similar. 

Here is how I 'ended' up with a diagnosis of Autism  ... NOTE* Government funding may be different in other countries.

Step 1. Find Psychologist
Rang around on advice from family, friends & various Community Facilities and staff - to find a Psychologist. A General/Registered Psychologist will often be cheaper and open to concessional or funding schemes (just ask if money matters)  

Step 2.Reason for Psychologist
It helps to have a reason and will assist the GP with referral letter. (depending if this process I am out laying is similar in your country)  Ask them.  

Reason = "I've been advised that I may do well to seek a Psychologist to talk about many of the challenges I am facing when out and bout in the community"   You reason must be yours and one your OK with and more reflects why Your seeking what your seeking. Knowing why your doing what your doing will better assist both the Psychologist & Gp.

But here' s the thing, make sure you don't tell a GP that your in their office because of an online test you did for autism or any condition. Also try not telling them what you beleive you think you have.  Just keep it simple with requesting a referral re the reason above.  

Typically doctors down at the local medical center (at least here in Australia) are not specialist.  The are meant to be utilized more as a 'general' link in the chain.  Which is why I suggest you keep it simple and know in 'general' terms what you are going there for.

Having outlined steps 1 & 2 ... I'll outline how the doctors generally goes when seeking a referral. 

Step 3. At the GPs (Doctors) Requesting a Referral
Have the Name of Phycologist ready with their contact details  and also keep your reason simple (similar to reason above) when 'requesting' a referral letter to said Phycologist.
____________________________________________________

Now that you have helped the doctor re you intentions and having provided the required information and reason, there is a good chance that you can a practitioner who is better able to assist you in your quest. 

A few years later (excuse me while I roll on the floor : D ) whilst still in therapy:

This kind of thing takes a lot longer than most people today think. 

Therefore, the way in which my labels were sort - hmmmm ... personally was more organic and felt more genuine from my said experience, that after some time I was more able to connect with the resulting labels Vs anything online test or article I read.   

Additionally it's important to understand how the diagnosis process works in relation from steps 1 to 3 or as may be in your country.  

Generally speaking:
Define a reason to seek out an approatiate 'specialist' (before seeing a GP) with that being a registered Psychologist that can better assist with navigating further proceedings (if warranted) with their own referrals to more upscaled PHDs that are authorized to give 'certain' Diagnoses. 

In Australia and 'depending' how it is that an Autism Diagnosis is going to be used within whatever scheme, may determine and or see some diagnoses challenged where even a Clinical Psychologist's report may need to be upscaled or re-authorized by a psychiatrist. 

I personally do not like the system that is in-place for reason I won't go into.  But the take away from all this is that knowing how the system works and what you want and why you want it can save a lot of time ... yet trying to rush things can complicate matters.

Hope some of that helps.  Wishing you all the best. 

It seems that mental health provision is provided only on an emergency basis in the UK- waiting until people reach a crisis then responding rapidly when it's too late. For example, services for eating disorders won't allow people to enter until they're dangerously underweight. It's very much a false economy, of course. It would strike me as being much better to provide pre-emptive services, in the same way that exercise and good diets are promoted for physical health.

I had an EEG done a couple of months ago as I mentioned mindblank and they wanted to check if they were fits. All came up clear. 

Since when are ASD people threatening and violent?

Tell him your meltdowns are!?

Maybe try to list as many things you can think of that you think are related to your autism :) 

Talk about unfair. I think the doctor is wrong in that, being threatening and violent isn't the only traits for autism. I see others have suggested you see a different doctor I think that's a good idea and might be worth you doing. I saw a few before my referral and diagnosis ball started rolling. Took a little time to find the right doctor who was supportive and helpful.

I have mindblank too, its just so frustratin trying to navigate life with autism

Maybe i just dont know where to start with the letter

Hey i was diagnosed in 2019 with Asperger's. I got the referral from my doctor and i wasn't rejected. I don't have violent or threatening behaviour. I think you should go for the referral because the doctor might be wrong and you deserve to get some answers :) 

I note someone suggested seeing another GP. I agree. My son saw 3 before being referred and when got diagnosis we were told no doubt about it. It was still a long wait after that though.

It took me two years to ask if I could be on the spectrum because I can get mindblank when I am nervous and seeing doctors and the experience of the waiting room etc means that I tried several times to ask but if I hit these mindblank walls I will shift to talk about something else (I had at least one other thing to talk about which I needed to find out about healthwize such as trying to describe what I now am 100% sure are shutdowns (Did not know they had a name before)... So I got no-where and said to myself "Forget it. I don't want to know about autism" (I can be like that where I will block out to avoid dealing with something that is not working). I had made the connections between autism via seeing a TV programme about it and also I happened to have been dating a lovely lady who was on the spectrum around 5 years ago. (Rarel have I ever dated anyone in my life as I seem to be not compatible somehow? I am single). I also had several occasions in the last decade or so of people asking if I was, or saying I was autistic which I denied as I knew nothing about what they were talking about.

Anyway. I happened to watch Youtube about faceblindness which I and my Mum can get. Prosopragnosia. There was one thing kept coming up called "Ask An Autistic". I wasnted nothing to do with looking at that! But after a four day binge watch of every single thing I could find about faceblindness on the wholw of Youtube with just 4 or 5 hour sleeps per day (I did say I was on a Youtube "Binge!") there was just this one thing left, so I gave in and watched it. I had to ask my doctor. (Very long story leading up to it of having a good 40 years in trying to find out wat was happening to me which I found out about two years ago were called shutdowns).

Sorry. I can't write straight to the point. I always write my lifes story to say a sentence. I am like that talking as well!

So I tried again to book an appointment to see my doctor and this time I asked my Mum to come in who also did not know much about autism so she did not think I was on the spectrum, but she had agreed to speak if I hit mindblank as I was determined to ask and get a "Yes" or a "No" answer. 

Well. It was a different lady doctor who I had not seen before but was well known for her short one word answers or questions as my neighbour has seen her. Trying to speak straight to the point will make me hit mindblank walls. 

Saw the doctor and she said her famous one word questions... "Symptoms?..." I hit mindblank. My Mum took over. We could not say much so the doctor had very little to go on but she said she would refer me but it was doubtful I would be accepted. 

I was accepted. The doctor referred me in april 2019 and I was accepted very early may 2019.

I am still on the list waiting to be assessed and I don't know when that will be.  Not sure how long the list is as they have said 2 years a few times but I know one person who waited six years (Was before our Welsh assembly gave additional funding to mental health services) and another who was assessed about a year ago after a three year wait so they are making great progress... But covid has delayed things which no one could have predicted. 

I assumed that doctors could simply say "Yes" or "No". :D  I wanted a "Yes" or a "No" answer because I have been struggling since 2007 when I hit some sort of burnout or breakdown and have had several since and in august/september 2019 I hit such a bad one that I have not worked since and it has effected my life. I am waiting to be assessed first because then I can work out if it was some sort of burnout or breakdown. I was left at one point standing there in a carpark having forgotton how to walk and I had to wait for other people to pass so I could watch them walk so I could work it out!

Anyway... 

I did join this site a little more then two years ago to try and find out what I found out to be shutdowns were. Not been on since but have found out during my time on another autism site. I did not remember my password so I have created a new account as the password recovery page did not work and says something went wrong. 

I put my last user name as my name as I do not want to use my real name. 

Part of why it has taken me so many years to find things out is it never occurred to me that mental can effect the physical as somehow (Maybe I am stupid not con ecting the dots earlier) I just did not realize. 

Hi Rachel

i am aware of Sara Heath (Shropshire Autonomy) who works with a psychiatrist who provide social tariff in depth diagnosis’s Sara spends time talking to you and writes a full diagnostic report and the psychiatrist checks asks additional questions etc and if the client has sufficient traits provides a diagnostic letter they are booked up to May 2022 as a national female mainly undiagnosed group have booked her up…when they discovered Sara excellent skills 

That is just about the most bizarre thing I have heard about autism referral. It sounds as though the unit doing the assessments is not a branch of the health service, but is an adjunct of the police and judicial system. Why are they only reacting to the impact of referred people on others, and not on the health, mental or otherwise, of the person being referred? It is just about as ableist and discriminatory a situation as ever existed. It is essentially saying that neurodivergence is of absolutely no importance, as long as neurodivergent people are nice and quiet and suffer in silence, and only when we upset the predominant neurotypes by our behaviour, is it a problem. I would be inclined to write to your MP about it, and ask for formal clarification from your NHS Trust.

You can invoke your 'right to choose', and ask for a referral for a autism assessment outside your district.

I just want it confirming, doctor said he can refer me but whats the point if i just get rejected. Id have to write a letter explaining everything, be a waste of time.

I am going on different websites trying to look for help. The doctor has done lots of referrals but apparentky only 1 person was accepted because they were a threat to housemates. 

That does sound rough, getting a diagnosis is so dependant on where you live I don't think it is very consistent across the country.  Do you need a diagnosis or are you comfortable knowing that you are and taking any adjustments that you need?

While it is true that struggling is a requirement for getting diagnosed (which is ridiculous for many reasons), this is not restricted to just threatening or antisocial behaviour. It also includes things like, poor mental health for you, struggling in education or employment, struggling with interpersonal relationships, being bullied, etc.

I'd recommend privately looking up your local diagnostic clinic to see if anything on their website indicates this but I doubt it, and maybe ask to see a different GP about it because this doctor appears misguided at best.