Published on 12, July, 2020
I'm a 16 year old who has suffered from aspergers, adhd and a lot of other things like anxiety and sensory processing disorder. I have always been bullied and people would always threaten and hit me during school, I've never kept friends for more than a year or two and I'm just going into 6th year in school and all my friends have left and I have no clue what to do with my life. I've never been given any proper help with my mental health issues and I really need and want it. every time I ask for help I'm either not given it or just told that I can't get it, I need long term help and every time I'm given "Help" its just in the situation that I'm in, in that moment and that doesn't help at all. I also get extremely angry all of the time and cannot control it, mostly everything makes me angry, eating noises, any noise pretty much like a noise that shouldn't be there or one that just distracts me. people too, if people are just in my way or doing something that isn't what I expect or want them to do it makes me angry. but when I say I get angry I just don't mean I get a little angry, I get absolutely furious and over the past few years I haven't really shown it in school, I just wait until I'm out of school to express it which isn't good because it's either me shouting at my family or hurting myself. on that topic, I've also suffered from self harm for a long time and can't stop it, I usually use a knife to cut my arms or bite my hand really hard or scratch my arm up and down until it goes completely red and my skin rips off. in conclusion I just severely need help and have no clue what to do. I just feel like at one point I'm going to blow up and do something that I don't want to do and I really don't want that to happen.
I've been in a similar situation to you and I couldn't get help as I didn't have official diagnosis of autism. Despite being referred to CAMHS at age 16 for a autism & ADHD diagnosis I had to wait over six years for a diagnosis of Autism and by that time I was 22 and I had to wait until I until September 2020 at age twenty four for my situation to get so bad local authority was altered and a needs assessment was carried out. Which makes me angry as a needs assessment wasn't carried out sooner and I have missed out on a lot of oppitinties for under twenty fives and put through some really traumatic experience. But luckily the needs assessment lead to assistance with moving out into my own home & living independently and i am know looking into education or sustainable employment.
I assume you live in England, Know listen to me as the next steps are going to be difficult. You need to contact your local authority and requests a needs assessment. You can not be denied a needs assessment and when requested they have to follow up and carry a needs assessment. The needs assessment is often carried out by a social worker but it can also be carried out by a mental health nurse and the outcome depends on you. Often the outcome will be you getting a support worker who will be assigned a certain amount of hours. For me I have been a assigned four hours a week with a support worker who is helps me with a range of activities from engaging within the community, Looking for sustainable employment education, supporting during medical appointments or dealing with the job centre and even provides mental health support.
Sometimes the outcome of a needs assessment results in you being referred and sign posted to specific organization that are often hidden and only accessible via referral from either a doctor or social worker. Don't wait as long as me because their are tons of better oppitinties accessible while your under 23 years old and you honestly don't want to miss out