UK aspies: NHS Experiences.

Post Reply New Topic

I was considering going for a diagnosis. Is this worth my while? I was wondering if any of you were receiving treatment for AS in the UK, and if so what form said treatments take. I'm currently doing cognitive group therapy for an hour and a half a week for an unrelated (well related, but different bias) depression/anxiety problem. I'm currently 30 years old.

I know there are a lot of threads about this kind of thing, but I wanted to be specific. Please forgive me.

I don't live in the UK but in Ireland, I have high regard for the National Autistic Society. You should contact the NAS for advice on getting a diagnosis as an adult. Here is a web-page about getting a diagnosis as an adult in the UK.

NAS Link: Diagnosis: the process for adults

My experience has been pretty good so far, but expect waiting list and something of a postcode lottery. Your GP should refer you fairly easily, that should get you a proper diagnostic assessment fairly easily, from there it's a case of someone in your funding area granding the funds for you to get some help in whatever way is recomended.

My psycologist has requested a series of counciling sessions and a follow up meeting with her, it's now down to the initial psycologist i was refered to in my own area to authorise the funding. Waiting for him to send me an appointment to discuss it.

Thanks guys. I will look definitely follow up with the NAS.

How is treatment working out for you guys? Do you feel you are getting anywhere?

Any more info is welcome and appreciated.

Honestly, my confidence is shattered, i'm questioning everything i do and i'm feeling resentful at life as i learn more about the coping mechanisms i've employed over the last 30 years.

Having said that, as an extremely self aware, inteligent, analytical thinker, i pretty much knew that was the likely short term outcome, so i don't necessarly see it as a negative against seeking help, more a required side effect of what will hopefully be a useful process for developing a long term strategy.

My friend had to go private to get a diagnosis.

hi, i am in the uk, 32 years old and recently got diagnosed. i didn't manage to get a referral from my GP so i went for an assessment with a private psychiatrist who is specialised in Adult Aspergers and developmental disorders at a hospital in london (he accepts self-referral). i receive very good after care from him too - from medication to general chit chat, advice, and therapy. it's not exactly cheap but i got seen within 1 week and the interview based DISCO assessment (developed by Lorna Wing) took about 4:30/5 hours. it was done over 2 sessions during the same week and i got told the results straight away. i received a very detailed official report 10 days after the diagnosis.

i think it's very important to be assessed by someone who knows adult aspergers very well and all the comorbid conditions in order to get the most appropriate treatment and management afterwards. I did think I fulfil the criteria for Aspergers but not in a million years that I also have adhd and dypraxia.

Yeah. I've discovered that I can go through all that without an official diagnosis



Oh dear.

And thanks, ASgirl, for the very detailed post. Looks like I might have to rob a bank so I can go private.

Moog, before going for my diagnosis, i did a lot of research on the cost of an assessment. most psychologists (those with a phd in psychology and with some AS experience ) will charge between £600-800. They can't prescribe medication and some authorities don't recognise their diagnosis as they are not medical doctors.

An assessment by a specialist consultant psychiatrist will set you back £1000-2500.

I nearly got chucked out of an NHS casualty the other week. Sign says "Walk in Service" . I walk in
ask for service . Not actually a walk in service. Got into logic argument with staff, because had been sent by GP to walk in service, but had not been given scrap of paper that lets you walk in, hence had to go back to GP for paper, come back and "walk in." Didn't bother.

That was for minor test. What happens when you actually want something abstract and more complex out of the system that is not primary health related.

Also

Would not want AS label being applied by such people because not sure what they would do once
applied. It's not like some kind of medal you wear is it? Nor am I ever going to claim benefits. So what is point?

I appreciate your perspective, memesplice. Sorry to hear that you find the medical authorities such a challenge. In many ways I agree with you. I'm looking for something that might really be of benefit to me by going down this route, perhaps it is not there, but I'd like to find out. Which is why I'm asking.

ASgirl, those prices are ridiculous. There's no way I could afford that. Surely there's some backstreet clinic who could make me a little paper badge that say's 'I iz a aspi!' on it for tuppence or so.

Go private. I paid around £300 to get diagnosed by a clinical psychologist who specialised in autism spectrum disorders.

If you do try going through the NHS, try to make sure you're not referred to any psychologist/psychiatrist - get referred to one who has diagnosed HFA/Asperger's syndrome before, or has worked with several HFA/Aspie people. Knowledge of autism among doctors is appalling. I don't think the average NHS shrink knows enough to make a diagnosis of an ASD.

Thanks Kajjie. Still not sure if I want to do this or not, but 300 squid is a lot more reasonable. It's doable.

I went private. My GP had been fairly unsympathetic and had told me, roughly "that's for children", "there aren't many people who deal with that" and "I can refer you but it'll be a very long time"; I had to argue strongly to get a referral. Not fun.

It took me 3 months to convince my doctor to refer me to the local Mental Health board. It took a month to get an appointment with them. The appointment was not with a doctor or a psychiatrist but with a nurse whos job it was to make the decision as to whether I needed further treatment. She was not going to refer me further and I ended up having to use my fake persona to make believe I was very very depressed and close to doing something desperate just to get her to refer me to see a shrink. I hope others don't get into the position where the NHS psychiatrists gatekeeper doesn;t recognise AS in adults.

It then took a further 2 months before I heard from the psychiatrists and they gave me an appointment in another two months.

So it was 8 months - while I was on maximum dose SSRI medication - before I even set foot in a specialists office.

Hi

When I went to my gp seeking a referral he had a student with him so that boosted my confidence a bit. Wrong. I explained to him my concerns and he looked over to the student and said something like 'if I had a pound every time someone came in here with a self dx about something they heard about, id be rich!'

They had a little giggle between themselves and then he turned to his computer and proceeded to google 'aspergers' and scan over the wikipedia page. It went downhill from there.

Good luck though, don't let my experience discourage you. I'm saving to get a private dx myself.