At the time of writing this it's my 20th Birthday, I saw my GP recently about being referred to a psychiatrist for a diagnosis.
She agreed to refer me almost instantly, however she had no idea who to refer me to. Since a very young age I have suffered from anxiety which I feel impacted my childhood quite severely. Due to the social implications with AS I don't have a social life and don't have any friends. The few people I do talk to, on-line, often see me as arrogant/insulting but I think a few have come to realise I don't intend to come across in that manner.
I also suffer with fairly bad anger management which has affected my family at times. On top of this I suffer from mild depression and paranoia too. When in any environment outside of my own home I am extremely paranoid and find myself crossing the road to avoid people, walking extremely fast and often checking over my shoulders. I also refuse to use public transport due to the paranoia.
Anyhow, now that's out of the way, my real problem at the moment is that I am unemployed. I have spoken both with JobCentre and A4E, who are now working with me as well as the JobCentre, about AS. However, neither seemed to fully understand it or take it on-board. They pile a lot of pressure on me, sending me to classes 2 or 3 times a week for group sessions. Obviously this is a fairly stressful experience for someone in my position.
I guess what I'm looking for is some kind of support in getting my diagnosis and then trying to work through my issues afterwards. However, I have been told getting a diagnosis can be a lengthy process as an adult and this concerns me due to the current pressure I am under and the stress it's causing.
Obviously the long-term goal is employment. In my current position though, I don't feel I am fully prepared for employment and need support with my condition first before I can find something that suits me.
Reading this back, I'm not entirely sure of my purpose for posting, but I guess it just helps to get it out there and talk with other people in a similar situation.
- Dave.
