Another Autist Becoming Self-Aware

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Hello to all of you!

I'm a 37-y/o man (well, more NB, but that's another conversation) who has been in the process of realizing that I'm autistic. I always resonated with spectrum-y folks, but was relatively high-functioning, so I thought it couldn't be me, especially because I was able to explain away a lot of the symptoms with trauma. But, after dropping out of school a few times, I finally managed to graduate and become licensed as a counsellor, and in the course of my studies, it became obvious to me that descriptions of Asperger's/HF autism fit me to a T. The past few weeks I've been obsessively researching, and am shocked how much this explains pretty much everything in my life - the social dysfunction, the hyper-sensitivity, the obsessiveness, struggles with school/jobs, the PDA, the stimming, the constant burnout from masking, the insomnia, all the other health issues... even now, I can't handle working much, can't afford a place to live, and so I live in my car, which is hard in the Canadian winter.

The other day, I went to a walk-in clinic to ask for a referral to a psychiatrist for assessment, but was told that it's not covered by public healthcare here in BC, and just the assessment costs upwards of $5000. This is so disappointing, as I thought maybe I'd finally be able to access some support, but it's only available to people with a diagnosis, and you have to be rich to access that. So for the foreseeable future, I'll keep struggling along, trying to survive in this neuro-typical world.

Anyway, I figured that I might find some people with common experiences here, because there's no one I can really talk to in the real world (ironically, as a new therapist who hasn't yet found any clients and survives by delivering pizzas and odd gardening jobs, I can't afford my own therapy). I'm a multi-instrumentalist/music producer, artist, writer, environmentalist, permaculturalist and more, and look forward to connecting more with others on the spectrum, as well as learning more about living with autism.

Welcome to WP, and to the Autism Spectrum.

Welcome!

I live in Connecticut and it is the same here. Adult services are only available to the wealthy.
Mental health services go away when you become and adult here.

I had severe anxiety a couple months ago and looked into getting therapy.
But I figured it out before I found a therapist.

Thanks @BTDT, and so frustrating to know that access to diagnosis is similar where you are (not surprising, knowing the American health-care system. I was a little surprised to learn that it's not covered here). Also glad to hear that you've managed to get your anxiety sorted out for the time being on your own - that can be such a struggle!

Welcome to Wrong Planet!

Welcome to that wrong planet!

Consider reaching out to an autism focused organization for assistance to get diagnosed.
They may have funding resources.

$5 grand for a psychiatric assessment seems quite steep.
In my case, I cannot see how the entire process to get diagnosed would have cost that much.
The amount of time I personally had one on one with the psychiatrist who wrote my report was
one hour. They also spoke with some family members of mine with my consent. I do not estimate that took more than an hour. The time it took them to write the 3 page report? I would not guess it took more than an hour.
I also had to provide my interpretations of a childrens picture book (I was 33 years of age and have attended university)
as a part of my testing. That part in particular felt completely ridiculous and I questioned the professionalism of it.

I am no expert, but I would estimate the total time to complete my assessment and report to be 5 hours at the very most and more likely 3-4 hours.

I don't know what the total cost was. I would have a hard time believing it was over $1000.

I also play music and am Canadian (and close to you in age- 40, not the age my profile indicates).

Hi Winetiger
(That's much less of a mouthful than Ethelthreth), but no doubt you'll get abbreviated to EW or WT.
Welcome to the Planet. I hope to see you in the musicians showcase.(Do you have a YouTube channel yet?)

I was trying to figure out where your name came from. The internet led me here.