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Hi <nervous smile>

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Hi, I've been a member since January but haven't actually had time to introduce myself - I think I was putting it off because I didn't know for sure if I had autism or not, if you know what I mean? - I have worked with children with SEN, including autism, but never realised that I actually showed any signs - though apparently it has been self evident.

 

Verging of three years ago now, I went to see my GP with 'anxiety' problems and he simply dismissed it and said that it was down to my autism and that was the first I had ever been told that I had it on my record, apparently its been there since I was five and I am now 21. Anyway one thing lead to another and I kinda went into denial, I tried to hide the fact that I had autism - it didn't work that well because I went through an episode of psychosis shortly after and gained myself a referral to a CPN.

 

My CPN wasn't that good, she was always forgetting that she had an appointment with me, forgetting to do what she had promised to do, I honestly thought she was testing me, but it later turns out that she was just bad at her job. Realising that my CPN was doing more damage than good, I walked away and for a year I managed to cope with whatever it was going on... I think I just got to a point where I went on auto drive - the important thing was I was surviving.

 

The past few months my social anxieties have been getting worse, my life has ultimately ended, and I took an overdoes - daft I know, but it made sense at the time - I had no life, there was nothing to live for. My partner found me and got help, I was discharged on the understanding that I would go and see my GP and get referred to an appropriate NHS health official. My GP refereed me to a mental health doctor, I can't spell the name of it.

 

He said that looking through my previous notes made by my last CPN and by my childhood doctor he was surprised that no one had actually picked up on the fact that this wasn't down to psychosis, or indeed any other type of mental health problem that he could help with - it was my autism that had caused the problems, he spent an hour explaining his reasoning and I've got to admit, for the first time since i've been having problems - it actually made sense!

 

I am now awaiting to see my GP again on thursday to get a referral to the local autism team - hopefully they'll be able to help!

 

Sorry about the long post, but wanted to say hi.

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Hello, and welcome to the forum.

 

It must have been a real shock to learn that way that you had autism! For most of us it comes as a gradual realisation and even that can be hard to come to terms with.

 

I'm glad you're finally getting support, but it's awful that it's taken a suicide attempt to get that far. It sounds like the doctor you saw was a really good one, as many simply have no understanding of autism. It's possible to have mental health problems as well as autism, and if you are struggling your difficulties shouldn't be dismissed as "part of the autism." Hopefully the autism team can help you get appropriate support.

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Hi and welcome to the forum. :) I hope you get that referral and get the right kind of support at last.

 

K x

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Hi I've put off replying until today so I could attach an update too, I was kinda being hopeful that things would go without any problems and that I would be writing as such in a happier frame of mind, but things never go to plan.

 

I've just walked out of my GP's for being a pain in the neck, the doctor I seen earlier this week recommended that I start my epilepsy tablets again - not only to control my epilepsy, but to also "calm my mind" in the short term - until at least i've been to see the autism team. I hadn't even got on to the fact that he suggested trying anti-depressants too but was 'cut off' by the GP saying "Oh I don't know what I can do", "lets wait for the doctor to write"... considering that I am meant to be on these tablets anyway its annoying because he couldn't just write a script etc. and do his job! (the other doctor had already warned that it could take approx. 2 weeks to write to my GP because of the back-log that he has.)

 

In the end I got up and said "if its too much trouble doing your job don't worry" and walked out - I just thought there was no point in wasting my time!

 

Thanks for the warm welcome :) x

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Sorry to hear your appointment today turned out to be a waste of time. Maybe it wasn't your GP's fault if they haven't heard from the psychiatrist yet. It's worth keeping your GP onside if possible.

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hi and welcome, my DP is waiting still for his psych referral and its been 5 months since he last saw the GP

 

Can you speak to another GP about your concerns just in case you are waiting this long too xx

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Again thanks for the further replies!

 

Tally, I was thinking of keeping him on side until he chose to ignore what I was saying... The doctor I seen on Tuesday said that if nothing else my epilepsy tablets, which I stopped taking awhile ago, should 'stableise' my mood at the moment - because within the mental health teams they also use it for manic conditions, but when i mentioned it to my GP he 'wasn't sure' - but I am meant to be on these tablets anyway, even if I hadn't seen the other doctor... I just don't know at the moment.

 

Baranigirl, I am going to see when the other GP is in but the autism team did say that they should be in contact within two weeks - so if all else fails it shouldn't be that long.

 

xx

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