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Hi Giddy, I like your name.

Well done you for surviving this life so far. Hopefully now you’re getting some answers you can stop surviving and begin thriving. 

If it will be helpful to you, you can ask for information (from the assessment place) about the process, the place, for accommodations to be made for you  or you can ask to simply talk to somebody about it if you think it might help you feel less anxious (if you feel anxious) and help you feel more in control of the process. 

As for the assessment, they generally use a specific tool which in my experience was more like a conversation. The guy who assessed me, knew what he was looking for and when we spoke when he gave me the diagnosis, it turns out he was looking for things I hadn’t even considered ~ he said, that’s because I’m autistic! 

Who knows what you might experience post diagnosis.  It seems to depend on how many questions you have and how deep they are and where you’re at in life and what you want. For me, it’s been a roller coaster I wasn’t expecting but it’s been the greatest journey of my life. It wasn’t just a game changer but a life saver as well, so I guess for me it was everything but really, it’s just the start. Expect the unexpected. The waiting between the assessment and getting the diagnosis was the absolute worst of all times for me, I wouldn’t wish that on anybody. So I suppose my best advice would be, don’t do what I did, don’t sit alone in silence, talk on here or to whoever you talk if you are feeling the fear or strong emotions, if the waiting gets intense. You are essentially stepping into the unexpected which takes courage and bravery (or are they the same things?!?!) and you are also, potentially, going to come face to face with who you are, so don’t take it lightly. Treat yourself well and with extra care and attention while you’re going through this and be especially kind and giving to yourself. It’s a big step, but you’ve done the hardest step, the next is a bit of a waiting game and from there on, who knows ~ the world is awash with possibilities. 

Hi Giddy, I like your name.

Well done you for surviving this life so far. Hopefully now you’re getting some answers you can stop surviving and begin thriving. 

If it will be helpful to you, you can ask for information (from the assessment place) about the process, the place, for accommodations to be made for you  or you can ask to simply talk to somebody about it if you think it might help you feel less anxious (if you feel anxious) and help you feel more in control of the process. 

As for the assessment, they generally use a specific tool which in my experience was more like a conversation. The guy who assessed me, knew what he was looking for and when we spoke when he gave me the diagnosis, it turns out he was looking for things I hadn’t even considered ~ he said, that’s because I’m autistic! 

Who knows what you might experience post diagnosis.  It seems to depend on how many questions you have and how deep they are and where you’re at in life and what you want. For me, it’s been a roller coaster I wasn’t expecting but it’s been the greatest journey of my life. It wasn’t just a game changer but a life saver as well, so I guess for me it was everything but really, it’s just the start. Expect the unexpected. The waiting between the assessment and getting the diagnosis was the absolute worst of all times for me, I wouldn’t wish that on anybody. So I suppose my best advice would be, don’t do what I did, don’t sit alone in silence, talk on here or to whoever you talk if you are feeling the fear or strong emotions, if the waiting gets intense. You are essentially stepping into the unexpected which takes courage and bravery (or are they the same things?!?!) and you are also, potentially, going to come face to face with who you are, so don’t take it lightly. Treat yourself well and with extra care and attention while you’re going through this and be especially kind and giving to yourself. It’s a big step, but you’ve done the hardest step, the next is a bit of a waiting game and from there on, who knows ~ the world is awash with possibilities. 

Hi Blueray thank you for the reply and kind words it hasn't been easy especially with the other mental health problems thrown in i read so many times about other peoples experiences saying i always wondered why i felt different and it was very much the same except in my family as my maternal grandparents one was bi-polar the other schizophrenic my mum has issues which meant as kids me and my sister got very little love and emotion my dad was also very distant my sister has mental health problems also so in my family we were all odd it was outside my family that i didn't fit in everyone else just seemed at odds with me i thought everyone else had the problem and we were the normal ones over the years i started to realize that it was us as a family that was odd and its been a constant battle to get a diagnosis and help ..... if you have kidney failure or heart problems or cataracts or a diabetes you get treatment but mental health problems are diseases or imbalances of the brain yet for some reason there is so little help available in this day and age you would expect more but the mental health care in this country is abysmal to take me 53yrs to get to now is an absolute joke but i hope that once i get this diagnosis things will get easier one can only hope