Being diagnosed with Autism and/or ADHD as in adult is extremely difficult. I live in the UK where our beloved NHS is currently extremely understaffed, underpaid, underfunded, and overworked so it’ll come as no surprise that they can’t keep up with the amount of Autism and ADHD referrals they have coming through.

I had been discussing Autism and ADHD since 2021 when I was nearly 21 years old and things were beginning to get more and more difficult for me in uni. My university had referred me for Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) to treat me for Anxiety which is what I thought I had. But once the CBT got into treating me for Social Anxiety, and I was telling my therapist that I don’t have Social Anxiety, I realised that there was definitely something bigger going on.

Whilst visiting my hometown during the summer, one of my Mum’s friends were talking about their daughter’s recent Autism diagnosis and explaining some of her most prominent traits like literal thinking and coming across as rude but not understanding why. I realised I saw so much of myself in what this person was saying about their young daughter and that’s when it clicked. I remember saying to my Mum “that’s me! I do that!” I spent the rest of that night researching Autism and what it looks like, sounds like, feels like, everything. For the first time in my life, I made sense.

It was actually social media that led me to ADHD. I’d only ever known one person with ADHD by this point and that was a kid who lived on my street that was the same age as my younger brother. His behaviour was awful and he could get very violent, especially with my brother. His mum always enabled his behaviour by excusing it as ADHD and babying him so it’s safe to say I very much had a bad idea of what ADHD was. But a post from a popular illustrated, comic-style creator appeared on my Instagram feed one day and spoke about something called Executive Dysfunction. It felt like that post was made so specifically for me that I clicked on the page and scrolled for hours, reading mini comics that seemed to so perfectly articulate these experiences that felt like only I went through. That creator was The Mini ADHD Coach. I then went on another research rampage, reading everything I could about ADHD specifically in girls. It just clicked again.

My research eventually led me to be brave enough to ask for an assessment in late 2021. I spoke to the GP I had whilst in uni but I think there was complications as I was moving back home soon. I spoke to my GP again in early 2022 after transferring my records back to my original GP in my hometown and asked for an assessment on both Autism and ADHD. I had no idea that I was about to run into the most complicated part of the journey by just trying to get a diagnosis.

I got a call confirming my referral for Autism in July 2022 but they said they wouldn’t refer me for an ADHD assessment as the waiting list can be over five years! I was 21 at this point and the idea of waiting until I was 26 to get the help I needed yesterday was insane. We found out through a friend who worked in the ward I was referred to (ironically, the dad of the little ADHD boy I knew) that the waiting list for Autism assessments could be three or more years! Ugh. Better late than never I suppose.

Then, in early 2023, doom scrolling on TikTok led me to Psychiatry UK and Right to Choose. Psychiatry UK is a NHS funded clinic that specialises in mental health and their Right to Choose pathway meant you could possibly be assessed faster. I filled in both forms for ADHD and Autism, sent them off, and never heard anything back. I found out months later that Psychiatry UK had temporarily stopped accepting new referrals as they were at capacity! So it seemed like I was going to have to wait a few years regardless.

After months of struggling to find work and managing to live independently, I get a call in September 2023 to let me know that the NHS is still going through 2020 referrals! Which meant at least another 3 years of waiting before my referral was even processed. It was around that time that another TikTok came up where the creator spoke about her diagnosis she received through Clinical Partners and Right to Choose. Another NHS funded clinic that specialised in mental health.

I looked it up, filled out the forms, booked a face to face appointment with my GP, got him to sign my forms off, and by the end of October 2023, I was on their waiting list. I had my Autism assessment 1st Feb 2024 and then my ADHD assessment 21st March 2024. I was finally diagnosed with Autism on 5th April 2024 and then ADHD on 8th April 2024.

This past week has been so validating. I’ve known that I’m AuDHD for quite a few years now and even gotten a degree in that time! But to have it confirmed and FINALLY have access to the help and resources I need is such an amazing feeling. The relief I feel is truly immeasurable.

I hope my journey and that my wait inspires you to just hold on because it is so worth your while if you’re struggling. Self-diagnosis is extremely valid in the AuDHD community but an official diagnosis can take you so much further in life outside of the community too. Just keep pushing on, keep going and be patient. Not just with your diagnosis but with yourself too.

Happy Autism Awareness Month!