Published on 12, July, 2020
Hello.. I'm new to the group and have suspected for a while that I am on the spectrum after working as an Autism Support Worker. I also have mental health problems and trying to get my voice heard is a challenge. Some of you have mentioned being passed pillar to post. My GP surgery doesn't seem to know who deals with Autism! But i finally (I think) have a referral.
I have lost jobs very quickly due to overwhelm and emotional breakdowns. I cry a lot. I struggle to cope with day to day life. Noise, bustle, people's tone of voice, thinking people are angry when they aren't, my mind going blank, not being able to multitask. I avoid people even at home with my parents. Yet I can come across as cheerful and articulate a lot of the time.
I feel my future is bleak and I will not be able to hold down a job. I am capable of much more but this thing is getting in the way.
I'm so worried i will lose my current job as a Health Care Assistant. My manager thinks because i am often upset i am not coping. She doesn't understand. The in-house trainer politely asked me if i had considered if i was autistic. I said yes and thought it was highly likely. So I put the wheels in motion.
I feel so broken and weird and frightened and confused and misunderstood. So I came here!
Hi! Welcome to the group. I'm really sorry you're having a tough time at the moment.
I'm also awaiting diagnosis. I find it really difficult to hold it together at work; I have a lot of meltdowns (often in the form of uncontrollable crying, for me) and they zap my energy. I then struggle to focus, but I feel I can't explain that to anyone since they don't know that I'm probably autistic.
I hope you don't have to wait too long for your assessment. In the meantime, Purple Ella's YouTube videos have been incredibly helpful for me - I'd definitely recommend taking a look. They really helped me to understand myself better and feel less alone.
Yes! Uncontrollable crying! That's the same problem I have! Thanks for telling me that because I'm feeling less weird now! I will definitely check out those videos.
Thank you very much! I'll definitely check her out.
I've had a warm welcome so far and I don't feel too nervous about posting, which is a good sign. This seems like a really lovely community to be part of.