Awaiting NHS assessment - my head is in an odd place

Hi, noob here so please bear with me if I speak out of turn

I'm 51 years of age and male, over the last thirteen years I've become aware of the fact that I might be on the spectrum. A few years of denial followed by some more years of largely ignoring it. Did a couple of online tests during periods of emotional distress, one around 2012, another at the end of last year, both said there was a likelihood that I was ASD. Read up on the subject in more depth after the last test and found that things that have seemed odd all through my life make more sense from the perspective of ASD so went to my doctors. Got referred and was asked to fill in a more extensive multiple choice test, this has been reviewed and I'm apparently going to be assessed professionally so guessing the screening questionnaire suggests that I may be ASD but I'm still waiting for the appointment

I wasn't going to hit up any forums until I'd had confirmation from a professional assessment because a) I don't want to waste peoples' time and b) I might yet be assessed as not being ASD, however, since starting this process my head has been in an odd place and I just wondered if anyone else had gone through similar feelings so here goes:

I feel like the fundamental underpinning of who I am has been shaken. I notice things about my behaviour now that I hadn't done before. My head is mixed up between a new-found clarity of why I may act in certain ways and a feeling of no longer being the person I've always thought I was. I feel like I'm in limbo until I get assessed. I've been on this planet for 51 years and am a functioning member of society with a job, a partner, friends, yet I might have had a disability that impacts these things? I'm confused, is this common?

Also, my 'symptoms' seem worse when I'm under more stress, is this a thing?

Parents
  • Hello. Just wanted to say hi and I am in exactly the same boat. I'm 29 and have recently come to the realisation that I probably have ASD but I'm also waiting on a diagnosis and have been worried about talking to people until I have a diagnosis but similarly to you feel very lost and confused in this stage so have decided to reach out to the community. Anyway please get in touch if you wanna chat but I just wanted you to know you're not on your on in this situation and with these feelings. 

  • Hi Holly, thanks for responding, it helps to know that I'm not alone in this. Hope you get some resolution when you finally get to see someone

Reply Children