Published on 12, July, 2020
Hello. I'm a 50-year-old single man who's currently in the NHS system waiting for an Asperger's diagnosis. I have some support from the CMH team, but I want to help myself. There is a reason for this. On my third visit with the CMH team, I was told they had some good news. The good news was a letter from the NHS saying that after consideration, I did not qualify for funding to put me forward for tests. "What are you thinking right now?" asked my support worker. I replied that I was thinking about how I could kill myself. A remark that was challenged as reactionary. After 45 minutes of utter despair, the support worker said, a little patronisingly, let's read the letter again - there were just three sentences. At the top of the letter were three numbers - an internal reference, a case number and my DOB. The DOB was wrong. It was not my letter. Two agonising hours later, I was called to be told they had made a mistake and I did qualify for funding. I have major issues of trust as it is. This caved me in. This is why I want to try to help myself. I'm in a queue, but I don't know how long it'll take. Are there any videos, or articles I can read that can help me accept my situation? Where can I turn to for advice?
Hi theretherebear, welcome to the forum. That is a really bad thing to be subjected to, I also feel sorry for the poor soul who may have got your letter, to discover they actually don't have funding.
I am approaching 50 this year, and was diagnosed in August last year. The whole thing took almost exactly one year for me, but my autism diagnostic team have told me they have more referals and it is longer now.
Recently had my exit/handover interview, and frustrated that they can give me a resonable estimate of how long it can take, but when I enquired during the process, I was left in the dark.
I can relate to the feelings you had reading the letter, anyone would have a bad reaction to the news, but our anxiety levels start really high and you quickly fear the worst is actually happening now. It takes some considerable emotional effort to get through and "deal" with this compared to an NT person. I really hate the normal reaction is people say dont have to worry so much, but I feel this is a natural reaction for us. Understanding that has made things a little easier to deal with for me, I still get the high levels of anxiety.
This forum is a great resource and has really helped me, hearing the experiences of others and relating that to my own life experience. I am rediscovering my past from a different viewpoint, some of this too is hard going for me.
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