Aspergers, OCD, anxiety, and help with getting onto NDIS.

[gaslighted1969]

Having aspergers syndrome and low vision I'm trying to get onto the NDIS for getting assistance with depression and an OCD which has become worse. I've found the treatment that will help, but need someone to advocate for me during the process.

As short as I can keep this, I was heavily bullied at school with no friends, and with no understanding of autism at the time (late 1970s into early mid 1980s), no one really knew anything. Like any teenager, my puberty gave me the usual sexual desires, but living in a catholic household, such personal moments of deep well being and pleasure were suppressed vigorously. Anything that would allow me to explore my sexuality was taken away, and having no friends at school, things that people know about such endeavors at around 10 11 12 years of age, I never really got a grapple onto until I was around 23 24.

The psychological and mental effects have been major. The first of which was having no confidence in breaking into the world. Aside from several tertiary courses, I've never seen paid work. As discrete as my asperger's is (HFA), neurotypicals seem to just pick it up, and their behaviour becomes different. It has been difficult to socialise, make friends, get into interests, and so fourth. I've done a lot in my life, but friendships and involvements are often a come and go thing, usually the longest something lasts around is five or six years before it burns out from it's own course.

I had no oxygen during my birth which also has effected me mentally, I need to keep things clean within a certain zone within my unit, which is managable under normal circumstances. Having extra-sensory feel, means I can feel right down to if someone has touched an object in my clean zone such as secreted body oils being present on the objects surface. I would clean it and life moves on.

However with some life changing events being a possibility, my anxiety and OCD has erupted a few times of late, meaning whole afternoons and evenings can be spent cleaning a sofa, or wiping down walls. I've got a few of these inflatable things that completely suppress the anxiety when it hits, but I'm needing to get more of these made, which I can't afford, hense why I'm needing help to get funding from the NDIS. It's a one off amount for a custom order and I'll be fine basically for several decades.

I looked through google, but trying to track down someone who will assist with the paperwork and who will advocate looks confusing.

[Matchy69]

Hi gaslighted 1969 thanks for your post and it's great you found these forums.You sound very much like me with Aspergus,anxiety and ocds and bullied at school and I think where same age as well.I don't have NDIS for my self,I am just on a DSP but I do have NDIS for my two kids who have Aspergus and Autism.This was gained through a psychiatrist who filled at forms and was approved .This has been a great financial assistance for us.I hope you can get someone who help you with your paperwork.I know the right box's have to be ticked We had to redo it for my kids as the psychiatrist ticked the wrong box.
Take care,
Mark.

[mocha delight]

Hi gaslighted1969 i have a learning disability, just on the autism spectrum, have coeliac disease and GORD (the autoimmune side of acid reflux) so I know a little bit of some things you are going through so if you ever want/need to chat just know I’m here for you ok 🤗

[gaslighted1969]

@matchy69, good on you and it must be a great relief to an extent to have this assistance.

I've already done most of the leg work, by getting the forms, as in recent assessements from the eye hospital and a good report from a local psychiatrist who I've heard on the grapevine is highly respected from the NDIA, so that in a way is already boding well.

I kind of have already an advocate for my situation, but because of the Covid/19 situation, the organisation won't allow me to see her, everything has to be done via phone. The advocate is around my mothers age, so certainly I do understand their reasoning on their behalf why they would make such a move, but unfortunately from my end it's already making a bureaucratic process even more difficult.

It's tricky in the sense that I want to consider her and everyone elses needs, she is a rather helpful advocate under normal circumstances, but I was hoping to see someone physically, which would at least make the process easier. I have no problem wearing maskes and taking tests, I'll do everything possible to make sure I'm not going to infect other staff, if I can walk into another organisation that could help me with filling in the paperwork and advocating for me during the meeting.

@mocka delight, I can't emphasise enough how much misunderstandings they are about slow learners, with me, it's not so much learning, it's the aspect of coming into a situation socially or professionally, and not picking up all the nuances and finer non verbal behaviours that always get's me in to strife. Meetings usually start off great, and then that kind of magic disappears somewhere through a social event where I may of missed a social cue where in the neurotypical world I've already scored a red cross, where ultimately the relationship with that person on whatever level is already toast. The best way to describe my mental condition is let's say often it takes me a wile to figure out that the penny has dropped.

Which in many of the circumstances I can surmise what the person is thinking, but on the odd occasion one could hear the faint uttering of "stupid retard", and it even hurts more when it comes from family.

After I posted here yesterday, I still looked around on google and duckduckgo, and finally found an organisation who I'll ring next week, A4. Hopefully they can get me into an advocate who can assist me with the process. Really hoping, because as I've said, the OCD has become worse.

[Matchy69]

Hi gaslighted1969 thats great you have really started the process and I agree with you that I would much rather see someone in person then deal with these things on the phone but unfortunately that's how things are at the moment.I could imagine it is making you very anxious and making your OCD worse.I know how hard and frustrating this process can be and hope you can find and advocate who can help you the rest of the way.
One thing with me is I have great trouble communicating verbally and can't think of the words I want to say and people must think I am stupid or on drugs or something .I always write down what I want to say and have notes if I have to make a phone call or have an appointment.
Take care,
Mark.

[Saree_p]

Hi Gaslight,

I just wanted to pop in and say hi, so hi 😊

I work in the Early Childhood side in an organisation that is the partner of the NDIS. Are there any questions you have that I may be able to assist you with? I do not work in the adult space, however, I do have a community engagement team and Local area coordinators that I work closely with and can ask questions if I am unsure of the answer.

The NDIS is still in its infancy stages and is struggling to recognise the impact of MH, however, it has made great strides in the last year as it is no recognising some concerns and issues.

Like most of us, the burdens of being able to mask can be unhelpful at times yet helpful as well.

Hope things work out for you 😊

Saree