Help and advise needed in West Sussex

hello everyone. I won't go into all the details now as there is just so much to say, but for various reasons and incidents I have begun to believe that my 22 year old daughter may be on the autistic spectrum. She currently lives independently with her almost three year old daughter, and works full time as an admin apprentice at a college but has recently hit rock bottom. I fear she is abusing alcohol and smoking canabis. She says she cannot socialise without alcohol and she only feels 'normal' when she's drunk. She says she has always felt different and never really fit in. She was a late talker, but is very intelligent but she struggles with certain things. She has been taking antidepressants for three weeks. I haven't broached her yet with my suspicicions. Obviously there are lots of issues to deal with but I feel that a diagnosis might be a positive step. She might be kinder to herself if she knew why she struggled. 

Does anyone know if there is any where that does adult assessments in our area? What does my daughter say to the GP? And how do I broach it with my daughter? 

huge thanks in advance 

Parents
  • She could complete an on line questionnaire which would indicate if she is on the autistic spectrum.  I can't remember its name but doing a search on this site shd find it.  Also she cd take the results, if they indicated autism, to her GP.  I think the average GP could make any number of suggestions as to why your daughter is feeling as she is so I think it's important to try out the questionnaire before seeing the GP.  Also it might be worth checking out if any of the GPs in the practice have an interest in autism (probably not) or mental health (possibly).  Some areas of the country have Community mental health + learning disability nhs teams, but I don't think you can self-refer.  Hope things improve Smile

Reply
  • She could complete an on line questionnaire which would indicate if she is on the autistic spectrum.  I can't remember its name but doing a search on this site shd find it.  Also she cd take the results, if they indicated autism, to her GP.  I think the average GP could make any number of suggestions as to why your daughter is feeling as she is so I think it's important to try out the questionnaire before seeing the GP.  Also it might be worth checking out if any of the GPs in the practice have an interest in autism (probably not) or mental health (possibly).  Some areas of the country have Community mental health + learning disability nhs teams, but I don't think you can self-refer.  Hope things improve Smile

Children
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