Awaiting Diagnosis

Erm, right, OK.  I've been wondering for a couple of years if I have Asperger Syndrome.  i finally plucked up the courage to visit my GP a couple of weeks ago, who has referred me to the local MH team.  Sadly, they have only offered me an appointment in November (more than three months away).  I just wondered if anybody (particularly females, I'm a 26 year old female) could have a look at my main problems & see if they sound like typical problems faced by girls with AS.  I have a Cadet course in October that may be slightly easier if they know I have AS, but I don't feel comfortable telling them without an official diagnosis.  Basically;

  • I have had problems sleeping - whatever time I wake up, however long I am asleep, I ALWAYS wake up feeling like I could just turn over & go back to sleep.
  • I scored 40 on the AQ test, which I have done several times over the last few years, each time getting a very similar result.
  • Only occasionally do I misunderstand a joke/sarcasm.  Normally I am the one being sarcastic.  I have no trouble understanding metaphors.
  • I am not a girly girl.  At all.  I joke at work that I 'don't do girly s***'.  Most of my friends are male, I love watching sport, I like my cars, planes, whatever.  I also wear mens' t-shirts & jeans the vast majority of the time.  Don't like the tight feeling of female fit clothes.
  • I get told at work that I talk about my role with the Air Cadets WAY too much.  I don't have any other hobby, between that & work I get very little down time.  Hence why I talk about it.
  • I work for the emergency services & volunteer with the Air Cadets.  Discipline makes me feel safe.  I know where I am & what the rules are.  I never question anybody more experienced than me (to my cost at work.  Kept my job by the skin of my teeth).
  • I am ridiculously helpful to everybody.  I will always be the one to lend a hand to a colleague struggling or with tons of work to do.  I will always take on extra jobs.
  • My writing has been stupidly tiny, ever since school.  I have had at least 16 years of people telling me to write bigger, but I physically cannot.
  • I LOVE people 'stroking' me.  It sounds weird but somebody running their fingers lightly over my body (any part) really soothes me.
  • As a child had speech therapy as I still wasn't talking at age three.
  • The vast majority of my behaviour/conversations with people has been learnt over the years.  I often get left 'on the edge' of conversations.
  • I have been back & forth to my GP, been on three different brands of antidepressant, been diagnosed with low iron, underactive thyroid & only recently my GP admitted he was 'stumped' as to what was going on with me, but believes AS may be the answer.
  • I HATE talking on the phone unless it is to my parents or my partner.  I will do anything I can to avoid using the phone for calls.
  • I am VERY good with navigation.  I have been in my current job three years & already know the borough as well as people who have been there at least 15 years.  I want to work either in the police helicopter or the air ambulance.  Both jobs require good navigation.  Strangely I don't have the same aversion to using the radio in work like the phone.  Maybe because I know a lot of the time who I'm talking to on the radio.
  • I am EXTREMELY picky with spelling & grammar.  I will always pick up & mention a mistake a colleague has made in work, whether they want me to or not.
  • I also cannot physically see another's point of view.  Just cannot see or understand any other view other than mine.  I always think the other person is in the wrong no matter what we are arguing over.

I apologise for the length of the post.  There are other things I struggle with but I think I've said enough for now.  If anybody has any coping tips, they would be much appreciated.

Parents
  • Hi sgt,

    I'm not exactly coping myself so no great tips to give. Just on the sleep front; if your GP is feeling helpful he may prescribe your Melatonin. It's the body's natural sleep regulating hormone and alot of us on the spectrum don't make enough or something. I got some and it made the world of difference - at least for a few months anyway. I seem to have become resistant to it or something, it no longer efects me like it used to so I stopped taking it. Hoping the resistance will go and I can use it again sometime.

    Kind regards,

    Soldersplash

Reply
  • Hi sgt,

    I'm not exactly coping myself so no great tips to give. Just on the sleep front; if your GP is feeling helpful he may prescribe your Melatonin. It's the body's natural sleep regulating hormone and alot of us on the spectrum don't make enough or something. I got some and it made the world of difference - at least for a few months anyway. I seem to have become resistant to it or something, it no longer efects me like it used to so I stopped taking it. Hoping the resistance will go and I can use it again sometime.

    Kind regards,

    Soldersplash

Children
No Data