**The Mental Health Thread**

just phoned the Autism Diagnostic service to find out when I'm going to do my test

18 months I've been waiting (they said up to 18 months)

still on the waiting list

they cant tell me anymore

so i said "Do you think i will be seen this year?"

her reply : probably not :mad:
 
The service is overwhelmed. Not only has it been cut back, but there has also been an increase in awareness of symptoms, leading many adults to consider whether they have been living with the condition.

However, some people will tell you that it's because swathes of people just want to claim PIP or use it as an excuse to get out of things at work.
 
Rob_B said:
Private does unfortunately seem to be the only reasonable way to get diagnosed at the moment.
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I think it’s bang out of order that U.K. taxpayers have to go private to get a mental health diagnosis, but I’d call the money spent getting a diagnosis an investment in yourself if it means someone gets help/treatment this year.
 
Terminal_Boy said:
I think it’s bang out of order that U.K. taxpayers have to go private to get a mental health diagnosis, but I’d call the money spent getting a diagnosis an investment in yourself if it means someone gets help/treatment this year.
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On average, a private autism diagnosis costs around £2,000. Even if you are diagnosed, there is little help or treatment available for adults. You may be referred for private therapy to address comorbid issues such as depression or anxiety, but that won't be cheap either.

Ultimately, a diagnosis is more about acceptance and recognising that there are certain challenges they will always face due to their traits. This should hopefully lead to a change in mindset, so that they do not repeatedly berate themselves or allow others to criticise them for aspects that are largely beyond their control, for example, limited emotional expression or monotonous speech. Many adults have lived their lives being told that they are just lazy or not making an effort, when in reality they are living with a disorder that can have a significant impact on executive function and social interaction.
 
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Ayahuasca said:
On average, a private autism diagnosis costs around £2,000. Even if you are diagnosed, there is little help or treatment available for adults. You may be referred for private therapy to address comorbid issues such as depression or anxiety, but that won't be cheap either.

Ultimately, a diagnosis is more about acceptance and recognising that there are certain challenges they will always face due to their traits. This should hopefully lead to a change in mindset, so that they do not repeatedly berate themselves or allow others to criticise them for aspects that are largely beyond their control, for example, limited emotional expression or monotonous speech. Many adults have lived their lives being told that they are just lazy or not making an effort, when in reality they are living with a disorder that can have a significant impact on executive function and social interaction.
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Pretty much this, you get a bit of paper, probably offered CBT and... er that's about it if you're not in education.
 
Freefaller said:
Just doing little things like quitting social media, online games, spending 10 mins outside in the morning, making my bed first thing, and really spending focussed time with my children are amongst the few things that have really helped me move to more positive mindset. Quitting a **** job and surrounding myself with good people helped.
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I noticed my friends who came off them. This was one of the biggest things they was doing. Spending so much time on social media and watching the news. Drilling negative thoughts into them.

Once they stopped, things got better.
 
ShiWarrior said:
just phoned the Autism Diagnostic service to find out when I'm going to do my test

18 months I've been waiting (they said up to 18 months)

still on the waiting list

they cant tell me anymore

so i said "Do you think i will be seen this year?"

her reply : probably not :mad:
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Check your employer benefits. It's mental health week so they're all pushing it quite hard atm. Our employer has all manner of helplines and support systems in place, it's a shame that they're so under-used when in reality they're actually really good.
 
Folks I made a thread for this, but in case anyone has missed it, I'm collecting money for men's mental health this weekend, if you have a few spare pennies please feel free to pop them in the pot!

www.gentlemansride.com

The Distinguished Gentleman's Ride

On Sunday the 18th May 2025, I'm riding in The Distinguished Gentleman's Ride with fellow men and women across the globe to raise funds and awareness for prostate cancer and men's mental health on behalf of Movember. Men die on average 6 years earlier than women and for largely preventable...
www.gentlemansride.com www.gentlemansride.com
 
Rob_B said:
Pics obviously needed afterwards... !
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Yaayuh! said:
Covered in bugs.
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The rules are quite stiff for "must be a cafe racer / custom / whatever". Me being me, the rules can get in the sea. What's more important, donations or the right bike? So I'll be rebranding my bike to a Triumph Bobber using whatever scribbled stickers I can make, dressing up for the occasion (which we've invested quite a bit of wedge in already!) and going. I get why they want only specific bikes, as it's very much a civilized thing and they don't want boy-racers, but we'll most definietly being in the right spirit of the day.

Here's my Triumph Bobber:

v66FrMn.jpeg



Anyway, enough of that, rather not derail the thread :)
 
Yeah I know what it’s like to have a psychotic episode, which is a serious mental health problem. I’ve recovered from them though but have to take medication for it. Wish I didn’t have to but no choice, been on them over 20 years and I can’t stop now.
 
malachi said:
I noticed my friends who came off them. This was one of the biggest things they was doing. Spending so much time on social media and watching the news. Drilling negative thoughts into them.

Once they stopped, things got better.
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Yes it was constantly hammering that dopamine chase and not letting my body do it naturally. Also it was/is bloody depressing when you think about what people share and some of the things that are shared as you can't help but analyse and compare. Maybe it's not for everyone but I found it just sucked joy out of everything. Reconnecting with the "real" world helped a lot.

I was very lucky to have strong and caring friends and wife that helped me get me back on the straight and narrow. Looking back I was not in a good place. (I don't just mean SM, just everything in my life was being catastrophised). It's so easy to get lost in your head.


Like others have mentioned here the waiting lists for seeing someone was almost the worst bit. Identifying that you want to be fixed or that you have a mental health issue and knowing it's going to take time was hard to deal with. Mental health charities helped me a lot but they're stretched and underfunded too.
 
Freefaller said:
Sorry for the brain dump. Just felt inspired to share.
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I'm very glad you shared, thank you :) Some inspiring stuff there.
Ayahuasca said:
Many adults have lived their lives being told that they are just lazy or not making an effort, when in reality they are living with a disorder that can have a significant impact on executive function and social interaction.
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This hits me very hard. Very hard indeed. I have so much of that mindset ingrained too, that I am still sceptical of my ADHD diagnosis 4 years later, and attack myself for being lazy on a daily basis.

I'm still struggling to get myself motivated and active and actually raise my productivity. Right now I've been coasting on bare minimum and exhausted for 2 years. However what has changed around the same time 2 years ago is buying and moving into a home with my partner, no longer house sharing. Something shifted in my mind and I have (had to) learn to be happy today.

Have I finished that DIY? Nope. Have I exercised? Nope. Did I do any hobbies? No. But I'm really happy to just be on the sofa with my partner and enjoy the moment. In fact we're so happy that we got married (civil partnership actually) after 10 years.

So things are good despite the fact I'm sort of on the ropes constantly. I'm learning to be happy with the minimum, but I really do want to get myself energised and focused again.
 
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I'm at the stage where my mental health has improved somewhat so I can start looking realistically at the future but I don't have much idea of what I should be doing with my time. I have a couple of projects I'm thinking about but nothing solid. Basically just looking for some advice from people as I feel a bit lost.
 
Cromulent said:
I'm at the stage where my mental health has improved somewhat so I can start looking realistically at the future but I don't have much idea of what I should be doing with my time. I have a couple of projects I'm thinking about but nothing solid. Basically just looking for some advice from people as I feel a bit lost.
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Being lost is definitely where I've been at past 2yrs, though it is/was all part of a bigger picture.

Can you provide more context on what timeframes and what personal investment you're looking at?

Feel free to PM/chat if need be.
 
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