Possible ASD - Adult - Unsure if and what to do

Hi, 

I think I may be on the autistic spectrum, but I am not sure and am struggling to get any help from my GP.

Last year I started to suffer from depression for no apparent reason. A lot of the negative thoughts were focussed on having not fit in anywhere through my life, and a lot of the trauma of childhood bullying resurfaced. When I discussed this and asked if I could be on the spectrum I was shot down as 'I was displaying far too high an awareness of my emotions to be on the spectrum'. Equally when in talking therapy I raised this and was told that I was more likely displaying signs of 'learned behaviour'. 

On the other side I have a loving and caring partner who has teaching specialism for SEN. She has helped me understand the way I feel in certain situations, and provided some basic information for me. We completed the AQ tests, I answered as I would and she completed one for me anticipating what I would say. They both came out around 40 points. 

I've always struggled to maintain friendships other than a few longterm close friends from certain points in life. While others can talk endlessly about nothing, I struggle for conversation after a few talking points, I find that people would rather avoid me than engage in conversation. If the conversation is lively I never know when to speak, or how to interject in to  the conversation. By the time I have worked it out the conversation has moved on so I just stay quiet, or I interrupt which doesn't go down well. However, give me a subject i know about and I will talk endlessly to the point others are bored, but struggle to identify when that point has arrived. 

With work I find it hard to work in what my managers call the 'grey', they have deemed me to be a black and white person who is incapable of inferring subtleties of a request. From my side I don't understand why people can't just say what they want? Worse I can get hung up on subjects, or ideas, often to the point that others are sick of hearing it. I quite often get told that I can't fix the business so I should stop. I don't mean too, I just can't but help notice when things are wrong. 

At this point I am not sure what to do, or where to turn. Part of me thinks to just let it all slide. I've copped for 32 years without a diagnosis, what benefit will it bring? Then there are other times when I can't make sense of a situation at work, home, or a random altercation and everything comes back to the fore.

I feel a diagnosis would give me a bit of room to breath, I wouldn't constantly feel on the edge at work worrying if I have inadvertently offended someone without realising, or missed something in an email that was implied rather than explicitly detailed. 

If I do not have ASD then fine, but my world would make a lot less sense than it has with my more recent understanding of how autism affects everyday life. 

Sorry for the longish rambling post. I find it incredibly hard to write about myself. 

J. 

Parents
  • I'm in my 40's and finally asked an Autism doctor if she thought I was on the spectrum and she answered immediately.  I got an MD and a PHD to immediately tell me "YES".  If you suspect you are, you probably are, your friendship issues sound all too familiar as well as the bs talk and the inability to discern communication like email and work interpersonal communication (again, all too familiar).  Dude (or ma'am), you sound like me so I as NOT a doctor am giving you a 90% chance you're on the old SPECT.  Someone mentioned here that it is hard to be taken seriously.  I've had siblings not believe me even after afore-mentioned doctors said "H3LL YES".  People don't get ASD/Asperger's and this is why we live in the Uncanny Valley.  I am BRAND NEW on here (signed up tonight) but would love to have a one on one with you so feel free to DM me :)

  • Hi, thanks for your kind words. I but the bullet and put an application in with my GP. Week later I had a call to complete the forms for referral. 

    Just taking the simple step and having the Dr take me seriously was a huge relief, one does wonder why go to the effort of the forms if there they didn't see something in my back story and some of the issues I have faced. What ever the outcome taking these first steps have been a huge help. 

    Just the waiting game now to hear back from the referral, and I am surprisingly at peace with the whole process.

    To be honest, the scariest part was telling my line manager that I had spoken to my Dr about it, and that I feel that there may be something more to this than just struggling in the work place. Work have been really supportive and I am in a much better place than when I wrote my original post. 

  • Great to hear you’ve been referred, and that it’s brought you some peace of mind.

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