What help is there?

[ChurchTheArtist]

To be more specific and not get any individual angry over the simplicity of summarization-

In many areas and groups of people, not encompassing everyone as a whole nor speaking for each individual, understand that general practitioners are not suited for specialized diagnosis' or treatment. Many, but not all, USA citizens understand the a GP is not needed to get specialized help nor do you need their permission or guidance to find a specialist. The legally accurate fact is that there are millions of practicing clinics designed for easy access to the public to help with these problems in the USA and don't require a front guard of a GP to get to.

The casual use of "we" is a mild summery of the general populist of the United States but does not, nor attempts to encompass all individuals. The lack of specification or use of terms such as "all" or "every" gives courtesy to the original post in that it was not ever intended to speek to, for or about any specific individual nor the entirety of he population as a whole.

Forgive me if I try to make points with fewer words. It may offend people accedentally but these long winded clarifying lawyer answers do tend to tire me out.

 

[tree]

Um, I hope you aren't trying to pick a fight. I was generalizing my, my family, my friends and all the people I know and talk to's experience. The "we" encompasses hundreds, thousands of people I've been in touch with... In the United States. I've been told by a couple of people in this site that the process of seeing a specialist is easier in the USA than it is in the UK. This comes from an outside perspective.

lol
Me, pick a fight.

I wanted to know who the 'we' was.
Because nobody I know goes straight to a specialist.
First the GP or more likely, the Nurse Practitioner or
assistant.

 

[Spiller]

I've noticed it is much harder in the UK than here in the USA. We don't use GP unless a toddler gets the sniffles. We go straight to a specialist but I've been told it isn't that easy in the UK. Is that true?

Yep, your GP is the only 'Gateway' to further services and specialists, unless you can afford to go private. Following that the Community Mental Health Team is the next 'Gateway'.. and they are severely under-budget and understaffed.

It's recently been made policy to be able to change your GP if you're not satisfied and I'm on my third now - her intern experience in psych wards has given her exposure to autism, so she was in complete agreement with my self diagnosis, but it still took 2 years and 4 referrals to get 2 interviews with mental health assessors, then 6 months more for the diagnosis.
(It's practice in the UK to withhold formal diagnosis of ASD's in HFA adults, so it was only after I'd seen 4 therapists, who all kept repeating that I seemed fine to them, that my psychiatrist finally relented and put my diagnosis in writing, bearing in mind I'd self harmed since my teens and attempted suicide several times by then.)

The point is that it's extremely hard, if not impossible, to get formal help with Autism as an adult in the UK.. and don't even get me started on how hard it is if you're a parent of an ASD child!

 

[unsurewhattoname]

Not really sure what's going on but ok.

 

[Spiller]

Not really sure what's going on but ok.

What aren't you sure of unsurewhattoname?

 

[unsurewhattoname]

About where the topic is going

 

[Spiller]

Your post was a good question, though brief and members have given their views based on that, it seems.

Good turnout for the UK though - Wooah UK!!

Interesting that different areas of the US find varying levels of support..
Disappointing that support is invariably rubbish in the UK.

I have found that AC has been my greatest support and education since ever!
To be able to compare experiences, thoughts, feelings.. to be able to rant.
To realise it's not just me who feels like this.

I'd love there to be a service that can help out (someone remind me why I contributed to the NHS for 30 years?) but, for all I've found, it's all here on AC and a couple of charities in my area.

Stick around for a while, find some answers, some friends.

 

[ChurchTheArtist]

About where the topic is going

Yeah, I'm afraid your questions were kinda vague and you took a little pushing to say what nation you are in.

The conversation is clearing up some understanding between nations because this is a global site. So when you ask questions it's considerate be be more specific because not all of us live under the same laws.

 

[metalminx24]

Spiller is right, England is RUBBISH when you need help. A counselor and an occupational health doctor I saw both found it highly amusing when I voiced my self-diagnosis, and it was only following my second stay in ICU that I was taken seriously and properly assessed.

I agree also about MIND, they don't have a lot to offer (and I honestly don't mean this to sound superior, although I know it will) more cerebral people.

It seems to me that finding appropriate help is kind of like playing Pin the Tail on the Donkey- utter potluck!

 

[ChurchTheArtist]

*shrug*
I'm sorry to hear you guys have such a rough time over there. I still kinda' fall back on my first suggestive post then. Communities are a good help. Besides, there isn't really any medications (that I've heard of) to treat aspergers really, just the tangental stuff like depression and OCD. If you want to address aspergers- you don't really need to start with meds, meaning you don't need a doctor necessarily.

Unsurewhattoname, maybe you can start by telling us what it is you need help with? Saying "I need help" isn't going to get you much. As you've seen vague questions can result in an array of interpretations and a bit of confusion. Are you struggling with understanding your diagnosis? Are there mannerisms getting in the way of your or someone else's lives? Are you having trouble dealing with people? Do you need tips on how to adjust to things? Do you need to know what kind of laws protect or inhibit you at work or school? Are you concerned with legal rights associated with your diagnosis?

If you shared a little more about what you need, I'm sure you will find some answers. The only thing that a doctor can do that can't be found anywhere else is prescription grade medication or a room at a facility.

 

[unsurewhattoname]

I don't have depression and OCD. No I understand it, not sure what that means, yes but I have done my entire life, I guess, maybe, no.

I don't know what I need help with but I need help because I'm stuck.