Well today was meant to have been my first autism assessment appointment, but they cancelled at the last minute – again. The last cancellation was because they sent me the wrong appointment dates. This time it’s because the Advanced Practice Nurse at the Autism Service is sick without anybody to cover for him. The last time this happened the waiting list was delayed for 3 months and I got knocked off the waiting list because they mislaid my file.
The annoying thing is that as far as my family, support worker, the Advanced Practice Nurse at the Autism Service and the Psychiatrist who made the referral are concerned the result is a foregone conclusion, but I have to be formally diagnosed to access the support I need to live independently. I can’t access any talking therapies for my mental health issues until we have the result. Basically the only treatment I can have is antidepressants, but I’ve yet to find an antidepressant that actually does anything more than keep me from killing myself. I’m stuck on welfare and I’m lucky if I can handle a 2 mile bus journey most days. I want to get better – this isn’t a life, it’s an existence. My life is on hold. 16 months from referral and still waiting.
Rant over.
Basilica's Place 
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