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Community Mental Health said no. Social Prescribing?

MrsMacca

Hi, I'm wondering if this is common and if anyone has any positive experiences with Social Prescribing?

I have 3 pre-existing mental health illnesses that were diagnosed over 20 years ago. I got my autism diagnosis, aged 39, a month ago. The consultant psychiatrist at the ASD Assessment Clinic discharged me because his job is only to diagnose. He referred me to the Mental Health Team because it's possible that my mental health illnesses were misdiagnosed now that we know I'm autistic. It's also possible that they weren't but that the treatments I've had over the years have been the wrong ones given my autism.

The Mental Health Team refused the referral claiming not to be the appropriate service the second they saw the word autism. My GP argued that my referral was to reassess my mental health illnesses and needs and not for support with autism but he was unsuccessful. He said the best he can do is to refer me to Social Prescribing instead.

I feel like I don't fit in anyone's remit, that my autism diagnosis is now a way for all the other services to wash their hands of me. As a late diagnosed, childless, medically retired woman I also don't fit in any of the autism support boxes. Perhaps social prescribing will be able to signpost me to something I haven't been able to find myself in the past month but I highly doubt it. I've honestly looked everywhere. I've spent hours and hours on it.

Is this normal? Or should I be fighting the Mental Health Team's decision? Has anyone had any positive experiences with social prescribing?

Parents

  • What’s your actual goal?  I don’t mean to be rude,. But autism shouldn’t affect a diagnosis you were given 20yrs ago for issues you had then.
    it sounds like the mental health team have already assessed you. They probably contributed to your autism diagnosis.  Having a diagnosis for autism doesn’t halt further support. 
    social prescribing, charity prevention workshops also can open doors for support and often get you help beyond your GP’s could ever do..  hope this makes sense 

Reply

  • What’s your actual goal?  I don’t mean to be rude,. But autism shouldn’t affect a diagnosis you were given 20yrs ago for issues you had then.
    it sounds like the mental health team have already assessed you. They probably contributed to your autism diagnosis.  Having a diagnosis for autism doesn’t halt further support. 
    social prescribing, charity prevention workshops also can open doors for support and often get you help beyond your GP’s could ever do..  hope this makes sense 

Children
  • in reply to Stephen

    Hi Stephen. My goal is to understand if I actually have these pre diagnosed conditions or of they are 'symptoms of' my autism or as a result of autistic burnout. I've never been assessed by a mental health team before and they definitely played no part in my autism assessment or diagnosis. My mental health diagnoses came from either my GP or by process of elimination from Neurology.

    I agree that my autism diagnosis shouldn't be preventing any support from the mental health team but it would seem that it is. I guess I probably should be fighting the Mental health team's decision then. 

    It sounds like social prescribing might be useful in other ways but not as an alternative to the mental health team. I'll have to wait and see Shrug

  • in reply to Stephen

    Social prescribing is the first sign post of many*