• Replies 9 replies
  • Subscribers 73 subscribers
  • Views 303 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

Advice for newly referred person - Autism

Moggsy_12

Good afternoon everyone, 

I have very recently been referred for an Autism Assessment via my GP surgery.  This was initiated by their occupational therapist, with my full agreement. 

I am in my mid-40s and have struggled with depression, anxiety, and social anxiety for as long as I can remember.  I have been considering whether I may be autistic for some time and I welcome the referral. However, I did not visit the surgery for that reason so was not fully prepared for the outcome of my appointment.  I have been researching the processes, so I know broadly what to expect. However, I was unprepared for the strength of my emotional response to the situation, and It seems that navigating this news is more difficult than I anticipated. I am wondering if anyone has any advice or can signpost me to some resources for people who do not yet have a formal diagnosis but are finding things quite overwhelming. 

Thanks, 

B

Parents

  • Hello there Moggsy, welcome to the community!

    Feeling a plethora of emotions is pretty normal. Grief, joy, disappointment, contentment, etc, they can all be felt at once while pursuing and/or upon receiving a diagnosis. I personally was mostly happy with knowing that I have ASD, but there are a lot of people on here that can attest that they felt a myriad of feelings throughout the process.

    My advice is to stick around and read up on other peoples’ experiences here on this forum. You may feel a ton of different emotions, but lonely should not be one of them.

  • in reply to profdanger

    Thank you so much. I have felt all of those things and I really do view this as a positive step. I think the fact that my response wasn't what I expected it to be has added to the overwhelm. I appreciate your kind words. 

Reply Children
No Data