Should I see a therapist/psychiatrist/psychologist?

Thanks Pax that does seem like me too I think I will get it sorted out I have insurance so think I should be able to at least get some sessions without having to pay or get it back at least

My view on this is generally that prevention is better than cure. I can only talk about this from my view, for me, I know I struggle to see issues until they're a problem, I know I tend to hide issues from myself and others and try to act like everything is ok. Given this, I would lean towards seeing someone even if it's just to talk things over and see if they think I'm coming up upon any stumbling blocks which can then be dealt with while feeling good and not have to deal with it later if things break down.

This is actually exactly the tack I've taken, since the ADHD diagnosis and being told strongly I should seek an autism assessment and realizing it really does describe me in many ways I've actually found a lot of my depression and anxiety has lessened because I'm no longer running over every little difference in my head and calling myself broken. However, since that information, I have realised I need to see a therapist to help process a lot of things in my past that were buried by my self-loathing and if I'm going to progress from feeling better to feeling good, I need some help.

So, if any of this rings familiar, then maybe you should, at the end of the day if you have a session or 2 and you're told there's not much to work with then, everything is good. 

It's hard to say what's right for others...

I do have a private counsellor, who is very good. Whilst I wait for an assessment he's treating "as if" and that's great. In the past I've had counsellors through work OH, who are all very sweet, but I got nothing out of it. I think because no one knew ASD could be in the picture. The NHS for too many reasons only ever made matters worse.

Whatever you decide, whenever you decide, I think my one recommendation would be find someone who is themselves autistic, or who has good experience with it. They will need to work with your neurology, not against it. I seem to be finding that to be the key, anyway.

This post could have been me writing this, I am very much in a similar position, diagnosed about 6 weeks ago and have also been advised to look into therapies especially as my concerns are when I am due back to work and facing the challenges that led me to getting the diagnosis in the first place. I am torn too, do I wait until I need it or start preparing knowing its likely I'll face these issues again soon.

I find talking difficult but it's a bit easier with a professional you don't know. I did it on the phone which I found good. I was able to have my notebook and this helped structure what I wanted to say. I too used to make excuses and also am not good at recognising feelings in myself.

If you feel anxious I would say just face that anxiety because the benefits will outweigh the temporary anxiety. I go through stuff in my head constantly but sometimes it's good to get an impartial perspective

Thank you, that's kind of what I've been thinking but I also get anxious about thinking about talking to someone too I'm just not good at talking about my self like that face to face and I tend to make excuses to my self that I'm ok and I don't need help especially when I'm "going through it" in my head.

I would also want it due to work demands too. I have just started a new job and it is so difficult to juggle learning a new job alongside second guessing social stuff too. I'm so tired and anxious. I just feel like I always sound stupid! 

I agree with Ethan and I'm talking from personal experience that it's sometimes better to start therapy when you are in a relatively "stable" place before the proverbial muck hits the fan. Life is uncertain and there will be a point in your life when you may need the techniques learned in therapy. (I waited a few months for therapy to start, nearly cancelled it because I felt "well" then a few weeks later was thankful I hadn't cancelled it). The therapist said to me that quite often people wait until they're in a crisis before they contact the service but I can see now that because I've always had tendencies towards anxiety, contacting them at any point would've been beneficial. I'm saying that if you start it before you go back to work, you will hopefully have some good coping strategies for when things do possibly start to get difficult.

I really would like some more therapy, targeted more at how daily life at work impacts me from an austistic point of view. It actually feels a bit lonely sometimes because I feel a lot of people don't really understand.

Hope this helps.

I wish therapy was cheaper, I'd have it all the time. 

Depends if you think you need help working through anything at the moment. I think if you're worried about going back to work (which is normal) and that shift back into the everyday which could be a stressful change there's a starting point. There's no harm in talking with a therapist and exploring those thoughts/feelings. Most do an initial assessment/discussion session so if you felt at the end of that you didn't want to pursue the relationship any further you've sounded them out, made the decision and there's no loss (apart from the cost I guess).

I saw a therapist last year - she doesn't specialise in autism but she did a lot in helping me unpick some of my closed thinking and helping me acknowledge how I was feeling. I keep her contact details to hand - usually if I hit a meltdown or crisis point I know I can book a session and safely work through things with her - she does manage to find a way to ground and re-orientate myself. Having said that - trying to choose one was a bit of an ordeal (which school?, cost?, where located? male/female? what are their specialisms? experience? how does their bio read? how many sessions do I want? how often?). It was hard enough when I was coming out of my last um.... "break" (months signed off!) and finding my feet again. I'd hate to do it if I was in the middle of struggling with something.

I've never really appreciated how valuable a skilled therapist with a good listening ear is until recently. I went private - because of the choice and the sense I could always find someone who I felt comfortable with - instead of someone being found "for" me and I'd be stuck with them.