Published on 12, July, 2020
Am I unusual in that I didn't studiously plan my pathway to an autism diagnosis? I had a basic idea as to what autism was, but not anything like the minutae that many seeking a diagnosis have. It was very much a case of WYSIWYG with me. I didn't write copious notes detailing why I might be/was autistic.
One thing confuses me a bit - the notes. My first time I had an appointment with a therapist which I wasn’t satisfied with but it doesn’t matter here, I had some short notes to not forget what I wanna talk about. I was so stressed and anxious that these notes helped me collect my thoughts. But there were just few words like my feeling is this, my problem is that and that’s it. I didn’t need any longer notes because these are things I know. So I’m not sure if the notes people prepare are also short ones like mine or something different. When it comes to writing about my traits and why I think I might be autistic, I don’t need to write it in order to not forget or something.
I need notes because I can't think clearly and get my words out in a situation like this. Better to have them and not need them, maybe?
Yes, that’s a good point actually! In my case I repeat the possible conversation so many times that I actually know by heart what to say and this repeating makes me feel sick. It’s always like that with every possibly upcoming conversation. It does not often go as planned but when it comes to therapist or psychiatrist appointments- it usually does.