I’m looking to get a diagnosis or rediagnosis on the austistic spectrum, I think it explains my social difficulties and flat effect from a very young age. How long did it take for you to get a diagnosis?
For me 32 years. Not sure how long for @firemonkey
If you mean how long is the waiting list, where I lived GP referrals are 24 months, but I got priority due to my sz etc
Going strictly from when Asperger’s(now ASD 1) was an official diagnosis it would be 27 years i.e 1992 -2019. Have had the Asperger symptoms longer than that- yes, it’s lifelong.
If you’re talking about how long it took for it to be noticed that more was going on than severe mental illness, irrespective of whether there was an Asperger’s dx to cover it, then it’s just under 46 years. In autumn/winter 1973 I first saw a pdoc, and in May 2019 I got the Asperger’s dx and recognition there was more going on than just severe mental illness .
The coping skills you learn, from my experience, would be the same as someone with schizophrenia. Just typical cognitive behavioural therapy or dialectical behavioural therapy. Regardless, being social is a good thing for every one. Having autism just means you are less capable in social interactions, and practice is the best way to learn it.
I am unable to practise because I only interact with close family and have no opportunities to practise
I’ve learned how to function sociallly for brief periods when I need to, but I don’t think I’ll ever learn to like it. It takes the wind out of my sails and I need to recharge afterwards.
At present I only interact with stepfamily . I think it’s too late to teach me social interaction skills . Over a decade ago, while living in Essex, I spoke of my difficulty initiating conversations to my then care co-ordinator . She mentioned a group that was supposed to help with such things . I never did get invited to that group.
Care co-ordinaters can really be quite obstructive when seeking more treatment than they can offer
1 Like
I’m also sza. I also have the fear at times of serial killers getting into my apartment and killing me.
And I also hear voices (mumbling), and music inside the central heating and air conditioning systems.
I’m not autistic.
1 Like
I didn’t see it as being an autistic thing .
1 Like
Troooooooth…
Me: I really want to try this.
Facilitator: But you’ll make yourself sick.
Me: I’m already sick, I’m trying to make myself better.
Facilitaor: That’s not a good idea. Here’s a PEZ dispensor with some Haldol, try that.
Me:
^ Reminds me of being told not to read a book about politics,because it would overtax my brain . Not being the most confident of people, at the best of times, I never did read that book . That was the late 1970s . A time when a sz diagnosis was seen as the ‘living kiss of death’ when it came to future expectations . Kind of like being told you’re no longer regarded as being of premier league standard , but can hope to maybe play a few games for your village football team .
This topic was automatically closed 95 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.