Do you struggle to explain what you need from other people?

Sounds like you need to learn ways to be more assertive - it works not just with asking for what you want, but also for being more disciplined in your own head to cut through the BS and identify what it is you actually want.

It made a big difference for me, especially as there is lots of role play in the right sort of assertivness training course that make you face up to the stuff we typically struggle with - time after time until you get it right, but each time we fail we get a team analysis of what went wrong and the collective support to try it again.

Once you get that breakthrough it makes so much difference but the path is a difficult one, or it was for me.

Probably the biggest single take away from that was how to deal with your own thoughts - effectively self discipline which as an autist makes a world of difference.

 You know what brainfreeze is! I call it "Mindblank". I am glad to know that it is not just me who gets it. 

I get it when visiting doctors where I end up talking about something "Default" just to gree my mind up so I can talk, otherwize I can't even think about what I wanted to talk about... The real reason for my visit! It took me two whole years due to this just to ask a doctor if I was on the spectrum (Was trying to find out what the shutdoens were before I knew what they were called as I had almost given up on life and was desparate to find out what was wrong with me. It took another four and a half years wait to be assessed as I was fast tracked because of a house move to an area that had much shorter waiting lists. I was soo annoyed with myself due to not being able to ask due to mindblank, that for a while I wanted nothing to do with autism, but then I was researching about prosopragnosia which I know I have and my Mum has (Don't think there is an official assessment for prosopragnosia in the UK as when I mentioned it to a doctor that it was a problem she said "So?" as if it didn't matter! (It was the reason for me failing collage as I kept getting zero marks as I handed in the work into the wrong teachers which made me not bother to even try because I assumed the lecturers were against me because I reasoned I should have at least had some marks, though I was far too shy to ask why I had zero marks).  But doctors do not believe it is a problem that can effect ones life. Shutdowns are worse though, especially when they push one into burnout which takes years to recover. I am slowly recovering but want to be fully recovered back to where I was before 2019 when I had the last big burnout.  Doctors know nothing much about this as I went through burnout after burnout and I could not talk about them as I dis not know how to even describe what I was going through. I kept begging my Mum to ask a et to look at me because I reasoned they could examine me without me needing to talk. I have had second thoughts about that though as someone pointed out where vets stick the thermometer to take the animals temperatures. I know all too well the looks some of our cats and dogs gave us in the past! Their eyes eaid it all! 

It took me three whole days of watching every single youtube video about prosopragnosia while trying to avoid the "Ask An Autistic" one as I was frustrated I kept getting mindblank when I tried to ask, and I only had that ladies video left on the whole of youtube, so I watched it after three days of watching everything else!  And she said something like 80% of those with prosopragnosia are on the autism spectrum.  I booked anotherdoctors appointment as I was determined as for me it was life or death as I had come to the end of what I could do, as I could hardly work even low hours part time any more! I had to wait three weeks for the appointment and I took my Mum in and told her what to ask if I had mindblank. Yes, I had mindblank! Mum had to ask! 

Was clear that doctors don't know what shutdowns are, but at least she put me forward to be assessed. I had thought she could give me a YES/NO answer to if the shutdowns I was trying to describe (Without success) were autism related and if I was on the spectrum. Did not know I had to wait four and a half years to find out! (Actually found out what the shutdowns were earlier but by then I hit another major burnout and was in a mess which is the last time I worked. If I had known about autism and would have been assessed there and then when I first needed the help, I would have been able to keep working as I would not have pushed myself way too far which caused me to mentally collapse. But I didn't know the damage I was doing to myself. One very much feels like one is on one own at times because one can't describe inner feelings into words.  Example is today. I did not realize I was overtired due to lack of sleep at night until it hit mewhile I was driving, where my reactions were effected, so I went to find somewhere to pull in (Mum needed to go shopping) and had a brief sleep in the car. Did not feel tired at all until I realized something wasn't right. No. I would not suddenly sleep! Haha! I go physically numb hours before that stage! It was more I did not have the ability to feel tiredness until I had to search my inner feelings to work out what it was that my body was telling me. Is why I am now lying on my bed as I type this. Other people "Feel" tired. Before I hit several burnouts I was more in touch with feelings, but still some feelings I die not know what they were. Most of my life I havehad a certain feeling that hit me in kornings before school, collage or work, and it meant I had difficulties walking. Was ok driving and ok cycling as my mind was on other things, but not walking as the inner feeling hit and stopped me walking. Only decades later did I recently put two and two together. The feeling is anxiety! Anxiety stops me walking. 

When driving, I am focussed on driving so anxiety does not hit, as I relax when driving,  but when I reach my destination I can be stuck in the car and not be able to get out to walk.

I had to give up driving for a while because the anxiety was so bad, I was having nightmare after nightmare, 2 or 3 a night all the same, I was always a nervous driver, I didn't learn until I was 36 and as I can't ride a bike I'd never been a road user. It was a big learning curve, I was lucky my 4th instructor was really good and I passed on my 3rd attempt. I had CBT for the driving thing and I can drive again now, as long as I know where I'm going and don't go on motorways, I totally lose it on motorways..

Can you write things down to ask the GP? Do it in stages so you don't forget stuff, get overwhelmed etc?

Often find with writing things, I write and write and write... Doctors want bullet points. That is difficult! I write round the world and back! 

Often find with writing things, I write and write and write... Doctors want bullet points. That is difficult! I write round the world and back!