• Replies 20 replies
  • Subscribers 90 subscribers
  • Views 4046 views
  • Users 0 members are here
Options
Related
Hints and tips
  • To quote someone's message, first select/highlight the relevant text, and then use the Quote button that appears
  • To "mention" someone, type @ followed by the start of the forum name, and choose from the list; that person will get a notification of being mentioned

Advice on going for late diagnosis

Speranza

I'd like to ask if any of you have any advice. I know it's a long process, and looking at the forms the GP would have to submit, I see they ask "What is the patient hoping to get from diagnosis?" The truth is, I don't know. It's a few years since I realised I wasn't neurotypical but hey, I'm 61. I know it's not unusual to be diagnosed later in life but... I have hundreds of strategies in place which had me fooled, let alone other people.

I've been in counselling for a while and have been addressing 'emotional numbness' and it keeps coming to me that this might just be normal for me if I do have Autism. As I also have anxiety (again, coped until my fifties without diagnosis or medication) I can see this could related back to something else undiagnosed.

Mostly it's the feeling of 'being other' which I know people on here will understand. However I have lots of traits which would belie an ASD/C diagnosis. If I met the 5 year old me I would be referring her directly for assessment, but I'm obviously great at masking after over half a century!

Do you think I am right to think about seeking diagnosis? I feel there is a lot of effort going on beneath the surface which might be easier if I had some explanations... or should I just leave well alone as for the most part I am fine and very few people would suspect on meeting me that this is going on.

I am not in the least bit bothered about possibly having that label, in fact I might be more worried if I didn't have it. But do I NEED it?

Your thoughts would be very welcome. I have my last counselling session soon and so it may be the point to try something different and go for diagnosis. What do you think? I also fit the profile for ADHD and I don't know how to go about raising both as a possibility... 

Many thanks,

Gill

Parents

  • i would say ---- do it, get the assessment. i'm in the us, and was diagnosed at 62. i think it would clarify a lot of your strategies, maybe allow you to add some, eliminate others. until i got my diagnosis, therapy was almost utterly useless. most, or maybe all, the strategies previous therapists used were designed for NT's. people on the spectrum are just so different, imho, and seems like they have to learn how to cope in this NT world. typical therapists are not equipped to deal with that.  my therapist now, all the therapy is aimed at my ASD, LD, ADD, sensitivities, communication issues...etc. 

    it's allowed me to accept the parts of me that otherwise i ignored or was oblivious to. 

    sounds like you have a number of strategies in use - that's great! 

Reply

  • i would say ---- do it, get the assessment. i'm in the us, and was diagnosed at 62. i think it would clarify a lot of your strategies, maybe allow you to add some, eliminate others. until i got my diagnosis, therapy was almost utterly useless. most, or maybe all, the strategies previous therapists used were designed for NT's. people on the spectrum are just so different, imho, and seems like they have to learn how to cope in this NT world. typical therapists are not equipped to deal with that.  my therapist now, all the therapy is aimed at my ASD, LD, ADD, sensitivities, communication issues...etc. 

    it's allowed me to accept the parts of me that otherwise i ignored or was oblivious to. 

    sounds like you have a number of strategies in use - that's great! 

Children