Finding Answers

I'm not too sure what you're asking me but I think the things you noted and that I have said have a lot to do with mental health problems which are, as I've noticed through these discussions, a serious problem when it comes to ASD and the stress that can be put on people on the spectrum and parents and anyone who supports someone else. At the moment it's just a case of wait and see. I suppose in the end everything works out in a way.

That is good news. It is really really uplifting to read that you have done in a month what took my mother and I forty years to do - nice one, very nice one indeed.

This thing though about feeling stupid, everything being your fault, being blind to change, and basically not being good enough - might you be delusional, or are you able to accept that believing you are inferior is complete and utter evidential nonsense? I mean - do need the evidence for this, or do recognise that no matter what the situation is - you are just as important as anyone is, and eveyone is just as important as you are. Yes?

Yes as far I'm aware I'll be contacted in the next month or so

Do you mean that your request for a diagnosis on the autism spectrum has been granted?

Today I was referred for an assessmen. However, the way I was spoken down to today I found to be very hard to take. I was treated as if I was stupid, and being well aware to the extent of the problems I faced this psychologist felt the need to remind me time and time again that everything is my fault. He made me feel so small and the problems I have with speech made it very hard for me to articulate what was wrong. I know why I'm depressed and anxious. Is it really so bad of me though that I just don't see any way that any of this will change, and this is certainly not for lack of trying.

PS - for your referral document, also check out and include, Females with Aspergers Syndrome by Samantha Craft, which is an unofficial but none the less excellent piece of work.

How does this fit with your university work schedule as you currently see it then?

Three months would likely be the time it would take at a minimum

To Meerkatz

As far as the busiest time of the year, university, work and treatment etcetera goes, how would you feel about taking a month off with the assessment for ASD, and making it a new year thing perhaps?

Further more - have you considered the university work schedule this coming year; how long the referral time is; and when and where the assessment/s would be most likely to occur?

Hi

Well I just went through assessment at age 42, after a year waiting for it through GP, and came out with a report that basically puts my anxieties down to 'childhood trauma'...They basically noted that because I had eye contact, good non verbal expression, am social, have emotions, very creative, dont have repetitive behaviour interests, and that I cope, I dont meet the criteria.

I was shocked at this, after hours of discussions explaining my struggles as a child (basically didnt talk to anyone i wasnt close to, always felt differentm and was called weird at school) and in adulthood, particularly with relationships and socially in groups, hypersensitivity and clumsiness. I was also aware that there were aspects they hardly/never touched on which would have a bearing on a diagnosis. They were looking for typical traits as achild and of course im an expert at mimicing social behaviour and my determination and obsession with subjects im interested in have made me successful in work. But it has also caused me intense anxiety and a period of phobia which I also overcame myself. But just because I "cope" thats not to say im not struggling and the destruction its causing...

I was/am still 99.9% certain of my ASD/Aspergers and there is a clear history of aspergers/bi polar in my family.

I am really quite angry with the NHS for basically ignoring alot of the points I made in over the assessment and I also feel my mother's contribution may have been detrimental rather than helpful to a diagnosis. Her memory is unreliable and our relationship isnt exactly normal, she is quite manipulative and may well be on the spectrum too. I took a risk asking her to be part of it but I had no one else. My father even more unreliable as he has a mental health condition apart from the fact that im estranged from him.

I only saw one psychologist, one other sat in on the ADOS test, which I found excrutiatingly stressful, and I cried at the final report which left me feeling helpless without any diagnosis or even reason/validation for my experiences/traits/feelings.

Anyone else had similar experience? Should I persist with this or is it a waste of time and emotional energy to fight? I emailed the psychologist to say I feel much of what ive said hasnt been taken into account and waiting to hear back.

:/

That is who is doing that

Have you discussed the subject of ASD with your CBT therapist yet?

After going to my appointment today I have been told that I can get a referal for an assessments if I really wanted to which I will go ahead with. As far as I've noticed the services in Scotland are far better than anywhere else. Along with this i am trying to learn to cope with severe anxiety disorder. The decision for how to move forward has been left to me and I'm not sure of the best route. At the minute I think the most useful option is to carry on with both, as well as university and a part-time job at the busiest time of year for shopping and also other issues to deal with in my own life. This could well be too much to deal with. Do I need complete commitment to the assessments and CBT for anxiety because I can't give up with uni or work as this would only be bad for me mentally?

Well, such is the political and social dilemma currently, and integrated reasoning has yet to catch on politically across most of the world. But, no matter how flawed social systems may be ar the moment - every problem is a solution to be recognised.

I'll definitely bring it up there. I live in Scotland with a slightly different system but services aren't any better funded or efficient to be fair

Next step then is. 'Diagnosis: the process for adults', and 'A GP's guide to adults with Asperger syndrome'.

I would recommend raising the issue of your concerns about having ASD with your councillor, before going ahead with your request for a diagnosis. They may be able to help you to a further extent, but keep in mind that NHS funding is insanely inadequate, and the most you might be able to expect from them - is a written diagnostic summary; with a therapuetic progress report.

I would very much recomenmed that you make your referral correspondences in hard copy at least, and send everything as such by recorded delivery, keeping a copy in each example for yourself. Ask for a hard copy of all correspondences involved with the assesment processes too.

D.

I need to be assessed. I need to be able to articulate this so others can understand my problems

For the time being, pause.

Since doing the AQ test, and reading the two other texts, where are you now in terms of your feelings and thoughts about yourself and ASD.

Where do i go from here?

Hi Meerkatz,

Well for me, telling people, it was a close family supported venture, most of my friends have also been diagnosed with all manner of Personality Disorders, including ASD, and it was more a case of finding out what was actually 'wrong' with me in sociological terms.

The main problem was getting Doctors and Specialists to actually help me, so so many of them, but the therapeutic processes were largely incompatible. I mean the support was appreciated, but also exaspearting and demoralising, in that there was no actual improvement in the character of my condition. So as you are now doing - at a university level proficiency; I have been doing since primary school.

So, we have addressed the: 'AQ Test', and ''The sensory world of autism' , we now move on to the next step:

Autistic Spectrum Disorders

An Aid to Diagnosis

By Lorna Wing MD FRCPsych

Then we can discuss perhaps what you think about it all, in a synoptic sense, and or then move on to the final prelimary stage.

Sincerely Thus,

D.