Published on 12, July, 2020
New to this site, and to this kind of thing generally. I have two children on the spectrum, the eldest, 16, being diagnosed as Asperger's about 2 years ago, and the youngest, 15, being diagnosed about 12 years ago, and is severely affected, and practically non-verbal, but both of them very intelligent. I'm in my mid-fifties, and have struggled all my life with what appear to be problems associated with being on the spectrum, which have left me with severe depression. I'm trying to get my doctor to refer me for a diagnosis, but he seem reluctant, and keeps asking what difference it would make to me. I think it would help me come to terms with who I am, and the problems I face on a daily basis, and help me relate better to the problems both my children experience. I've tried to cope with everything on my own, thinking asking for help is a sign of weakness, but I now realise that I do need help with this, and that I need to change the situation we're all in. So if there's anyone out there who got a diagnosis as an older adult, I would love to know if it helped, and what benefits they got from it.
Thanks
I was diagnosed at 55, am now 64. My GP at the time was most unhelpful and refused to recognise the diagnosis. He referred to it on one occasion "Aspergers? Is that a new kind of vegetable?" - I didn't see it as just sense of humour....as he was refusing to help. He cancelled further support with a councillor without consulting me.
I was diagnosed as already having coping strategies, and the diagnosis helped me greatly to rationalise and clarify those strategies. It made a huge difference.
GPs as you'll find in other threads on here, are notoriously unhelpful as regards autism. They think it is something you grow out of. They won't refer diagnosis because its too much effort for them. Many of us in here have suffered from appalling standards and bad attitudes in GP surgeries.
But there seems to be nothing anyone can do to deal with these appalling attitudes. Why GPs are allowed to get away with this shocking behaviour is never explained. Whatever oaths they make don't really apply in reality.