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Why Get Diagnosed?

Boggart

Hi,

I'm an adult (31), female, and I think I might have mild autism. I wanted a diagnosis, and the mental health team (with whom I'm involved for anxiety) gave me the AQ10 questionairre thingy, on which I scored 8/10, but when I took it back to my GP she said something like that they don't really have any facility to diagnose adults and it wasn't that important anyway- I should focus on my other health stuff. I have severe anxiety, complete agoraphobia (I don't leave the house at all except for tests / specialist appointments at the hospital), and emetophobia, and digestive problems for which I've had an intestinal bypass- that's what the specialist appointments etc are to do with. 

I like my GP a lot- she's been very kind to me helping with my physical health problems, and very understanding about the anxiety stuff. My previous GP was nothing like that, so I really appreciate her. I do not want to make her mad at me, or get her into any trouble at all, but I'm a bit disappointed I can't get diagnosed. 

I guess I'd just like some advice- what should I do? What would you do? Is there any way I can press this without making my GP dislike me? Or is it best to just drop it? Does getting diagnosed make any real difference to your life? Does it help with studying / benefits / would it affect the treatment I get for anxiety? I'm already signed off sick, and I don't know if I really need any support for the autistic traits- they've always just been part of my personality, but I'm not sure how much the anxiety is tangled up in it, or whether that matters at all for treatment purposes? I might be completely wrong, anyway- I might just be an oddball and not autistic at all! I have a lot of the traits, but certainly not all of them. I guess I just got a bit of a bee in my bonnet about it and I'd really really really like to know. 

Parents

  • There is no need to apologise, I used a suboptimal word- the one I thought of after you commented on it was much more accurate. I was not upset- just wanted to clarify what I meant. :) 

    I'm glad you relate, but I thought people would, because I focussed on traits where I match videos / descriptions I've seen of what autistics tend to be like. I'm not sure whether some of them are worth more "points" so to speak than others- perhaps all my matches are very general ones that everyone feels to some degree? Yes the laundry thing was the last straw on a bit of an anxiety-overload! 

    I would not refer to myself as autistic unless I'd been officially diagnosed tbh. To me, personally, that would feel like lying, and starting to think of myself that way could get me into all kinds of trouble?!- what if I commented on it to a doctor or benefits assessor and then they went back and checked and said "no you're not?" I cannot say "oh well I am because I decided I match the criteria quite well"? Doesn't really work. I guess self diagnosis is fine, as long as you can remember to only use it for social reasons. I wouldn't trust myself. 

    I guess the question is really- is it worth it? If I press this I could strain my relationship with my doctor. I really don't want that. I have a lot of other health problems that ARE more important. I need her to be on my side. I was hoping maybe people could help to offer the right words, or a clever way to approach it that I hadn't thought of, that would not be confrontational. I *feel* like there'd be benefits to getting diagnosed. There'd be social benefits- if I could just say "I'm autistic" it would explain a lot for people and give me a bit of leeway when I screw up. On the other hand, would it just make me lazy? I think everyone has to try, sometimes, to be considerate etc. With an excuse like that I might be tempted to try less hard. Aside from that, are there any other benefits? There are literally benefits, I suppose (as in being signed off sick) but it's not my autistic traits, but my anxiety and stomach problems that allow me to check most of those boxes- though it'd be an extra thing to list, I don't know if it'd really be worth many (any?) points on those forms. Then there's studying- I'm giving serious consideration to doing a bit of Open Uni- an autism diagnosis might allow me a bit of extra time on tests? Then again, the reason I'd really benefit from that, is poor concentration due to a combination of anxiety and malnutrition- I might be just fine to get it anyway. It's an extra bit of credibility, I suppose. The last thing I can think of is the anxiety itself- I'm awaiting more therapy. Would a diagnosis of autism affect how they treat it? It might help them to ask more of the right questions. Then again, simply telling the therapist I think I might be autistic could also lead them to those questions. Is there ANY good practical reason to get diagnosed? Does it help with anything in your life? 

Reply

  • There is no need to apologise, I used a suboptimal word- the one I thought of after you commented on it was much more accurate. I was not upset- just wanted to clarify what I meant. :) 

    I'm glad you relate, but I thought people would, because I focussed on traits where I match videos / descriptions I've seen of what autistics tend to be like. I'm not sure whether some of them are worth more "points" so to speak than others- perhaps all my matches are very general ones that everyone feels to some degree? Yes the laundry thing was the last straw on a bit of an anxiety-overload! 

    I would not refer to myself as autistic unless I'd been officially diagnosed tbh. To me, personally, that would feel like lying, and starting to think of myself that way could get me into all kinds of trouble?!- what if I commented on it to a doctor or benefits assessor and then they went back and checked and said "no you're not?" I cannot say "oh well I am because I decided I match the criteria quite well"? Doesn't really work. I guess self diagnosis is fine, as long as you can remember to only use it for social reasons. I wouldn't trust myself. 

    I guess the question is really- is it worth it? If I press this I could strain my relationship with my doctor. I really don't want that. I have a lot of other health problems that ARE more important. I need her to be on my side. I was hoping maybe people could help to offer the right words, or a clever way to approach it that I hadn't thought of, that would not be confrontational. I *feel* like there'd be benefits to getting diagnosed. There'd be social benefits- if I could just say "I'm autistic" it would explain a lot for people and give me a bit of leeway when I screw up. On the other hand, would it just make me lazy? I think everyone has to try, sometimes, to be considerate etc. With an excuse like that I might be tempted to try less hard. Aside from that, are there any other benefits? There are literally benefits, I suppose (as in being signed off sick) but it's not my autistic traits, but my anxiety and stomach problems that allow me to check most of those boxes- though it'd be an extra thing to list, I don't know if it'd really be worth many (any?) points on those forms. Then there's studying- I'm giving serious consideration to doing a bit of Open Uni- an autism diagnosis might allow me a bit of extra time on tests? Then again, the reason I'd really benefit from that, is poor concentration due to a combination of anxiety and malnutrition- I might be just fine to get it anyway. It's an extra bit of credibility, I suppose. The last thing I can think of is the anxiety itself- I'm awaiting more therapy. Would a diagnosis of autism affect how they treat it? It might help them to ask more of the right questions. Then again, simply telling the therapist I think I might be autistic could also lead them to those questions. Is there ANY good practical reason to get diagnosed? Does it help with anything in your life? 

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