Psychiatry UK forms and assessment

Did you get to book your appointment? :) 

I've just finished it too and yep took me a long time. It's worth it though if you want an assessment/formal diagnosis. So much quicker than through the NHS.

Yes, it absolutely felt like a character assassination of myself!

Thanks for the quick reply! I hope you hear something soon. 

I am hoping to get my documents uploaded tonight. I feel as if I have gone on and on about every weird memory I've ever remembered and it's making me wonder if I am just an awful person. A bit of imposter syndrome thrown in there. Feel free to PM me if you want to chat about anything :) 

I've not had my assessment as yet, I had confirmation of receipt of the forms on Monday last week, which was about a week after I had uploaded them. The message last week said they're very busy at the moment and couldn't give a timeframe on when I'd be contacted to book the assessment in, but a couple of other people said theirs had been not too long after they'd done the forms. I'm hoping that means it should be in the next month or two.

I'll post a message once I do have it booked in so people know what the current wait times are like.

Hi there, I am currently filling in my form from P-UK at the moment, it's taken me a good few weeks because like you say it's exhausting. I asked my Dad and Auntie to fill in the informant forms for me though my Dad could barely fill anything in and my aunt only managed a few questions. I'm wary of giving a form to my husband to fill in as I don't think he notices anything about what I do. When he filled in my adhd questionnaire he made it look as though I don't struggle at all and I had to ask my sister to do one as well. 

Anyways I was wondering if you have had your assessment yet and how it went? 

Hi everyone.
I haven't written in months here in the forum.

Cause I can't hold too much dialogue lately.

*I was fascinated by how you are.*

(Thank you)

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Therefore, the diagnosis in Italy for adults is almost impossible.

I report it because it is not something we can brag about.

I got mine thanks to data entry by scientific researchers.

So it was exhausting in terms of duration, I answered thousands of questions, plus visits scheduled for 8 months.

Then I had to write to them to get certified.

I've had others since, from people who previously didn't include autism not like The Rain Man.

But we exist, I swear we exist.

I'm a mix between Adam (Hugh Dancy ) and Dr. Spencer Reid.

In a world that doesn't accept us so much.

Diagnosis in Italy for adults otherwise costs around 2,000 euros (if I'm not mistaken).

Strange thing because as a nation Italy in terms of autism we are definitely ahead in terms of scientific research.

A disaster for adults, because many people end up with abstruse diagnoses and not their diagnosis.

I'm glad that things are working well for you.

We give you medicines.

Too long, sorry

That's actually realy helpful information, thanks for giving context why it took as long as it did for you. Sorry you had t delay by being overwhelmed though. It answers some questions I had about the process tbh.

GOOD LUCK and keep us posted :) 

Thank you. I asked my GP for the referral mid-May, he sent it off at the end of May so the email I had on Monday was just inside the 6 week turnaround Psychiatry UK say they try to stick to for a response. Now I've submitted the forms and my ID/proof of address, hopefully they'll be in touch in the next week to book in the assessment, I'd guess it'll probably be late August/September.

Hey! I approached my GP for a referral in July 2022. I returned my initial screening form to my GP in August, which they forwarded on....then in early March 2023 I got a contact from Psychiatry UK with the NEW set of forms so I guess 6-7 months? But then I got really stressed and flustered and didn't look at the email again until June and when I sent everything off in June I got a call a week ago to book me in. So in total a year, but with a big gap that was my fault because I was panicking/feeling overwhelmed. 

One thing I did was in the 'notes' section on the PUK portal I asked them to confirm in writing when my forms had been accepted, so I wasn't worrying and stressing if everything was done correctly (first time I submitted them they rejected them as they weren't in the format they like). 

For once my hyperfocus was actually useful for something in completing the form. I think once I got myself into the right headspace to answer the questions it was just a case of sticking at it, although I did jump about between different sections so did it in a different order, basically as things popped up in my mind I did that bit.

I hope you're assessment goes well. If you don't mind me asking, how long did you have to wait between submitting the forms and your appointment?

Hi Becky! Oh my gosh, how funny, I have just been through exactly the same process. Except I don't have a husband, so my mum filled out the other form (with my help). 

I felt SO overwhelmed when they sent the forms to me it took me literally about 2 months to find the email again and open it and actually 'face the music' because it just felt like the questions - the number and length - were too too much. Anyway, I had a long train journey (there and back) and good train wifi, so I sat and filled most of these in on that trip which was good to help pass the time. I had to take breaks though, like a few days in between re-visiting and completing another chunk, revising my answers, etc. To make sure it was all 100% right. 

I did my best, but I still feel like it wasn't good enough - maybe I could have been more clear or more concise. Or explained things better. 

Like you I really struggled with my strengths and aspirations - I asked my mum for some input on these because I was drawing a blank.

Anyway, well done! My assessment is in 1 week but I'm 99% sure they're going to confirm what we already know...

x

At 51 I'm very late in potentially finding out why I have felt so different for all of these years.  I too felt the upset/sadness for the child growing up without knowing why life was such a struggle compared to his peers.  It has affected my life really severely and I developed a severe maladaptive behavioural addiction which numbed me out from the anxiety and burn out.  I'm hoping my assessment next Thursday finally draws the lines between the dots and the full picture begins to appear.  Good luck to you all.

I've been through the form filling and submission....I have my interview a week on Thursday.  So far the system seems to have worked well...a lot quicker than the 3 years I was quoted via local NHS.  Good luck.

My luck says mine will be while I'm on holiday! I hope you get yours through soon.

Thank you for such a well thought out and helpful response. I have my husband who has been a great support for me through all of my issues, and I regularly go to counselling so I'll be able to talk it through with my counsellor as well.

I have the numbers for the crisis team, and other support numbers. I've had issues with my depression in the past that has meant I've accessed those services before.

Well done for completing the paperwork. I have just been through the PUK process for ASD. 

The forms were hard for me too. I still think about them a few months after I filler them in. For me it made me realise just how isolated I was as a child, how I never hand any friends and how 'different' I was. Don't get me wrong, it was a hard to process but it was also good as at the same time I realised (for the first time ever) that it wasn't just me being odd but there was a reason why. If that makes sense?

When it comes to the harder questions please try not to stress, just be simple with the answers. Sometimes when I am stuck I look up the word in an online dictionary to help me get my head around what it means and write down the first thing that comes into my head.

I know that answering the 73 questions is a lot, but I saw it as them giving me the opportunity to shorten the time needed for the assessment appointment by allowing me to give them as much background as possible in my own time and at my own pace. Just remember the form is not a test. 

The Doctor who did my assessment was genuinely really lovely and put me at ease. The assessment was not rushed at all.

If there is one piece of advice I would give it would be to try to prepare yourself for the diagnosis and make sure you have people around you after you receive it. After I was diagnosed with High Functioning Autism I went through a MASSIVE range of emotions which totally overwhelmed me. I felt happy, sad and very angry. It made me re-process every interaction I had ever had. If you can try to read up on Autism as much as possible and share the information with those around you. 

I was really helped by my local mental health crisis team, they have 24 hour phone number and have helped me several time when I was in a really bad place. 

Please remember that things will get better, you are amazing and you are still you at the end of the day. 

Ah good, glad to hear you are moving along the process. I'm with Psychiatry UK myself for an ADHD assessment. I sent them my ID last month. Hopefully we'll both get our first appointments soon.