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Opinions: Do we believe the NHS is capable of helping autistic people with mental health problems?

Jermaine

I’m autistic, and I’ve been dealing with depression and social anxiety for over a decade, now. My family has been battling the NHS to get the little support I have now. I am wondering how other autistic people are finding the NHS.

My first issue is that there are no autistic professionals accessible to me, which means I’m having to try and educate every professional I encounter on autism. I’ve been struggling to properly understand what autism is, myself, so I haven’t been doing great. I’m thankful to have an Adult Autism Intensive Support Team that operates in my area, because they have now taken up the role of educating NHS professionals on autism, but that means I’m now having to hope these other human beings internalise what is said to them, view me as equal, and treat my problems as equally as serious as a non-autistic person’s problems, which has happened rarely so far, it feels.

My second issue is the interactions with the professionals who do not care that I am autistic. Having a psychiatric doctor laugh when I told him I was autistic, asking me if it was something I had read on the internet. Having an occupational therapist try asking me to separate myself from my autism. Medication being the solution, for the time being, while I waste years of my life terrified of the world around me. I wonder what else there is that I’ve forgotten to mention. I should document the things that make me feel miserable.

If I were a caged animal, I’d have somebody in my corner. Somebody would scream “This is neglect!” Unfortunately, I’m an autistic human, so I don’t really have that. I have a team of NHS employees in my corner, who aren’t willing to bite the hand that feeds them, verbally, of course. Who would be willing to criticise the one that pays them, that gives them what they need to make it to the next day? I’m trapped, because they’re trapped. I’m losing hope. I have no faith in the NHS, or in British society to force our political leaders, those whose jobs it is to serve the people of our nation, to come to the aid of any autistic person.

In short: I have no faith in the NHS’ ability to help autistic people. How about you?

Parents

  • TW: suicidality, abuse, trauma

    For anyone interested, I have come to the conclusion that the NHS is killing us through incompetence. They have known for decades that we get worse health outcomes, and only a couple years ago was a 5-year plan implemented to sort this out. Autistic lives don't matter to the NHS. I understand individual employees care deeply, but not enough to go against their employers. I don't see doctors striking over how autistic people have to figure everything out by themselves, or protesting over how we have higher suicide rates than non-autistic people. It seems to be on us, who are knee-deep in mental health issues, and those of us who experience physical health issues, for whatever reason.

    I have spent a lot of time thinking. I have realised the core issue is not social anxiety and depression, but abuse. Autistic people experience higher rates of all forms of abuse. My experience validates this. I have been getting abused for almost 20 years, and no NHS employee has recognised that I have been deeply traumatised for years. I tried to [X] myself a couple years ago, and haven't been out for social reasons in around 10 years, to explain how severe my situation is. I live a life not even a rat deserves. (Rats are intelligent, I've read. Very cool.)

    Besides that, I had an NHS psychologist suggest I behave in a way that doesn't anger my abuser, like I haven't tried that for almost 20 years. It drives me out of my mind.

    On the plus side, I am getting back in contact with the AAIST, potentially, and am in the process of waiting for an appointment for a C-PTSD diagnosis. Only after doing my own research, and telling my GP what's wrong, and what I need. I am fortunate, more fortunate than many other autistic people.

Reply

  • TW: suicidality, abuse, trauma

    For anyone interested, I have come to the conclusion that the NHS is killing us through incompetence. They have known for decades that we get worse health outcomes, and only a couple years ago was a 5-year plan implemented to sort this out. Autistic lives don't matter to the NHS. I understand individual employees care deeply, but not enough to go against their employers. I don't see doctors striking over how autistic people have to figure everything out by themselves, or protesting over how we have higher suicide rates than non-autistic people. It seems to be on us, who are knee-deep in mental health issues, and those of us who experience physical health issues, for whatever reason.

    I have spent a lot of time thinking. I have realised the core issue is not social anxiety and depression, but abuse. Autistic people experience higher rates of all forms of abuse. My experience validates this. I have been getting abused for almost 20 years, and no NHS employee has recognised that I have been deeply traumatised for years. I tried to [X] myself a couple years ago, and haven't been out for social reasons in around 10 years, to explain how severe my situation is. I live a life not even a rat deserves. (Rats are intelligent, I've read. Very cool.)

    Besides that, I had an NHS psychologist suggest I behave in a way that doesn't anger my abuser, like I haven't tried that for almost 20 years. It drives me out of my mind.

    On the plus side, I am getting back in contact with the AAIST, potentially, and am in the process of waiting for an appointment for a C-PTSD diagnosis. Only after doing my own research, and telling my GP what's wrong, and what I need. I am fortunate, more fortunate than many other autistic people.

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