Published on 12, July, 2020
Hello,
This is my first post here and I'm jumping straight in. I'm nearly 40, living with my family and read a description about Asperger's in women and realised that explained me. My GP agrees, but it's not straightforward trying to access diagnosis services.
I 'present' quite normal, simply because I learned to make eye contact as a teenager and I can talk in a business context....but my social and communication skills aren't up to having friends (I last saw a friend in October....no problem for me, but yeah, that's not *normal*) and getting on at work. So I'm chronically underemployed and stressed out by the 'people' aspects of any job.
I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder a long time ago, but have worked overseas for years, not taken medication or received help for this and been relatively OK. I realise now that's because I find it easier to get on with people who are not my peers. Sadly I'm now in the NHS mental health system, at my request, to try to get that diagnosis reviewed. I have a psychiatrist's appointment coming up and want to get something positive out of that appointment.
My area does not have an adult ASD service. My GP advised me the the NHS mental health service will refuse a request for funding to allow me to access an ASD diagnosis service outside the area.
So I called Social Services. And had to get myself entered into their database in order to try to get info from them. They (I spoke to 4 people) didn't think they had any responsibility for ASD. In the end the team leader passed on the message that they have a new service, and I should call a number. Which turned out to be the local mental health service, who told me this keeps cropping up but they have no provision for ASD. I phoned social services back and they were nice and told me to put in a complaint.
I'm seeing a newly appointed consultant psychiatrist. (This will be very painful as she's my 'peer' and I'm just the mental patient). I would like to straight out refuse to try any more antipsychotic medication (BTW I've never been psychotic....it's simply what they prescribe to people who are agitated aka disagree with the psychiatrist) and would rather just take an antidepressant I've taken for years in the past.
I decide to be unreasonable and write to both the new psychiatrist and the head of psychology. Psychology put me on a long waiting list for Cognitive Analytical Therapy. I've had 3 years of therapy in the past, with some very good therapists. I don't think that talking about my childhood will help. Particularly not as ASD traits are clearly behind a lot of my problems.
I'm depressed and struggling with the people side of the part-time work I'm doing.
Where do I turn now? My local authority haven't implemented the statutory guidance on autism. My mental health trust have told me they are not commissioned to provide ASD services. The primary? health trust won't fund me to be referred out. I have no money and realising that I've had lots of trouble with ASD traits all my life...and that there isn't a magic cure is distressing me. I need to access a service that understands women on the spectrum, that can cope with comorbid mental health conditions (I have some sort of mood disorder, though maybe not bipolar) and perhaps one linked to a university or city as my background is academic and cosmopolitan (my local mental trust staff can't understand people like me). Arghhhh!
"I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder a long time ago"
The university of Israel has done research on Bi-polar and says it is a body balance disorder, not a mental disorder. There research said that the cognitive part of the brain is keeping the body balanced, but when the environment is too stimulative, the person with bi-polar has a problem with orientation so uses an abstract cognitive mind to keep level, however they can not sustain these, so the brain/mind gets overworked(O.C.D) by the environmental stimulas until it peaks and then collaspes, hence bi-polar up and down, they measured eye movements and found them to be faster, which is also a sign of high stress and adrenalin. They noted that balance coordination and autism were linked also, including the OCD, stress and anxiety, long-term anxiety produces depression. There conclusion, some people with BI-POLAR may be on the autistic spectrum.
"I would like to straight out refuse to try any more antipsychotic medication (BTW I've never been psychotic....it's simply what they prescribe to people who are agitated aka disagree with the psychiatrist) and would rather just take an antidepressant I've taken for years in the past".
Medication does not help autism long-term, I found this after 4 yours of pill taking for depression, OCD and anxiety. I withdrew from the medication, my psychiatrist was supportive of this. If you are not responding to the drugs nor the CBT, as was in my case, the residual diagnosis could be Aspergers Autism.
I think a clear main difference between BI-polar and Aspergers is the social scene, someone with Aspergers can function within a functional role at work, but social gatherings find it really difficult, where as in the right mood a person with BI-polar has no problem with groups and gatherings, in fact maybe the life and soul of the party. Someone with Bi-polar tends to be obsessional with high energy, then a drop off, can't leave the house as the body adrenaline brings them down, like a high to low cycle. Someone with autism is more balanced in there persona and behaviour be that nervous, afraid or excited but never over the top manic, one day and down the next like a trait of bi-polar. I have a friend who is bi-polar, likes stimulas, where as I do not. I have sister-in-law who has bi-polar likes stimulas and is up or down depending on the fix cycle. So, you others can easily tell someone who is bi-polar. You ask the question, what are they going to be like today. Where as with autism, change is the enemy.
"I don't think that talking about my childhood will help. Particularly not as ASD traits are clearly behind a lot of my problems."
Correct, however social development training is needed with Autism.
"Where do I turn now? My local authority haven't implemented the statutory guidance on autism. My mental health trust have told me they are not commissioned to provide ASD services. The primary? health trust won't fund me to be referred out."
Join the club, same story across the land, caught between red tape and bullshit system. Remember a diagnosis can be an initial assessment by a psychologist and backed up by your psychriatist via the NHS.
Some sort of mood disorder, though maybe not bipolar) and perhaps one linked to a university or city as my background is academic and cosmopolitan (my local mental trust staff can't understand people like me). Arghhhh
I sense your frustration, people with Aspergers hide there autism well due to high IQ but have low emotional resilience.
Personally, I would say write a letter to the doctors involved with you and let them give you an opinion, refusing the drugs may help. If you condition get worse.., you find yourself spiking up and down, it is bi-polar, if you find yourself clear headed but with anxiety and social difficulties it is probably Aspergers.
Hope you find get this resolved, by the way to accept a diagnosis you are not 100% happy with aka BI-POLAR has to be considered for a review by your doctor, if still not satisfied get the BI-POLAR diagnosis on paper and seek a private doctors view with a case to seek damages.