• Replies 18 replies
  • Subscribers 25 subscribers
  • Views 2610 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

Where next if NHS assessment isn't available?

dunk-in-biscuit

Hi folks, this thread has probably been covered hundreds of times but can't see it.

After cautiously self-diagnosing myself with Aspergers and backing this us with the online tests and lots of reading I headed to my GP to formally ask for an assessment. As usual, what fell out my mouth while there wasn't exactly convincing but his realistic opinion was that due to lack of resources (or lack of willing) I was not going to get an assessment in Cumbria if I was not of school age. Now I can knock a few years off my age by shaving off the beard but the receeding hairline is a bit of a give away - so I think it is safe to say this route is closed.

I've been (thankfully) offered CBT to beat back the depression and social anxiety but understandedly they won't touch the aspergers with a barge pole.

But heres the rub......having started down the road I know I won't be able to move on until get some form of "answer" that makes sence of who I am. Self-diagnosis is fine but I could just as easily convince myself donkies only have three legs!

Have any of you any experience of how you gain certainty (and peace) about being on the spectrum in the absence of a formal assessment.

Regards Dunk

Parents

  • I was diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome about 8 years ago. My GP initially referred me to a psychologist, and I was later shown his letter, in which he said he was doing so on the grounds that Asperger's only affected children, and therefore I must be delusional.

    The problem of GP ignorance is widespread, not helped by the fact that medical journals keep coming up with spurious studies claiming that, for a tiny study group and pitiful methodology, they have found evidence of children being cured as they reach adulthood. A common assumption is that if eye contact difficulty no longer seems obvious, that's the autism cured. Or else there are numerous quacks out there promising all kinds of cures that aren't corroborated. The trouble with autism is that anyone can set themselves up as an expert.

    There are very high standards across most medical research. Why autism should be any different is beyond comprehension. The Adult Autism Strategy, including the creation of autism partnership boards, is supposed to resolve the ignorance. However the main research centres make a lot of their income from selling autism services, something which wouldn't be tolerated in almost all other medical research.

    So you will find many people on here have had bad experiences with GPs.

Reply

  • I was diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome about 8 years ago. My GP initially referred me to a psychologist, and I was later shown his letter, in which he said he was doing so on the grounds that Asperger's only affected children, and therefore I must be delusional.

    The problem of GP ignorance is widespread, not helped by the fact that medical journals keep coming up with spurious studies claiming that, for a tiny study group and pitiful methodology, they have found evidence of children being cured as they reach adulthood. A common assumption is that if eye contact difficulty no longer seems obvious, that's the autism cured. Or else there are numerous quacks out there promising all kinds of cures that aren't corroborated. The trouble with autism is that anyone can set themselves up as an expert.

    There are very high standards across most medical research. Why autism should be any different is beyond comprehension. The Adult Autism Strategy, including the creation of autism partnership boards, is supposed to resolve the ignorance. However the main research centres make a lot of their income from selling autism services, something which wouldn't be tolerated in almost all other medical research.

    So you will find many people on here have had bad experiences with GPs.

Children
No Data