Published on 12, July, 2020
I'm nearly 40 and self-diagnosed, currently psyching myself up to go to the GP to get the official diagnosis process going. I have problems with social situations, and get worn out by interacting with people in real life. Hoping it would do some good if I had a piece of paper to wave at people.
The bit about getting worn out interacting with people in real life sounds really familiar! I referred myself directly for autism assessment as I had other urgent health problems needing intervention by my GP.
Other people on this forum have recommended taking information with you to your GP demonstrating why you believe you are autistic. As you have self-diagnosed I'm sure you will have no problem with this. There are advantages and disadvantages to getting diagnosed, as with everything in life, but the consensus seems to be that it is a good thing.
Will do, I'm thinking of dropping a letter in for him in the morning so he has a head start... he thinks I'm coming in for a depression meds review, but I want to tell him it's caused by autistic burnout.
I found this piece on autistic burnout really helpful:
https://ollibean.com/autistic-burnout/
Hope you got on ok at the GP.
That is very good news indeed. The letter was an excellent idea. When I finally had the courage to say something to my GP I had lots of other health issues. I just dropped it into the conversation "oh and by the way I've been wondering if I might be autistic" so they didn't even properly consider it. I tried mentioning it to my boss too and she said "you can't possibly be autistic, you're articulate".
So pleased you are on the pathway now. Although it has been very tiring, and I don't know the outcome of my assessment yet, I am very glad indeed that I finally took this step. Advice and support from members of this online community has been incredibly helpful in coping with the added pressure of being assessed.