Hi thanks for the great replies! They are very useful! If its not going to be helpful going to my GP, I may give it a miss - I am undecided and may just read the books suggested and looked down the alternative avenues given! For me a formal diagnosis is not important personally, but is it of any use or advantage at work? I have some communication diffculties with people at work where i have been misunderstood in the past. This was before I knew there was a formal name for my problem I have, let alone that other people suffered to. The only way I knew was when a dear friend of mine dared to tell me what she thought! It has been like I have been waking up ever since!
The problems I had at work were where I made jokes to colleagues which they did not find funny, did not tell me at the time - and when they complained - this was later taken to be bullying, in which the result was I ended up being given a formal warning. Its a long painful story and obviously a mistake I made due to my missing communication skills, lack of social imagination etc. I have been very careful since not to say anything that could be misinterpreted, and not to be fooled that my colleagues are my friends. I am very upset by this whole incident and it is something I am not very proud of! My friend says she thought a formal diagnosis may help protect me at work from non-caring people. She feels from what I have told her the people at work could be much more sympathetic to me and they are very hard. She is very kind as you all seem to be! Thanks very much!!! Before I go I would add getting a diagnosis for this reason saddens me as im concerned I would be treated too differently, ok I have challenges as Im sure everyone here does. Its very frustrating knowing what to do
