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JourneyFan
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23 Dec 2021, 2:36 pm

Today I had the final part of my assessment for ADHD. The psychiatrist says going by all that has been discussed in my appointments, that she feels it is looking more likely to be autism more than ADHD so I will need further assessments. She said it could be that I have inattentive ADHD as I don’t have hyperactivity and because I lose concentration a lot.
Anybody familiar with this? I would really like to connect with somebody who is in the same position as I am - adult female with inattentive ADHD and ASD.
I have been advised to read about autism in females which I have done and it really feels like I have just read my autobiography 8O



timf
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24 Dec 2021, 8:58 am

You may not benefit too much from an assessment, label, classification, or diagnosis. Most of us benefit from learning skills to address specific deficiencies and management strategies. This comes more with time and the help from others who have been down a similar road. Wrong Planet can be helpful to seek these sort of advice.



Double Retired
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24 Dec 2021, 4:31 pm

From what I've seen on WP, I would not be surprised if you had trouble getting an ASD assessment. Other folk from the UK seem to report long delays.

And a qualified assessment might be the only way to get you a correct answer. ASD and ADHD share some characteristics, and it is possible to have both. It would take a professional to make a determination.

However, it is noteworthy that you have already seen one professional about ADHD and they sound skeptical.

P.S. No matter what, Welcome to WP!


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blazingstar
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24 Dec 2021, 5:28 pm

Welcome.

I can really relate to the “reading my own biography” experience. It was like the penny dropped and all the weird stuff in my life made sense.


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JourneyFan
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25 Dec 2021, 5:41 pm

timf wrote:
You may not benefit too much from an assessment, label, classification, or diagnosis. Most of us benefit from learning skills to address specific deficiencies and management strategies. This comes more with time and the help from others who have been down a similar road. Wrong Planet can be helpful to seek these sort of advice.


I think I would definitely benefit because it would help me at work. I need to reduce my hours as full time is too much for me and I am hoping that a diagnosis would enable me to do that. Also my boss and colleagues may be more patient and understanding with me.



JourneyFan
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25 Dec 2021, 5:49 pm

Double Retired wrote:
From what I've seen on WP, I would not be surprised if you had trouble getting an ASD assessment. Other folk from the UK seem to report long delays.

And a qualified assessment might be the only way to get you a correct answer. ASD and ADHD share some characteristics, and it is possible to have both. It would take a professional to make a determination.

However, it is noteworthy that you have already seen one professional about ADHD and they sound skeptical.

P.S. No matter what, Welcome to WP!


Thank you.
I actually went private rather than wait three or more years to be seen by someone. The psychiatrist has said most of what I have said - and also after speaking to my mother, was indicative of ASD.
Today I found my old school reports from aged 9, 10 and 11. The earliest one had comments from my class teacher that said I was very frustrating to teach. I was above average in all lessons but had an effort grade of D in all lessons - which makes no sense to me.
In the later reports, my English language, grammar, spelling and punctuation are all well above average but my mathematics grades were below average. It is like I stopped being able to learn anymore maths after the age of 9. There were also comments on the report about how my work was incredibly detailed but that I took a long time to complete the work set. And that I became very anxious before tests.
I just need to understand what is wrong with my mind.



JourneyFan
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25 Dec 2021, 5:53 pm

blazingstar wrote:
Welcome.

I can really relate to the “reading my own biography” experience. It was like the penny dropped and all the weird stuff in my life made sense.


It’s amazing isn’t it? I feel I am finally beginning to understand what has caused all the grief in my mind my whole life. But even down to the ‘masking’ part. I feel that I have become more “normal” in the last 10-15 years because I have learnt how to act when I’m in a social setting. Although there are still times when I should keep my mouth shut because I end up saying the wrong thing :roll:



Double Retired
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25 Dec 2021, 9:54 pm

JourneyFan wrote:
I just need to understand what is wrong with my mind.
I really prefer to think of it as a difference.

When I was told that I was on the Spectrum, really, I was relieved to finally know what was wrong with everyone else!


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autisticelders
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26 Dec 2021, 6:03 am

congratulations. It is a relief to view the past from a new perspective and suddenly understand "why" so many painful experiences happened and how autism has always been working in the background without our knowing. Assessment helped me figure out my best strengths and my worst weaknesses and helped me do self accommodations to make my life today better. I have been able to forgive myself for not meeting other's expectations all my life now I know it was not "all my fault" for not being a better person, but that my neurology held me back and hindered my life in so many ways. Knowing my diagnosis has given me tools to "work around" some of that. Glad you are with us.


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