UK Autistics @autistics
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UK Autistics @autistics
Following my diagnosis about 3 months ago I've been following up to try to talk to someone about the mental health problems I've had for the last 15 years only to be told by my GP "there's nothing further we can do for you".
Now I'm looking for a psychiatrist specializing in people who are late diagnosed that I can see privately. Does anyone have any recommendations please? I assume this can be done via video call so doesn't need to be local.
In my area (North East England) there is a service that you can contact for support. I haven't used them yet but am due to speak to them next month about things to see what help is available.
Has whoever you got the diagnosis from not given you details of any support services in your area? I got a whole pack of information about various things from them. It may be worth contacting them for advice rather than your GP.
Unfortunately I think it is very much a postcode lottery though.
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In my area (North East England) there is a service that you can contact for support. I haven't used them yet but am due to speak to them next month about things to see what help is available.
Has whoever you got the diagnosis from not given you details of any support services in your area? I got a whole pack of information about various things from them. It may be worth contacting them for advice rather than your GP.
Unfortunately I think it is very much a postcode lottery though.
@PetraPhoenix Thanks, in my area this is all provided by an organization called "Talking Therapies" which appears to be a one stop shop for all your further support needs, as long as your further support needs are more CBT.
The surprising helpful lady I had a 'triage' appointment with also referred me to the local team of psychiatrists. But following a 10 minute call with someone who wasn't medically qualified I've now been dropped from their waiting list. -
@PetraPhoenix Thanks, in my area this is all provided by an organization called "Talking Therapies" which appears to be a one stop shop for all your further support needs, as long as your further support needs are more CBT.
The surprising helpful lady I had a 'triage' appointment with also referred me to the local team of psychiatrists. But following a 10 minute call with someone who wasn't medically qualified I've now been dropped from their waiting list.What! That's awful. I'm sorry services are so bad in your area! I hope you find someone to help soon
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In my area (North East England) there is a service that you can contact for support. I haven't used them yet but am due to speak to them next month about things to see what help is available.
Has whoever you got the diagnosis from not given you details of any support services in your area? I got a whole pack of information about various things from them. It may be worth contacting them for advice rather than your GP.
Unfortunately I think it is very much a postcode lottery though.
@PetraPhoenix Just looked again at the "helpful" Appendix of resources attached to the diagnostic report. The only thing within 25 miles is an organization that supports parents of autistic children
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UK Autistics @autistics
Following my diagnosis about 3 months ago I've been following up to try to talk to someone about the mental health problems I've had for the last 15 years only to be told by my GP "there's nothing further we can do for you".
Now I'm looking for a psychiatrist specializing in people who are late diagnosed that I can see privately. Does anyone have any recommendations please? I assume this can be done via video call so doesn't need to be local.
@Psychonaut @autistics Some of the feedback I got after my diagnosis was a recommendation to book an appointment with a Speech & Language Therapist (SaLT). The assessor I spoke to said that CBT isn't always very helpful because it takes the position of trying to recondition irrational thoughts, but the way I experience the world isn't irrational to me. They said a SaLT could help with useful suggestions for language and propose strategies which could help me to self-advocate.
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@Psychonaut @autistics Some of the feedback I got after my diagnosis was a recommendation to book an appointment with a Speech & Language Therapist (SaLT). The assessor I spoke to said that CBT isn't always very helpful because it takes the position of trying to recondition irrational thoughts, but the way I experience the world isn't irrational to me. They said a SaLT could help with useful suggestions for language and propose strategies which could help me to self-advocate.
@Psychonaut @autistics I've not sought out a SaLT yet, I only had my diagnosis in the middle of March, so still quite new to me. I'm also going through ADHD assessment very soon, so that's more of a focus for me really. I hope that advice helps.
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@Psychonaut @autistics I've not sought out a SaLT yet, I only had my diagnosis in the middle of March, so still quite new to me. I'm also going through ADHD assessment very soon, so that's more of a focus for me really. I hope that advice helps.
@AndyIncarnate @autistics thanks, I'm not sure that's what I'm looking for though
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UK Autistics @autistics
Following my diagnosis about 3 months ago I've been following up to try to talk to someone about the mental health problems I've had for the last 15 years only to be told by my GP "there's nothing further we can do for you".
Now I'm looking for a psychiatrist specializing in people who are late diagnosed that I can see privately. Does anyone have any recommendations please? I assume this can be done via video call so doesn't need to be local.
@autistics A bit more about my specific circumstances, apologies for breaking across multiple posts:
I was a high functioning, high masking undiagnosed autistic, extremely well paid expatriate in a high pressure corporate job until one day, about 15 years ago, I broke. I now recognize this as my first autistic burnout although it was diagnosed at the time as major depressive disorder.
I "recovered" but only got back to 90% at best so inevitably I burned out again 1/?
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@autistics A bit more about my specific circumstances, apologies for breaking across multiple posts:
I was a high functioning, high masking undiagnosed autistic, extremely well paid expatriate in a high pressure corporate job until one day, about 15 years ago, I broke. I now recognize this as my first autistic burnout although it was diagnosed at the time as major depressive disorder.
I "recovered" but only got back to 90% at best so inevitably I burned out again 1/?
@autistics I "recovered" again but only to 80% and so the cycle and deterioration has repeated over the past 15 years.
At about 70% I moved back to the UK to try to find a less stressful position that I could sustain but it didn't work, the deterioration continued.
At about 40% I moved north and out of the corporate world completely but the deterioration continued and I'm now essentially unable to work long term as I don't have the spoons to tolerate it 2/? -
@autistics I "recovered" again but only to 80% and so the cycle and deterioration has repeated over the past 15 years.
At about 70% I moved back to the UK to try to find a less stressful position that I could sustain but it didn't work, the deterioration continued.
At about 40% I moved north and out of the corporate world completely but the deterioration continued and I'm now essentially unable to work long term as I don't have the spoons to tolerate it 2/?@autistics For 15 years I've been prescribed antidepressants - which assume that there's a chemical imbalance in your brain causing your mental health problems. But now I've been diagnosed with autism - which simplistically means I'm wired differently - but my GP refuses to even discuss any change in my medication and tells me "there's nothing further we can do for you"
3/?
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@autistics For 15 years I've been prescribed antidepressants - which assume that there's a chemical imbalance in your brain causing your mental health problems. But now I've been diagnosed with autism - which simplistically means I'm wired differently - but my GP refuses to even discuss any change in my medication and tells me "there's nothing further we can do for you"
3/?
@autistics Ironically I'm suddenly starting to understand myself for the first time in my life. I understand that the underlying cause of my mental health problems is that my whole life I've been trying to mash my cube-shaped brain through a circular hole designed for neurotypical people and unsurprisingly I've damaged it in the process.
4/?
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@autistics Ironically I'm suddenly starting to understand myself for the first time in my life. I understand that the underlying cause of my mental health problems is that my whole life I've been trying to mash my cube-shaped brain through a circular hole designed for neurotypical people and unsurprisingly I've damaged it in the process.
4/?
@autistics But I'm now in a position where the difference between the fully-rested most resilient version of myself and a totally burned-out nonfunctional version of myself is just a hair's breadth. I can't work in this state. I don't think I can ever get back to 100% but I need somebody who understands to tell me if it's possible for me to get back to 30 or 40% and, if so, how I start to do that.
So if anyone can recommend who I should talk to I'd appreciate it.
Thanks
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