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Hello

Wetterhorn

Hi There.  Long Story short, I’m a 56- year-old male diagnosed with depression, anxiety, ocd, and ptsd.  My childhood was marked with the repeated trauma of an alcoholic family.  I’ve always felt most comfortable alone or in nature with non-people things, and l’ve always felt that I don’t fit in.  I recently started working with a new therapist who mentioned that, given that no one was really tested for autism in school when I was young, and given my symptoms, that I may be dealing with undiagnosed autism.  I had NEVER considered this for some reason.  So, me being me, I ran home as fast as I could to watch every YouTube video on the topic that I could.  Then I did a few online tests, like the AQ and CAT-Q tests, both of which I scored high on.  Anyway, now I have a lot to think about.  Get tested for a diagnosis or not?  It’s been a lot to take in, especially for someone whose mind never stops.  So here I am.  Thanks for allowing me to share.  

Parents

  • Welcome to the community. You have had a lot to digest and the information about autism is a lot to take in. I understand some of what you are going through as I struggle with depression, anxiety, possibly ADHD and I was recently assessed as autistic. When the possibility of being autistic was first suggested to me, I researched loads of stuff online, including the information from the NAS’s diagnosis hub that Bunny has posted below. I carried a great deal of shame about past failures and felt I was an innately bad and inadequate person so the possibility that autism was potentially responsible for the way I am was nearly too much to hope for. I decided to go for an autism assessment as I knew I would always have doubts if I didn’t. The question of what I would do if the assessment was negative kept coming back to me, knowing that if so, I would probably go into a deeper depression. For me, the formal diagnosis was hugely important and I am glad I went.  Everyone is different and all you can do is weigh up the information. If you decide to go for assessment, are in the UK and not going to go through the NHS, just make sure the private provider adheres to NICE guidelines, in case need to have the diagnosis recorded on your medical file. 

Reply

  • Welcome to the community. You have had a lot to digest and the information about autism is a lot to take in. I understand some of what you are going through as I struggle with depression, anxiety, possibly ADHD and I was recently assessed as autistic. When the possibility of being autistic was first suggested to me, I researched loads of stuff online, including the information from the NAS’s diagnosis hub that Bunny has posted below. I carried a great deal of shame about past failures and felt I was an innately bad and inadequate person so the possibility that autism was potentially responsible for the way I am was nearly too much to hope for. I decided to go for an autism assessment as I knew I would always have doubts if I didn’t. The question of what I would do if the assessment was negative kept coming back to me, knowing that if so, I would probably go into a deeper depression. For me, the formal diagnosis was hugely important and I am glad I went.  Everyone is different and all you can do is weigh up the information. If you decide to go for assessment, are in the UK and not going to go through the NHS, just make sure the private provider adheres to NICE guidelines, in case need to have the diagnosis recorded on your medical file. 

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