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Adult needs advice

Wildflower87

Hi,

I am 28 and have suspected autism for some time. It was originally highlighted by someone else who spotted the signs.

I have always struggled immensely in social situations- I now avoid them altogether. So much so that for the past 6 years I have chosen jobs where I can work in solitude. I have no friends. It was 12-18 months before I first spoke to any other child at secondary school and that was only because they approached me. I was always called "weird" because all I did was read and talk about animals.

I excelled at school and I am very good at art. My special interests are animals, especially dogs, who I draw realistically. 

Other people notice things about me that I do not. For example, I'm often described as cold and unaffectionate and don't make eye contact. 

I took the 'autism test' and scored 39.

I summoned the courage, took the plunge and saw my GP today after reading on this main website that seeing a GP is the first step to diagnosis. I love organisation, planning and lists. I wrote down everything I thought was odd about me or possibly autism related to show him-  it ended up being three pages long.

He told me that the fact I've decided to speak to a GP is not an autistic trait. I told him that to go on holiday I have to plan every detail months in advance. He said that if I was autistic I wouldn't be able to go on holiday at all.

He hasn't referred me and now I'm left feeling lost.

I'm not quite sure what to do now...

  • Update-

    Thank you for your advice. On Saturday, I went to see a private psychologist for an hour. Her conclusion was that she could see autistic traits in me. I felt better and like it wasn't all in my head.

    I also booked to see a different GP at my surgery. She stopped me from talking and said she had 0% knowledge on autism. She asked me why I wanted to seek a diagnosis and I explained. She then referred me to have an official assessment.

    I'm waiting to hear about when it is. i have no idea what to expect form it.

  • Aspergers is just a more high functioning form of autism I think but I wouldnt worry about that. If it is any help I got my diagnosis from telling a cousellor repeatedly how I found it very difficult to talk. She referred me to a specialist. Speak soon. Good luck.

  • I had a look at the GP website. The only thing about ppg was asking people to join. But no info on how to contact them or even if you could.

    Thanks knowhereman. That's reassuring. Hopefully I  an find someone else to talk to who can help.

    I think if I felt it had been properly looked at I would feel better. Also, if I got a diagnosis, instead of always being the weirdo and the black sheep of the family I would feel like at least there was a reason. 

    I love art and I'm so creative. I'd like to find an art support group to join others with AS or autism. But can't without a diagnosis. I tried to try a normal art group... it didn't work out... I couldn't talk to the other people.

    I'm  still not sure what the difference is between AS and autism and where I fall.

  • Hi. I read your post with great interest. Nothing is better than identification to help with my lonelyness. I think your gp is stereotyping and you need to get a diagnosis from someone who specialises in AS like I did. People on the spectrum are not all exactly the same. I think you do have aspergers. Keep facing your fears in getting help and look for the similarities of others on this forum. Hope that help

  • Thank you for your help. Another thing he said was that if it was autism it would have been diagnosed when I was a child. 

    It took a lot to go there today and now I feel like I was totally  wrong and I must just be a weirdo :( he offered councelling but I said I would think about it.

    I will look at PPG. I will call the helpline on this site tomorrow and see what they say too.

  • There have been government assurances that GPs will refer - but it never seems to materialise. Daft reasons for not referring do appear on here from time to time, and your GP's excuse strikes me as one of the daftest.

    When I sought an adult diagnosis more than ten years ago the GP referred me to a psychiatrist on the grounds that autism is something you grow out of, so I must be delusional. I got round this via the local diagnostic service. When I got my Asperger Diagnosis he merely suggested was that a new kind of vegetable, and wouldn't discuss it further. He also overruled the post diagnoses support, about which I only found out later.

    Some GPs do seem to revel in being insensitive, unprofessional and downright ignorant, but you would think there would be some improvement with the Autism Act and the new Care Act.

    The problem is that GPs are little informed on autism and no initiative seems to make any progress. However you have a right to ask for a referral.

    Your GP surgery should have a Patient Participation Group (PPG)- though not all do, latterly because the funding has been withdrawn - even so they are supposed to provide one. You should be able to find out about the PPG on the surgery website, or ask at reception. You could them ask them to look at why the practice is turning down autism referrals for unsound reasons. You could ask the PPG to seek advice from the local NHS Trust.

    If you are having difficulty you could also find out the location of the diagnosis service in your local authority/local health service area, and tell them that your GP refused a referral.

    You seem to have done all the right things, but have been let down by a pathetically incompetent GP. But the trend is supposedly towards GPs cooperating with autism referrals, so you seem to have encountered a candidate for being struck off rather than a competent GP.