Published on 12, July, 2020
I visited my GP yesterday and spoke to her for the first time about Aspie’s. She said that she would refer me if I wanted but posed the question what would it achieve? Or rather what would I want to achieve? What are my reasons for seeking one?
I need some opinions and experience about self-diagnosis vs formal diagnosis...I have some reasons already which I will inevitably list at some point...
but for now I’m just interested in a general opinion so I can make the choice a little easier...
many thanks for your helps!
I’m going to talk to my GP on Thursday, but for me it’s wanting validation. I’ve always been odd, always had quirks, and, until recently, accepted them as me. Autism was a remote reason for them. All that changed when several people independently suggested it. I now want to know if autism is the reason why I’ve felt different all my life, why I don’t get stuff. I’m not sure how I’ll feel if it turns out I’m not autistic!
Hi Bonniepurple - I feel the same, but with that niggling fear that a 'negative' diagnosis could leave me feeling pretty disappointed, to be honest. It all makes sense to me now, in my mid-40s... I have a fear I'm not 'extreme' enough (I'm a high-performing professional with fairl full-on job, but having just read Sarah Hendrickx's Women and Girls with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Understanding Life Experiences from Early Childhood to Old Age, I can identify many of the coping strategies I've subconsciously adopted over my life to fit in.
I've not yet approached my GP, but am going to ask when I next see her.
Good luck everyone!
Update: I did get a referral from my GP, and was able to arrange an assessment through my employer's private health insurance (not all insurers cover it). It took a bit of time to find a psychiatrist who worked with my insurer (they would only cover assessment by a psychiatrist or psychiatrist-led team), but I had the assessment in mid-December.
It consisted of a session with both a psychologist (who also interviewed my mother by telephone) and the psychiatrist. The former was a positive experience but the latter was pretty awful. I wasn't prepared at all and it felt like a job interview! No 'bedside manner' at all and what felt like very little engagement, which all seemed pretty inappropriate for a mental health professional.
The information from my mother was not deemed to be useful enough, and the two practitioners were going to have to confer further on my diagnosis. The Christmas break has intervened, meaning no diagnosis until the new year. To be honest, I'm preparing myself for a negative diagnosis, and have a back-up plan ready.
What I had not prepared for was the anxiety it would cause. Don't underestimate how much this process can take out of you. If you're working, I'd strongly recommend taking a day or two off work to give yourself the mental space.
I'll report back in the new year!
Hi Sashina,
I had the same experience - the whole process was pretty traumatic and I wasn't prepared for it at all. My anxiety went through the roof following the assessments and I convinced myself I was being a hypochondriac and that I had wasted everyone's time. Turns out I am autistic and my reaction to the whole process was a result of my not being prepared and having a coping strategy in place following the assessment. Keep an open mind and don't jump to conclusions either way, but it is good that you have a back-up plan in place.
Hope you get your results soon.