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mrdecc
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12 Mar 2007, 10:30 am

I have just been to see my GP to 'explain' my desire to be referred to a specialist to assess me for ASD/Aspergers etc .....

The above statement is a light treatise on todays adventure...the reality is as follows..

My Wife takes down many notes over a period of about two weeks outlining my many, many difficulties
( ego at an all time low )..We take these notes and a printout from the autistic society to the doctors..

I sit in the chair and try to explain what I want to the Doctor..This simply doesn't happen!..everytime I try to formulate a word, my head feels like its being involved in a car crash. Knees shaking like mad, sweating like a mule, straining to express myself..Wife takes over and I am being referred to see the 'community psychiatric nurse'..

To the casual observer it appears that I am having a complete nervous breakdown which is most frustrating...The only sentence I am able to blurt out to the Doctor is this ..'If you don't say ''I understand you Guy'' then I don't know wether you understand me, I can't register ''yes'' or ''mmmh'' or any other action'...She nods, which to me means NOTHING!!.

Anyhoo ...I felt I should share this and I will continue to add more as the assessment continues.



Aspie_for_the_Lord
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12 Mar 2007, 10:36 am

Wherebouts in the UK are you from?


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Juggernaut
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12 Mar 2007, 10:46 am

mrdecc, I can relate! Your description of the inability to express yourself to a psychiatrist I understand. I also feel the same way when talking to my parents about stuff. Fortunately I don't talk to them about emotional stuff anymore.



mrdecc
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12 Mar 2007, 10:52 am

I live in Norfolk but I am originally from essex ...

When having to explain anything of a personal nature to anybody , I explode into a medley of stuttering, stammering, knee shaking and sweating eventually culminating in me explaining that there is nothing but blank space in my head where there should be information.. 8O



Aspie_for_the_Lord
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12 Mar 2007, 11:02 am

my problem is kinda different, i explain myself.... and they look at me vacantly

so i say it again... and they scratch their heads

after a third attempt they smile, frown and either (depending on how much they need the information) walk away or clutch their head in their hands...

it feels a bit like trying to explain Degree level stuff to my 13 year old brother :lol:


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mrdecc
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12 Mar 2007, 11:11 am

Aspie_for_the_Lord wrote:
my problem is kinda different, i explain myself.... and they look at me vacantly

so i say it again... and they scratch their heads

after a third attempt they smile, frown and either (depending on how much they need the information) walk away or clutch their head in their hands...

it feels a bit like trying to explain Degree level stuff to my 13 year old brother :lol:


I have felt like that when explaining whatever theory I was working on..it has since come to my attention that my explanations where more than satisfactory but my ability to register wether an individual understood what I am banging on about was absent...subsequently I would repeat myself using ever simpler analogies until tension was felt by the recipient and they walked away or got upset....now I stress to all that if you don't say the exact phrase 'I understand', I won't believe you understand....its all very odd 8O



Aspie_for_the_Lord
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12 Mar 2007, 11:22 am

more and more im beginning to believe that its not us with the problem, its NT's...

i find i understand Aspies, and they me

maybe we are another varient of human coming outta the strain, a bit like Poodles and Labradors are from Dogs


Meh... what do i know, lol


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GrumpyOldAspie
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12 Mar 2007, 11:24 am

mrdecc, instead of trying to talk to the doctor, try writing it all down beforehand in a letter, starting off with an explanation of why you can't talk coherently to him. Then hand him the letter.



mrdecc
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12 Mar 2007, 11:31 am

GrumpyOldAspie wrote:
mrdecc, instead of trying to talk to the doctor, try writing it all down beforehand in a letter, starting off with an explanation of why you can't talk coherently to him. Then hand him the letter.



I would imagine that when I see the 'psychiatric nurse' she will want to see the display in all its glory, I will bring notes however and possibly a letter explaining that I will become a mess immediately after I utter the first word... :?



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12 Mar 2007, 12:20 pm

I had similar experience when talking to my DR,whom I had only seen a few times ,for 20 min over several years(I am pretty healthy and HATE going to DRs. because they generally seem to be dismissive to me).

I walk in with total control and a list in my hands and begin crying so hard that I cant get a word out and just hand her the sheet....she looks at it for a few minutes and tells me I dont have AS because I can communicate(I sure couldnt then..)She offered to increase my anti-depressents and then when I said...OK,but I also want a referral....she glared at me,refused to increase my meds and gave me the referral and stormed out of the room...it was a bizarre display of ego driven insanity.
I took the referral and found a new DR.

Good luck with your DX.I finally did get one,not that it helped any of the issues I wanted to work on....oh,well.At least some confirmation of my suspicions.Hopefully,the psychiatrist place will be more informed about adult AS and give you the referral.


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Graelwyn
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12 Mar 2007, 1:13 pm

I would not settle for seeing a psychiatric nurse, absolutely no way! They are not specialists in this, so I sure as hell hope for your sake she/he will refer you onwards or you will not get where you want to. When I faced this issue, yes, I was very nervous, but I went alone, I avoided looking at my doctor and simply said, 'I would like to be referred to someone who specialises in autistic disorders or aspergers syndrome'. You don't take no for an answer. If they do not do that, then find another gp until someone does take you seriously. The autism centre in Cambridge is doing free assessments for adults at this time, by the way, and that is Simon Baron Cohen's team, so you could also write down the contact details for there and ask to be referred as that is possible, no matter what area you are from...unless you have problems with travelling... however that tends to need a parent or sibling too to back up your developmental history. That is the route I am taking, as well as seeing a local psych. Fortunately, my gp agrees I most likely have aspergers so I didn't come against any difficulties... I had expected to as usually the older gps do not even know what such things are, but this one did and the other old practise doctor has a wife who worked with AS kids. My first appointment is Friday actually, with the local person.


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simon2wright
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12 Mar 2007, 5:11 pm

There are some very good Asperger support groups in Norfolk.
I go to the one in Great Yarmouth.
They will offer you lots of advice when talking to you GP,
Take care.
Simon
www.asperger.org.uk



mark2410
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12 Mar 2007, 5:26 pm

well i foound that it waseasyesyto arrange to go a prvivate deiagnistition. anhthing withenthe nhs will be hellishhthey munst be avaioded



mrdecc
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30 Mar 2007, 12:11 pm

so...here's the affair so far

march 5........phone doctor make appointment.

march 12......see doctor and shake, twitch, jerk, stress my story out with aid of wife. Get referred to the community psychiatric nurse.

march 27.......see community psychiatric nurse and shake, twitch, jerk, stress, jolt, blurt my story out whilst gesturing spasmodically to the autistic printouts replete with personal notes outlining my many, many, many difficulties. Get referred to the psychologist for full assessment.


8O ..thats it for now, the journey continues....au revoir