• Replies 20 replies
  • Subscribers 79 subscribers
  • Views 5167 views
  • Users 0 members are here
Options
Related
Hints and tips
  • To quote someone's message, first select/highlight the relevant text, and then use the Quote button that appears
  • To "mention" someone, type @ followed by the start of the forum name, and choose from the list; that person will get a notification of being mentioned

Is going through the diagnosis process worth it?

koffeekat9

Hi all

I've suspected for a few years that I am autistic, but I'm not sure if it's worth going through the assessment and diagnosis to confirm or disagree.

I'm 42 and have got through life so far, I thought pretty much as well as anyone.  However, I'm struggling with organising myself and have done for years.  I was diagnosed with generalised anxiety a few years ago and found that counselling didn't help at all (I went to different counsellors at different times in my life).

I first became aware of this a few years ago when someone told me that they thought someone was aspie and they didn't know how to tell them.  They started explaining their reasons (the person had various issues with food and they felt that they had difficulty communicating).  I hadn't picked up on these things as being 'problematic' and responded with 'doesn't everyone do those things then?'

This led me to look into aspergers and autism more.  I couldn't believe how much I identified with the stories of other people with autism.  I've never been able to identify with personal stories in the same way before.

I did some of the online tests, though I am aware that these are not a certainty, and they very clearly pointed towards autism for me.  I also wrote down pages and pages of experiences thorugh my life which when I stood back and looked at them were so consistent with autism I couldn't believe that it hadn't been picked up on at my counselling sessions.  I gathered all my research and showed my partner of 20 years.  Usually he would say something if he thought I was being dramatic but he just looked at me and said 'it does look like it doesn't it, are you going to ring someone to be assessed?'

But that's where I'm unsure.  Reading about adult experiences it sounds like it can be a stressful process, even just trying to convince a GP that you should be referred.  I have difficulty calling the GP for an appointment as I don't like talking to people on the phone. So just trying to get that appointment is putting me off to start with!!

So it comes down to what I hope to acheve with a diagnosis, and on that I'm not really sure. So this is where my question on this forum comes in.

1) Anyone who has been through the process - what benefits do you think there are to having done it and got the diagnosis?  Has it changed anything for you?

2) Is there anyone on here who realised they were autistic as an adult but decided not to go through the diagnosis process?  How do you deal with that?  Do you say to people that you think you are autistic, do you go on as before?

I currently feel like I'm in limbo, but if I could realistically identify in some way then I'd feel more settled.  I've seen a few comments on here where people have felt that it hasn't helped to be diagnosed as so many people don't understand autism anyway.  I'm wondering if the way forward is to help to raise awareness of autism.  However, I don't feel 'qualified' to do that because I can't officially identify as autistic without a diagnosis and without that validation how could I talk about issues from that perspective?

Also I'd love to know if there are some techniques that are more likely to work for me that could help with the everyday organisation and the anxiety issues that have never been resolved through other methods.

Parents

  • Hi, Katfish & Flux. 

    I've got an appointment booked with my GP next week to ask to be referred. I'm mid-50's and like you both, have a number of health issues.

    Sometimes I find people think I'm joking when I tell them factually about my cholesterol level (was 18.9 - thanks dad for that FH gene), or the several angioplasties over 25 years - or that the last one took 2 hours but they couldn't get through the blockage before I'd had too much radiation), or the diabetes (thanks mum). 

    I quite like the health professionals, especially once they talk to me at a level that gives me enough information for me to make my own decisions (i.e. more than the average punter).  I even attended a Heart UK cholesterol medical conference which I found fascinating - so much information to absorb :).

    20 odd years ago, our eldest daughter had severe problems during the birthing process. My wife (who is probably within the Aspie range) and I had to decide if support should be withdrawn from her to let her die, or to keep her alive but very poorly.  The consultant involved seemed quite surprised by our (especially my) attitude - for although we know there was an approriate emotional response, my main aim was to be learn as much as we could be, so we could make a rational, logical response.  He said that he'd not known anyone take such a celebral approach to the matter (I've just thought that maybe 'celebral' was an inapproriate phrase, given that brain injury was one of the problems).  Maybe it sounded cold and heartless, but to us we were making the best possible decision in the best way we knew, for our daughter. 

    Sorry if I've wandered off topic.

Reply

  • Hi, Katfish & Flux. 

    I've got an appointment booked with my GP next week to ask to be referred. I'm mid-50's and like you both, have a number of health issues.

    Sometimes I find people think I'm joking when I tell them factually about my cholesterol level (was 18.9 - thanks dad for that FH gene), or the several angioplasties over 25 years - or that the last one took 2 hours but they couldn't get through the blockage before I'd had too much radiation), or the diabetes (thanks mum). 

    I quite like the health professionals, especially once they talk to me at a level that gives me enough information for me to make my own decisions (i.e. more than the average punter).  I even attended a Heart UK cholesterol medical conference which I found fascinating - so much information to absorb :).

    20 odd years ago, our eldest daughter had severe problems during the birthing process. My wife (who is probably within the Aspie range) and I had to decide if support should be withdrawn from her to let her die, or to keep her alive but very poorly.  The consultant involved seemed quite surprised by our (especially my) attitude - for although we know there was an approriate emotional response, my main aim was to be learn as much as we could be, so we could make a rational, logical response.  He said that he'd not known anyone take such a celebral approach to the matter (I've just thought that maybe 'celebral' was an inapproriate phrase, given that brain injury was one of the problems).  Maybe it sounded cold and heartless, but to us we were making the best possible decision in the best way we knew, for our daughter. 

    Sorry if I've wandered off topic.

Children
No Data