Can I offload? Just been to see GP with my 18 year old autistic daughter because she keeps having 'breakdowns'. She gets overwhelmed with emotion and can't cope with her college work. She asked me to make appt. She has never had friends and gets very lonely, she has never been too anyone else's house, party and rarely has anyone to ours as she says everyone turns her down. She relies on me a lot, which is fine but obviously that isn't what I want for her. Anyway, been to docs to ask for help (thinking counselling or poss anxiety meds) but we were made to feel that the problem is me!!! He wanted me to leave the room to talk to her on her own. SHE didn't want me to and had asked me to speak on her behalf. She said Mum knows everything about me, there is no need for her to leave. The GP then said what she needs is too make friends!!! Oh, if only it were that easy. He wanted to know who her best friend is - she said 'don't have one'. 'you must do, who do you call when you want to go out somewhere or too the pictures'. I interjected and said that is part of the problem that she struggles to make friends. His advice was for her to talk to people and make friends and cut the apron strings from Mum. We both came out feeling crap. She cried all the way home. I get that autism is a spectrum disorder but I would have thought most people appreciate that autistic people 'generally' struggle with friendships and thought a GP would be more understanding. Wouldn't be going to him again.
