Published on 12, July, 2020
Hey
I'm a 23 year old woman, living with suspected autism. I often feel like a alien trying to blend in but never quite succeeding in integrating with the natives. Here is a little about me please feel free to take a read, apologies for spelling/grammar mistakes I am diagnosed as having dyslexia.
In school they told me I was weird and that I would grow up to be the crazy cat lady, I couldn't imagine anything I would enjoy more currently I foster cats and work at a nursing home but every day is a struggle.
Although my gp has referred me 3 times to be tested for autism apparently because I have a job and therefore they assume I can function in society and I am 'not autistic enough'. I have a lot of the symptoms associated with being in the autistic spectrum and the people working with autistic people often ask me if I have autistism or tell me I do have autism. Over time I have just ended up assuming I am autistic or I have a mental disorder making me socially awkward.
Currently I have no real friends. I have some hobbies including glamour\alternative photography modelling and pole dancing. Despite how it sounds, I am not a sex addict and I do really struggle with my social job and hobbies.
I think I covered most relevant points feel free to ask questions < i use a lot of Smiley's I find it easier to understand people online who use them as I seem to do a good amount of communication through body language and this helps give a indication of mood and intention.
The excuses GPs come up with for not referring are amazing, and this keeps cropping up in postings, one last week was apparently told that someone with autism wouldn't be able to approach a GP.
Yet my understanding is there was a recommendation last year that GPs endeavour to improve referral directly to autism diagnosis services
Did your GP refer you to an autism diagnostic centre, or to Adult Mental Health Services or just some psychology clinician that visits the practice now and then?
There was a survey of GPs by the National Audit Office in 2008 that found though GPs got large numbers of children and adults coming to see them about autism, only about 0.2% were referred and more than half of referrals were to mental health services compared to only 10% referred to an autism diagnosis centre.
I cannot find any more recent survey, but I suspect little has changed. Whether children or adults seeking diagnosis most are turned away with some silly excuse.
It is truly shocking the level of failure to help people in need. So much for the hippocratic oath.