Hello. I'm new here.

Hi there,

I'm sorry I missed you, too.  I have a lot of identification with this.  Coincidentally, I once was also the victim of severe bullying in a hospital setting (I was a clerical officer in an Oncology Department) and suffered PTSD afterwards.  I was off for months before eventually leaving.  But this was all many years before autism had even entered my field of consideration.  I was finally diagnosed almost 3 years ago, aged 56.  I now work in care with autistic adults.  I've worked in special needs care for 12 years in all.  Like you - I get on far better with the service users than I do with some of my colleagues!

I, too, didn't discuss the situation with the employer I had just before I was diagnosed.  I, too, hadn't been there more than a few months.  At the time, though, the process was going through for me.  When I got the diagnosis, I brought it up with my manager, who then asked why I hadn't mentioned anything at interview.  I explained that it was still uncertain as to whether or not I'd be diagnosed at that time.  She was fine with it and just asked me for an explanatory letter to go on my file.  The autism unit I'd been to provided me with such a letter, just basically saying I had been diagnosed, without going into any further details.  I told other people at work, too, and found them generally accepting.

Why would you lose your job?  They can't push you out because of a condition like this.  They can't discriminate in that way.  It's illegal.  Is it a private hospital or NHS?  Have you thought about joining the union?  I wish I'd been in the union when I had my bad incident.  I was compelled to put in a complaint about the member of staff concerned - but they closed ranks against me, because I was the junior and she'd been there for years and was more valuable to them.  Is there anyone else at work - an HR person, say, or an occupational health doctor- whom you could talk to first? Once again - though you know the situation better than I do where you are - I can't see that you can lose your job over it.

One other point I wanted to pick up on.  Don't, please, be disappointed or distraught if your appointment with MH services doesn't prove satisfactory.  I didn't find them to be at all helpful, and they dismissed outright any suggestion that I might be autistic.  One psychiatrist (loads of letters after his name) said I couldn't be autistic because I didn't flap my hands!  Pursue things if this doesn't work out.  Take the AQ test and give the results to your GP if they're indicative.  If they still demur - push on it.  You have a right to this.

The test is here if you're interested and haven't tried it before.  It takes less than 10 minutes, and is the standard test used in pre-diagnostic assessment.

http://aspergerstest.net/aq-test/

Good luck. Keep talking to us.  And keep your chin up.  There is a way through this.

Tom

Hi there,

I'm sorry I missed you, too.  I have a lot of identification with this.  Coincidentally, I once was also the victim of severe bullying in a hospital setting (I was a clerical officer in an Oncology Department) and suffered PTSD afterwards.  I was off for months before eventually leaving.  But this was all many years before autism had even entered my field of consideration.  I was finally diagnosed almost 3 years ago, aged 56.  I now work in care with autistic adults.  I've worked in special needs care for 12 years in all.  Like you - I get on far better with the service users than I do with some of my colleagues!

I, too, didn't discuss the situation with the employer I had just before I was diagnosed.  I, too, hadn't been there more than a few months.  At the time, though, the process was going through for me.  When I got the diagnosis, I brought it up with my manager, who then asked why I hadn't mentioned anything at interview.  I explained that it was still uncertain as to whether or not I'd be diagnosed at that time.  She was fine with it and just asked me for an explanatory letter to go on my file.  The autism unit I'd been to provided me with such a letter, just basically saying I had been diagnosed, without going into any further details.  I told other people at work, too, and found them generally accepting.

Why would you lose your job?  They can't push you out because of a condition like this.  They can't discriminate in that way.  It's illegal.  Is it a private hospital or NHS?  Have you thought about joining the union?  I wish I'd been in the union when I had my bad incident.  I was compelled to put in a complaint about the member of staff concerned - but they closed ranks against me, because I was the junior and she'd been there for years and was more valuable to them.  Is there anyone else at work - an HR person, say, or an occupational health doctor- whom you could talk to first? Once again - though you know the situation better than I do where you are - I can't see that you can lose your job over it.

One other point I wanted to pick up on.  Don't, please, be disappointed or distraught if your appointment with MH services doesn't prove satisfactory.  I didn't find them to be at all helpful, and they dismissed outright any suggestion that I might be autistic.  One psychiatrist (loads of letters after his name) said I couldn't be autistic because I didn't flap my hands!  Pursue things if this doesn't work out.  Take the AQ test and give the results to your GP if they're indicative.  If they still demur - push on it.  You have a right to this.

The test is here if you're interested and haven't tried it before.  It takes less than 10 minutes, and is the standard test used in pre-diagnostic assessment.

http://aspergerstest.net/aq-test/

Good luck. Keep talking to us.  And keep your chin up.  There is a way through this.

Tom