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Adult Autism Assessment

Kvothe
29 days ago

Hello

I am new to the Autistic community and i am looking for some advice. 

I am a 42yr old Male and recently decided to get tested for autism as i have always struggled with social situations, anxiety, making friends and general interactions also i have never been in a relationship because i cant seem to connect to other people romantically as well. Also in therapy sessions due to anxiety/depression i struggle to engage as i struggle to verbalise what is wrong with me, i just end up making things up or agreeing with the therapist.

My GP agreed and I now have an appointment with Psychiatry UK for an assessment.

I am now starting to freak out about this appointment as i am terrible at explaining myself especially what i am feeling as well as how i am feeling, and i am not very good at communicating things about myself. Can someone tell me about these assessments? was it wise to go private to get assessed? Also i have heard it takes 3 or 4 sessions to get diagnosed but Psychiatry UK say they only offer one session.

I am worried that the time is not long enough to properly assess me and that i will be misdiagnosed. I am also worried that i have 'faked' being ok for so long that it will con the assessors, in some ways i am "normal" and in other ways i am not normal"

Apologies if this is hard to read like i say i struggle to say or write what is happening for me.

Thanks

Adam

Parents
  • 24 days ago

    I was very happy with Psychiatry UK's service and would encourage you to proceed with it.

    Before my appointment, they sent self-report and informant report pre-assessment questionnaires. I received mine in PDF form, but converted my self report into MS Word, so that I could fit in more than the boxes would otherwise have allowed. You could just ask them for an alternative format, but I enjoyed converting it myself :)

    The questionnaire is extensive and has a final section for writing about anything else that you feel it might be helpful for them to know. You're also invited to submit such things as school reports and any previous psychiatric/psychological reports. You can submit other documents too, if you think they'll help.

    I took time to make sure I was fully happy with what I'd prepared before submitting it.

    It's unclear whether you're using them via the NHS right to choose or directly / privately. Either way, their standard cost includes a certain amount of time. If extra is needed, then they can and will do that, at additional cost.

    I had some similar concerns to you: in medical appointments, my mind often goes blank. However, the forms had already given them a lot of what they needed, and I was able to answer follow up questions easily enough.

    I was also initially concerned about potential impacts of masking. But my therapist reassured me that the assessors would be highly experienced and able to see straight through it.

    I wish you all the best with your assessment.

  • 10 days ago in reply to Bunny

    Apologies for not responding sooner, i dont seem to get notifications even tho i ticked to receive them..

    Thank you for your kind words and you have hit on everything well.

    I had my assessment today and got diagnosed with level 2 Autism.. still not sure what that means but was told i am autistic and need support..

    I am trying not to overwhelm myself with it atm as i am still in the disbelief part.. in some space in my head i knew but its a shock to have it confirmed.

    Psychiatry UK was really good.. took some time and frustration to get the appointment and assessors i wanted but they were great. I was a bit flummoxed by the questions but i feel they had already diagnosed me before the face to face and just wanted to confirm it.. 

    anywhoo thanks for theMessage Slight smile

  • 10 days ago in reply to Kvothe

    I had mine in February, 

    I found the process was pretty good, but it did feel pretty upsetting to have opened up as much about things I've never spoken about to anyone.

    Afterwards I felt relieved to have answers, but also a bit more autistic too.

    Since then I've found I've got more clarity, more respect for myself and cut myself more slack. Also that some things aren't as hard now I know why they were, if that makes sense at all.

    Hope you feel ok about your diagnosis and it helps you make sense of yourself and move forward without as much stress and anxiety as you've had before.

Reply
  • 10 days ago in reply to Kvothe

    I had mine in February, 

    I found the process was pretty good, but it did feel pretty upsetting to have opened up as much about things I've never spoken about to anyone.

    Afterwards I felt relieved to have answers, but also a bit more autistic too.

    Since then I've found I've got more clarity, more respect for myself and cut myself more slack. Also that some things aren't as hard now I know why they were, if that makes sense at all.

    Hope you feel ok about your diagnosis and it helps you make sense of yourself and move forward without as much stress and anxiety as you've had before.

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