Skip to main content
Close Button
Donate
  • Replies 84 replies
  • Subscribers 97 subscribers
  • Views 11206 views
  • Users 0 members are here
Options
Related
Hints and tips
  • To quote someone's message, first select/highlight the relevant text, and then use the Quote button that appears
  • To "mention" someone, type @ followed by the start of the forum name, and choose from the list; that person will get a notification of being mentioned

I'm undiagnosed, and have questions about diagnosis

Ultramarine
over 2 years ago

Hello,
I'm a 38 year old female and I think I may have Asperger's.  My GP is going to refer me for an assessment.

I've always found socialising difficult, but thought I was just shy or had social anxiety.  But recently I noticed something worrying: I keep falling out with friends or offending them without intending to.  I don't know if this is a symptom of Asperger's or not?  Could someone clarify this?  The worrying thing was that I couldn't predict when it was going to happen, and sometimes I didn't even understand why it had happened.  That's when I started researching and trying to find out what the problem could be.  When I read about Asperger's, and symptoms like 'masking', I realised that I have masked all my life.  I realised that maybe the reason I have low self esteem is because I could never understand why I couldn't be social like others could.

Anyway, I am very pleased to have found this community.  Thank you!  It is great to know that I'm not alone in this experience.

I have some questions about diagnosis.  I am somewhat worried because I understand that many high-functioning autistic females are misdiagnosed.  I've read that if you do get an Asperger's diagnosis, you can access help and support.  Can anyone tell me what kind of help you can access, specifically in terms of therapy:  can you get help developing social skills, and help for low self esteem and anxiety, for example?  What kind of therapy is it?  Can you get to the stage where you can function more easily and get less anxious?

If I get diagnosed as NOT autistic, can I still participate in this forum?  I guess I could still read self-help books for Asperger's, and use what is relevant?  I am currently on the waiting list for CBT for anxiety (I have had therapy several times in my life, for issues including an eating disorder, low self esteem, anxiety, and insomnia, and I'm currently waiting for more therapy).  I suppose I could tell the therapist that I suspect I have Asperger's, but they wouldn't be able to give me specialist help for autism, but perhaps they could help me with social anxiety.

Thank you!

Parents
  • over 2 years ago
    Thank you for your answers.
    So there are solutions after the diagnosis, I’m hopeful. But how do we do that?

    Newly diagnosed (53), I wonder what I should do now.
    I am not a native English, I live on the isle of Wight.     I don’t know what to do, who to contact, now!
    I work from home in medical research (neurophotonics) and I program phototherapy treatments (I use every day to myself to manage my health and my stress). But I confess, I have nothing confidence in the medical doctors who scare me. In France, in the past I worked with medical doctors land they always took me like another people, at the same time, for a genius, a learned monkey to expose and to exploit but also a mad by my differences.
    So, I accept to be helped today, I need help to find my place in this society.
    What should I do, to whom should I turn?
    Thank you in advance for your answers.
Reply
  • over 2 years ago
    Thank you for your answers.
    So there are solutions after the diagnosis, I’m hopeful. But how do we do that?

    Newly diagnosed (53), I wonder what I should do now.
    I am not a native English, I live on the isle of Wight.     I don’t know what to do, who to contact, now!
    I work from home in medical research (neurophotonics) and I program phototherapy treatments (I use every day to myself to manage my health and my stress). But I confess, I have nothing confidence in the medical doctors who scare me. In France, in the past I worked with medical doctors land they always took me like another people, at the same time, for a genius, a learned monkey to expose and to exploit but also a mad by my differences.
    So, I accept to be helped today, I need help to find my place in this society.
    What should I do, to whom should I turn?
    Thank you in advance for your answers.
Children
  • over 2 years ago in reply to Aonghas

    Hello :-)

    Can I suggest exploring Access to Work? https://www.gov.uk/access-to-work/apply

    I was put off initially because the application form and eligibility questions confused me but my Occ Health team encouraged me to just apply. I was awarded a grant which covers me for 5 x 2hour coaching sessions to help me in the work place. My line manager also received an award as part of my application for disability awareness training specific to ASD.

    I’ve hade one sessions so far but it’s been really helpful and eye opening. I’m exploring being more open about my diagnosis at work currently and the coaching is giving me strategies to help me with this and help to challenge people/explain to people about what I need from them in order for me to perform my best Heart exclamation

  • over 2 years ago in reply to Aonghas

    Hi Aonghas,

    Did the team who diagnosed you give you any details of places you could contact for further help?  From reading other people's stories on this forum, it sounds like after a diagnosis you can then get further help.  Maybe somebody else knows more details?