• Replies 3 replies
  • Subscribers 25 subscribers
  • Views 877 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

'Awaiting funding'...but for how long?

Stormfront

Greetings. I'm Stormfront, and I'm trying desperately to get a diagnosis of what the heck is wrong with me.I've been at University for about eleven years now, so my guess is high-functioning AS; however, I've been faced with a set of problems even before I get to a diagnosis stage. The local health authority runs a 'gateway' system whereby they try and get people sorted out for mental health needs by seeing a single non-expert (general MH nurse). They ask a very basic battery of questions to try and evaluate you (Are you suicidal? Really, are you? Can you describe how suicidal you might be feeling on a scale of one to ten? Are you sure you're not suicidal?)

I eventually blew off steam by mentioning I wasn't suicidal, but the questions might well make me homicadal, and did they care to try and evaluate that one? (They don't like jokes, much, either).

The final outcome is that they promised to get back in touch, and that was nearly a year ago. The only contact has been that they have sent a letter saying that they are awaiting more funding in order to get me to be seen by anyone. I'm not sure if it's worth trying to save up for a private diagnosis, or to try and pester my GP. Without a diagnosis, it's almost impossible to access any services. Can anyone offer advice as to where I go from here? I just don't know who to write to or call in order to sort things out.

  • @Stormfront, as stranger says, you need to see a psychologist, not a psychiatrist. Go to your GP and insist that they refer you for a psychologoical assesment. Also, have you broached the subject with your parents at all? If they're 'on your side' it might be helpful to have one of them with you when you see the GP, and will definately be helpful when you see the psychologist (it's much easier to diagnose AS given information about early childhood).

    Aside from that, one 'heads up' - don't expect things to suddenly start happening once you've got a diagnosis - in many ways diagnosis is the easy part! Funding for support is also a postcode lottery, and we often fall between the gaps of 'mental health disorder' (which AS isn't) and 'learning disability' (which AS also isn't). I, for example, was diagnosed about 2 years ago, and I'm still fighting to get support from my local health and social services authorities!

  • Autism isn't a mental health problem; it's a developmental disorder. Just because you're not suicidal, doesn't mean you don't need help.

    I guess I'm lucky. The GP I was is a trainee and doesn't know how the process works. He contacted his trainer and then contacted me and said that I need to see a psychiatrist. That was the start of January. I had 2 sessions with a psychiatrist and on the second one, received my Autism diagnosis.

  • It seems to be a postcode lottery, as they say for so many things. Some GPs and Health Teams will look for any other explanation plausible rather than address what's really affecting people.

    My GP thinks autism is something you grow out of. Therefore when I sought a diagnosis I was initially referred to a psychologist as delusional. He wont accept the diagnosis even now - not a major issue as I don't need his help, but if I did I'd have to go somewhere else.

    Before diagnisis the only help I got was being given relaxation tapes, assertiveness tapes etc.,  It is difficult to fathom how some health workers/GPs manage to qualify.

    Seems they would rather waste money on inappropriate actions than help people with the appropriate procedures.  And when awareness training is offered locally they're too busy to go along.... not that that's come from the local authority who think Aspergers is a learning disability.