I finally had the video call on Monday,
After completing the seventeen-page questionnaireβ¦
That questionnaire was never-ending,
And I had a lot to say,
With no problem with writingβ¦ π;
Writing is one of my crazy strengths,
Contrasting with more basic things which I can struggle with;
This kind of ‘spiky skill profile’,
Can be characteristic of autism,
And the psychiatrist agrees with me!
“Robin is a 33 year old man presenting with symptoms that have been present since childhood.”
“Robin meets the diagnostic criteria for Autistic Spectrum Disorder.”
Step one is now completed,
A significant milestone which will help me greatly,
And for the first time in a long time,
I’m in the mood for celebrating! π₯³
The next step,
Is OCD assessment :).
Thanks so much to all the people who helped me to raise the money for the cost of the private assessment,
And the people who generally support me here! π
I will try my best to repay my Karmic debt to the universe :).

πͺ
My youngest son is on the autism spectrum, no OCD. Me on the other hand…OCD, anxiety, depression. Itβs not so bad with todayβs treatmentsππΌ glad youβre getting answers
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Thanks! :). I really got all my answers in 2018 and 2019, with learning about ADHD, autism and OCD. It’s so much of an anticlimax to get an actual diagnosis in that sense, haha. Just great to be able to use it to get support and so that other people believe me when I mention autism etc!
It’s really criminal how much my circumstances are exacerbating OCD and general anxietyβ the environment that I am in, lack of purpose, restrictions on things that I can do (like cooking, music). OCD will mostly fade away as it’s only in the last few years it’s become crippling. Just cooking and getting out of the house are such good treatments for it, for me. And cooking should be such a simple pleasure!
Anyway, thanks for your comment and sharing some of your experience! I look forward to the improvements to come :). Eventually!
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Yes!! πͺπΌ and my OCD has lessened over time. You can practice how to control anxiety as well through meditation and yoga. My son actually LOVES cooking and does all the cooking in the home! He would attend culinary school if he didnβt have borderline agoraphobia. For now, we just encourage he assist us at the market for his fresh cooking ingredients. Keep pushing forward and your purpose will present itself! It could possibly be this blog to help and encourage others!
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Thank you!
I do intend for my blog to be part of it, actually :). I already have lots of ideas, and my overall purpose in fact. Just the crucial barriers in the way.
That’s great that you’re encouraging your son! I always loved cooking, too, and cooked at home sometimes when I was a teenager. It’s the closest thing to exercise! Or maybe music is, but cooking is right alongside! It seriously boosts my dopamine and therefore mental health. The effect is profound. So you see how crucial my environment is and how frustrating it has been latelyβ¦!
I just got some dumbbells in the post, though, finally! I ordered them in May but the pandemic created a shortage of them π€¦ββοΈπ€¦ββοΈπ€¦ββοΈ. Never-ending barriers! Anyway the dumbbells are seriously helping me already, as well as doing pressups!
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Well keep going and moving forward! Iβm excited to see all the positive and improvements this journey brings youππΌcrazy I was trying to order dumb bells off amazon all last month and zip…sold out! I finally found a small set last week at cvsπͺπΌ strength training!!
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Thanks :). I’m always moving forward with something, at least. Like I’ve also just discovered the effect of humidity on my sensitive skin, and have a diffuser/humidifier and some new essential oils, which has really improved the atmosphere in here. Lots of little things like that. But yes, strength training is amazing! I’m glad you managed to find some! Mine had to come from Germany π.
I’m really looking forward to my next psychiatry appointment tomorrow (later) :).
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Keep us posted! You have a huge support team here!
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Hi Robin, I hope that having a diagnosis helps you on your continuing journey.
I too am glad that you are getting answers and hope that you will get the ongoing support that will be a help too you.
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Thanks a lot. I am a lot more confident that I will now, and more motivated to go through the bureaucracy of it all.
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I really do find the bureaucracy around the issues of mental health frustrating but if you get the help you need worth going through
Good luck for the future
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So glad this crucial step is completely and you can move towards more appropriate and suitable help.
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ππ
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This is the link of the short piece I mentioned:
https://flickerofthoughts.com/2020/01/09/a-lost-battle/
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I’m so happy for you, Robin! Take care. Much love! ππππΌ
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Thank you Francine! I’ll try π
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It’s great you found answers!must have been hard not knowing all these years
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Thanks! Yes it was, for sure. And yes it’s a big relief to have the external diagnosis as well as my own.
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That’s awesome!
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Yes!!! Thank you! π
For some reason, they’ve just sent me the AQ-10 screening form to fill out!? I’ve replied to ask them why.
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π§
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Must be an admin error! Made me slightly nervous of whether I could have possibly misinterpreted the notes they already shared (which I quoted in this post) π. And the formal letter is yet to come.
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Hopefully just a paper-shuffling mix-up.
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Yeah, must be! Would make no sense to ask me to complete it now, after all the info I’ve given. Incidentally I completed one of those last year before getting put on the NHS waiting list for autism assessment. So at least I know I ‘pass’ it anyway xD.
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Ah it was just that they forgot to send it before :). Also they sent it with the ‘answers’ included, lol, so I could double-check that I was definitely ‘autistic’ before I sent it back, haha. I scored 9/10! π
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Love it!
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π€£
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They just needed it so they could officially finalise the report.
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Ah, ok.
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Congratulations !
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Thanks a lot! π
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Glad youβre getting somewhere. I know that feeling well. Take care π
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Thank you!! I’ll be starting to see a private therapist this week, too. π
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