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Speaking on the phone, medical & health appointment

Deleted User

I've got a telephone appointment next week to discuss my health. In the past when talking to doctors or whoever,  I've struggled to explain myself properly. I now know this is autism related to do with communication, alexithymia and poor interoception. So now I'm aware of it, I'm more apprehensive than I usually would be as I'm more aware that I struggle to explain myself properly.

So next week on the phone I am going to state from the off that I struggle with open questions and also request if I can email anything retrospectively after the appointment. Also that i sometimes struggle to fully understand how i feel. Of course I'll write a list of what I want to include but quite often this goes out of the window during conversation. I've been keeping a diary but even that is difficult when I have to pinpoint what's going on (ie to what extent). I think sometimes I err on the side of caution and think I'm ok when I'm actually not. I'm just going to tell them I'm AS so find these things difficult.

I need to be able to explain myself clearly or I'm concerned they'll think there's not much of a problem when actually there is and my case won't go any further. 

Has anybody else got any tips or strategies that you use in these situations? I'd much prefer to speak in person or type answers to questions and find initial assessments difficult on the phone. It's ok though once I've got to know someone. 

Thanks.

Parents

  • I have the same problem and I think that I need to write to my GP practice to let them know I need an alternative medium for contacting them. Only having the telephone as a way of interacting is effectively denying service to the many autistic people who have anxiety over phone use. I know that I am very reluctant to make a phone call to them, and find phone appointments very stressful when I am called back. It is a form of - unwitting - discrimination.

  • in reply to Martin

    Yes it also doesn't help that they say "we will call you in the next two weeks" or "we will call you on Tuesday morning".

    I applied  for some AS help bsck in December and forgot all about it. They rang me for an initial assessment appointment yesterday totally out of the blue. I was completely unprepared and had to explain how my autism affected me every day. I have other ongoing issues which are more prevalent at the moment and nearly didn't mention them due to the fact that when I first applied, these problems weren't as severe. So I didn't think it was relevant as it wasn't part of the initial application.  I think it was a bit of black and white thinking on my part and the call was about to end before I forced myself to bring it up.

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  • in reply to Martin

    Yes it also doesn't help that they say "we will call you in the next two weeks" or "we will call you on Tuesday morning".

    I applied  for some AS help bsck in December and forgot all about it. They rang me for an initial assessment appointment yesterday totally out of the blue. I was completely unprepared and had to explain how my autism affected me every day. I have other ongoing issues which are more prevalent at the moment and nearly didn't mention them due to the fact that when I first applied, these problems weren't as severe. So I didn't think it was relevant as it wasn't part of the initial application.  I think it was a bit of black and white thinking on my part and the call was about to end before I forced myself to bring it up.

Children
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