Published on 12, July, 2020
Hi there, Hope everyone is doing well currently (and enjoying the sun over here in the uk) - I'm just starting a discussion to introduce myself. Firstly, I haven't been officially diagnosed with autism so please forgive me if I don't use the correct terminology as i'm still doing my own research. I've been someone who has struggled with their mental health for as long as i can remember, but over the past few months i've started feeling that there was something else (something that i couldn't quite put my finger on). I have private counselling, and also some hypnotherapy through my work and it was the latter that suggested that I should book an appointment with my GP to discuss going for a meeting with a psychiatrist (lucky I now have an appointment coming up, but I'm a little scared about what to expect).
I know we're told to not self diagnose ourselves but after doing some research into possible outcomes I see myself having autism spectrum disorder as i knowingly (and unknowingly) have some of the common traits associated with asd.Sorry that this is a bit long and maybe a bit unreadable, I have dyslexia and can sometimes struggle to get down what i want to say onto paper so to speak. But i've been reading some of the discussions on here and they've really resonated with me so i thought i would join, we'll see what happens with my psychiatrist appointment soon too.
Hi, Nice to meet you!
I'd push back on the idea when it comes to self-diagnosis, in a situation where getting an assessment can take years or is very expensive I would say it's almost necessary for people to learn to cope without losing years to continued mental health struggles without putting coping mechanisms in place. I'm currently self-diagnosed, I'm in the long queue for an appointment but over the last few months I have been writing a document full of evidence and issues that I do and have had along with family written evidence from my childhood. That document is so long and in-depth at this point I really don't doubt it anymore, and I generally doubt everything. Also, coping mechanisms for autism have turned out to work in many ways for me, from simple tips like wear socks inside out so the seam isn't against skin, to allowing myself to stim in public to relieve stress and talking to my family so they understand what I say is way more literal than how they do, which was one of the biggest home issues. In fact so many have worked so far I think that alone constitutes large evidence. I should say I was pointed to get an assessment by another psychiatrist assessing me for ADHD so I have a little more evidence than some self diagnosers. Basically, what I'm getting at is do what is best for you, it sounds like me (and the majority of autistic people) you have had mental health issues that are likely worsened by living in the neurotypical world and if you can improve your mental health positively by self-diagnosis and putting into place coping mechanisms I'd say do it, do what's best for you. I'm a little confused from what you said as to whether your waiting for a GP appointment, or if you have a psychiatry appointment for autism diagnosis, or if its a more general psychiatric appointment for pre-assessment to point you in the right direction for a more solid diagnosis but if you have an appointment already with an autism assessor and its close I would be inclined to just wait.