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umm... help!

xoanon

Where do I start?

This is all new to me. Frankly I'm thoroughly confused, totally overwhelmed and absolutely terrified...

I don't have a diagnosis of anything, not as yet, but I am awaiting a referral after my GP suggested completely out of the blue that I may have some form of Autism.

Let's be clear here. For the past 15 or so years I've been under the impression I had social anxiety disorder and chronic depression. Prior to that, well, I don't know. I can't say even what caused the other conditions to blow up, quite literally, overnight.

For all its worth I can describe my thoughts and feelings, I can try and describe how I act in certain situations (although not why I act/react in that way). What I can't say is why one day I could cope and the next I couldn't.

I'm not sure exactly what I am asking for here, I think I'd just like to know if its even going to make a difference if the diagnosis is Autism. The way I get treated, as things are, is bad enough - from everyone from councils to housing to the NHS. If that's going to get worse then I'd like to know, or if it will get better even because people 'have heard of' the condition.

Please don't just send me to read this, that or the other. I'm overloading on dry facts and its frustrating. Nor can I ask anyone else to do it for me, I don't have anyone.

I apologise if this is the wrong section.

  • Hi xoanon

    Welcome to the forum. I am undiagnosed, but over the course of the last 2 years, have come to realise that autism is the one thing that explains the problems I have had over the years. I was very depressed at one time, but am now much happier.

    I was "outed" by someone with a psychology degree, who I knew socially. I think most people I know now realise that I am autisic and people are treating me differently. I was bullied for years and constantly offending people, life was very hard. Now, I seam to be accepted more by those I know. I guess they are making allowances and showing understanding. We never talk about it openly.

    It took me a long time to come to terms with this. I am in my 60s, it was a shock. I have had loads of sympathetic support here on the forum. If something is bothering me, I now have somewhere that I can come for help, instead of stewing it around in my head and getting nowhere.

    My advice would be to read all you can, when you are ready to do so, and bring your questions and problems here. There is a wealth of practical experience among those on the forum. You will generally find someone who has experienced the same sorts of things as you, who is willing to share their ways of dealing with it.

    Best wishes Smile

  • Former Member
    Former Member

    Hi and welcome to the forum!

    Don't be terrified. I was diagnosed a year ago and I have had a much better year with the understanding that this has brought me than the previous year which was really stressful and depressing.

    SAD and depression are common consequences of ASD. If you work out strategies for understanding and dealing with the ASD then the anxiety and depression can lift - I was on the verge of a mental breakdown before I was diagnosed and have learnt and understood lots about myself since diagnosis. Your description of being able to cope one day and not the next is similar to my experience. You can cope with a lot of things for a long time and then you get overwhelmed and you break, or crack, under the strain. This is quite common and I think mental breakdown is the best description. It is possible to recover and to make a better life than you had before.:-)

  • Well, that's a good start isn't it....

    Double posting a new thread