Published on 12, July, 2020
Hi guys
Wondering if anyone can help. A psychiatrist saw me and said she believed I was in the autistic spectrum and wrote a detailed letter to my doctor saying this and also that I should self refer to integrated autism services for support. I believed this to be my diagnosis but after two years of telling people I had autism I found out recently that it wasn't a diagnosis
I was told this by my mental health team and that I could only get a full diagnosis from integrated autism services. They have said that it's not them but my mental health team that need to do the assessment as I am under their care for depression and anxiety .
I'm really overwhelmed by all this and don't know where to turn . I've spent the last few years coming to terms with the fact I've got autism and making sense of my past. I don't know who I am anymore.
Thanks
Fi
From what I understand the diagnosis needs to come from a dedicated team who specialize in diagnosing Autism. I wonder if each department is asking for the other to refer you rather than diagnose you. Generally a mental health team specializing in depression and anxiety won't have access or the ability to give you a full assessment. They may recognize traits and advise you to look further into a particular area but they won't be able to give you the assessment. I wonder if there has been some confusion around this?
It could be the fact you took advice to be literal could well mean you are going to end up somewhere in the spectrum. It's no big thing just go back to your G.P and ask them to work through the letters each department has sent them about you and hopefully this can clear up things and get you referred to the right people.
This is unfortunate, you should definitely not worry about it. Thank you for sharing your story with us. Best wishes from a (link removed by Mod)
You could contact the PALS advice service that covers the NHS Trust that provides your mental health services. Or have you tried contacting the original psychiatrist? Phone and ask to speak to his secretary or the administrator for his clinic. Hope that helps.
Thank you very much. I've had bouts of depression every now and then but nothing too major. However, the past few months have been incredibly difficult and they seem to be getting worse by the week. (Link removed by Mod)
Thank you Anne. I appreciate your reply and helpful message . Good advice . Cheers
Thank You for taking the time to write to me. It means a lot . Best wishes to you too.
Hi, It sounds very stressful and unsettling but maybe you can draw on some inner certainty. There is a reason you asked for a diagnosis, the psychiatrist agreed that you are autistic (even if this isn't accepted as an official diagnosis) and you probably identified with it too? You are still the same person that you were before you realised that this diagnosis is not officially recognised- I think it helps to remind yourself that you know yourself best and that this cannot change your identity. I know it's not that simple but maybe telling yourself this will help with the feeling of "loss of identity"? I hope you can get a full diagnosis soon.
I’m so sorry this happened - it seems like they weren’t clear enough with you and now the rug’s been pulled out from under you. I hope you get the assessment you need and that it settles your mind again. Best wishes to you.
Thanks Jamie . I'm not sure that I communicated very well
. Each department has told me that it's the other department to sort out a diagnosis . They didnt say it should be done by a mental health social worker though.
If I'd known I hadn't been given a full diagnosis I would have pursued it further . I feel like my identity is gone and I can't stop thinking and worrying .
Thanks for your advice . Fi
Thank You so much for replying to me . I literally can't stop worrying. I'm in Denbighshire . The psychiatrist had even given me an autistic book to make sense of what I was sure was a diagnosis.