Been good to hear from any adult ASD diagnosed women in this forum... or does anyone know any good sites for ASD women?
Hello out there......anyone????
Been good to hear from any adult ASD diagnosed women in this forum... or does anyone know any good sites for ASD women?
Hello out there......anyone????
The first assessment I had were lots of different professionals, tests, questions, interviews etc but though they were qualified professionals I did not feel confident and comfortable that the experience and ingrained knowledge was there which showed up to me in some of the test situations and reports. It left me feeling bad but instinctively I knew they weren't right. They were following a text book. I researched around to find somewhere reliable where they were used to assessing adult women. When I saw Dr Judith Gould speaking about it I thought that was the place to go. Luckily for me it was the right decision for me.
Nothing wrong with a sweet old fashioned village practice if they are kind, supportive open minded and willing to listen. Good luck with broaching the subject with your husband and then your Gp
You haven't put me off girl....my AD score online was 46/50 btw, and I also did an EQ test online and scored 17/40. Interested in your action to go to Lorna Wing....seems to be held in rather high regard put there...
Would like to go to the GP with my husband so need to have THAT conversation first to get him on board....no friends or family ...so, every cloud, as they say
the village GP practice is very sweet...but I fear maybe a little old fashioned....so I shall go armed ....and papered!
Every sympathy.. Hopefully you will have a good Gp willing to support you. Go armed with the different lists for example the Tania Marshall and the Aq 50 plus information about yourself which fits I think if you can watch the YouTube links it will help to show you what information you need. Also have a look in your area to see who would be assessing you or to see if you have a choice. Then find out about them. My assessment became very confused because of the co existing dcd, ADHD and autism especially as they overlap with things like executive function. I went to Lorna Wing Nas for a second opinion eventually.
Also be sure why you want to have a formal diagnosis and if you get one what you think it will change or what you expect to happen as a result. For example access to work adjustments in your work place or purely self knowledge. And be aware if you get confirmation of your thoughts you may experience a grieving process afterwards and friends and relatives reactions may be mixed. Go for it. Hope I haven't put you off..
I moved from a small village to a slightly larger one...but surrounded by countryside...I do find it difficult getting myself out if the house though at times due to anxiety....but think that this is just me feeling a little about where I am at, at the moment in working things out in my head..
Yes it does confuse when the replies seem to jump!
i agree with my symptoms and character also (just need to brace the GP for. A referral) - gulp! -
interesting thought about symptoms being exacerbated. I'm 42 and thought...great... mid life crisis, peri-menopausal, career has peaked...doors seemingly starting to close....and then this curve ball!
the replies and times of replies keep jumping about which doesn't help continuity of topic!
So do I! I was told that the tremors and cfs may have resulted due to undiagnosed conditions and just making such an effort to be "normal" for so long and that it wasn't unusual. But yes I think I agree my symptoms/characteri
were exacerbated during and post menopause. It has been recognised in women in the adhd community too
Hormone levels so make my DCD a moving target.
Being on the oral contraceptive at 47 years of age and running it continuously has been my GPs clever fix to managing the worst of the variance. Having primary infertility AND a partner with a vasectomy means that the prescribing is unnecessary for any other reason!
Thank you to you too. Got me welling up now. That's exactly like me too. Exactly. Every paragraph. Except I get tremors instead. My head nods in a rather off putting way and body goes with it and walk like I'm drunk. It's usually when I'm stressed or exhausted or both. I'm very grateful to all of you for participating too as I have never ever "posted "anything anywhere before so this is a new experience for me. I'm feeling quite brave and a bit pleased with myself. So thank you. We just have to take small steps and take one day at a time. Clearly it does make a positive difference
Just a quick note after checking my emails at pee o'clock in New Zealand.
Anxiety sucks. It really does. I ended up on fairly big doses of antidepressant meds to get it back to "survivable" levels. It's a bit of a risky strategy for neurodiverse people because we can have odd reactions to psychoactive medication, but between venlafaxine and running the oral contraceptive pill together continuously I'm a lot better. As long as I also do several sessions of high intensity exercise weekly - after a lifetime of hating exercise because of my DCD/dyspraxia, I've had to make a schedule for it -eeek!
It's nice to see all these neurodiverse women regardless of whether they just know they are or someone else has confirmed it.
I also suggest any woman who is want compassionate information on women and ASD to look for Tony Attwood's information on women and ASD on YouTube
I'm just the other side of the menopause and have seen it mentioned elsewhere, I wonder if it's a contributory factor in bringing things to crisis point??
Hope you find some peace.
Yes Tania Marshall checklist was one I used in my own research. It's got lots of detail and picks up on a full cross section of characteristics which don't really come up in a lot of the books or information. Hope you find the links as informative/ reaffirming as I did. She has a new book out as well but haven't seen it yet.
we have similar interests.. I grew up In a village but live in a market town now so getting out into the countryside is essential!
I'm really confused about which 'reply' button to hit so plumped for the bottom one! Hello Welly and Misfit, you've all got me crying again, I'm sure we are all very different but so much commonality too. It breaks my heart that there is so much suffering out there in the name of trying to fit in with something we are all realising we never will fit into.
Even here, trying to type this I'm wary of not offending anyone and being rejected, it's such an ingrained mindset. This thread has got so long and there's so much content that it's easy to get lost... I think we are all reading so much in a desperate attempt to understand ourselves better, stop feeling like we are fundamentally flawed and failing and to find a way to explain how it is to those around us, whatever our circumstances.
I hadn't read it but I've definitely hit that epiphany/brick wall where my coping strategies and defenses are all failing. I don't have children (think I somehow knew I wouldn't cope with that) and my life is quite small, diagnosed years ago with depression (not now) I've persistently tried to push past social anxiety by doing new things and being around people but it just never gets easier. A few years ago I began to get shaky hands when something made me really anxious and I found that could be controlled with beta blockers when absolutely necessary around other strangers - double the stress if you look like a complete freak as well as feeling like one and triple trauma of not being able to be invisible!
Recently the shaking has become almost constant at the slightest thought of having to 'do' anything, even things I want to do, among people I feel safe with, hence the need for urgent analysis, I'm not even sure now when I first stumbled across Asperger/ASD and empathy being irrelevant but it was instant shock and recognition. Feels like I've been looking at life through the wrong lens always and that is pretty devastating. A perfectionist who tries to make everything as good as it can be finding they were operating from completely the wrong premise is a bitter blow, I can just about see the black humour in it.
What next? Keep reading and thinking I guess but I don't have a clue what or how to change things, or even who I am anymore, it's a huge comfort somehow to have found you all here, sincere thank yous for talking and best wishes all.
Sound advice indeed......Psssr. Hope we haven't scared off the other women what have participated in this thread.....
I think that's why I ended up having to get a second opinion to be diagnosed. There are still too few fully aware of how to diagnose adult women and girls.
I spent several years training to and working with children and then caring for my mum but I used up my reserves and burnt out. So do try to keep a balance of giving, caring and fitting in with being yourself and recharging your own batteries.
BOOM! ! - "I think this is one of those instances where we have to try to feel ok with ourselves first but it's hard when I have had years of not doing" - hit the nail on the head with that one!!!!
i'll check out the YouTube links you posted also. Will also try and play the game "tick the box" with my husband this evening....I.e Tania Marshalls Aspie women checklist...
Glad you gave things you enjoy and seek solace and comfort in and with....mine are reading, music, the countryside (walking) and my cat..., :)
quite a list of stuff there that you're dealing with girl!
Thanks. I will. Its trying to come to terms with and manage all the different conditions I have at once ( I have arthritis too plus the fibro/cfs) My positives are my gorgeous guinea pig, getting out into nature and taking photos of the beautiful formations, recently got into colouring books and using pencil crayons and water colours for the first time since school. I also listen to a lot of audio books or YouTube films. So I do have things that I enjoy.