Published on 12, July, 2020
I don't understand why my doctor is sending me for a diagnosis to confirm or not confirm ADHD and Autism when firstly she said i remember now that there is no medication for Autism and for ADHD there is medication for. I'm confused my brain isn't processing what i want to ask. Or god. It might be mixed up i know you will be able to understand what i'm trying to ask you. Why put us through all the stress anxiety frustration anger despair of having to wait on the waiting list for 2 years for a proper diagnosis just to be told you have it or haven't it. If you have it there's no medication for Autism and most probably i'm not going to be suitable for the ADHD medication. I did say this and my doctor said it's nice to know some of the things i have is because of the ADHD and Autism to stop me being so hard on myself. To me it's giving me false hope. My brain keeps telling me when i see the psychiatrist and they diagnoses me with it i will get medication then it will all be overed with for me. This isn't going to be true though is it. Then i go back to thinking i don't understand why i am being put through all this stress and anxiety for the next two years and not get anything at the end of it. Whose benefiting by it not me.
I have only recently been diagnosed with Autism and I am 62. Obviously I am not sure what your daily struggles are and how a diagnosis would help you personally. For me though I found it was a great relief to be able to understand that there was a reason why I struggled with some things that most people didn’t. I had labelled myself as stupid, lazy, not a nice person. To know that I am none of these things but instead have a condition that causes me to struggle, over react, melt down and want to dissapear has been a big relief for me. It has led me to finding out how other people cope and trying some of their methods. It has led me to not feeling quite so alone.
on a practical point, in some areas of life people have to make allowances for you and treat you differently, I’m talking professional people such as teachers, employers, doctors etc. They will realise that your needs are different and so you should get help which is better for you.
You could also carry some sort of identification such as the Hidden Disabilities card which declares you are autistic and allowances can be made and help offered other than people around you just judging you.
When it comes to your doctor, maybe if you have someone with you at appointments who can listen for you and explain what you are finding hard to understand. Someone you could discuss your worries with who then could explain them to the doctor if you are having a hard time doing that. If your doctor thinks you may have autism he will understand that you may be struggling with information overload. It is your right to have help during an appointment.
Please do your best to find out as much as you can about both autism and ADHD and how people are affected and what they do to cope with it. My daughter is only 25 and was diagnosed with ADHD 2 years ago and has found lots of really helpful information on various social media platforms.
I hope everything works out well for you. You do what you think is best for you. It is your life, your body, your health. Waiting is not a fun game but I’m glad I waited as I now feel a little better and am at last making sense of my life. I hope you manage to work things out.