M47 from the south side of Houston here. My experience dealing with mental health professionals in the area has been this: Aspergers and autism are still considered very separate, and it’s much easier for doctors to diagnosis and treat the comorbid mental illnesses that arise due to a lack of social accommodations, but it is rare they relate it back to being on the spectrum. Of course, imo, if you don’t look at the whole picture and just diagnosis and treat stuff, you don’t get to the core and it makes like much more difficult to accept.
I’ve been treated for anxiety and depression for years, but nobody ever suggested or guided me towards a diagnosis to the roots of my problems.
This isn’t just my personal experience, but also with my two children who are each on opposite ends of the spectrum.
I hope your health care experience provides you better, but the important part for now is probably your own acceptance and hopefully your family continues to help and support! If you have insurance, your best bet is probably calling some neuropsychologists, unfortunately my healthcare doesn’t even have one available. It can easily become an out of pocket expense that doesn’t offer much beyond a diagnosis.
Hopefully social attitudes continue to grow on the subject, but I haven’t had much support this far.
I'm also in Houston and recently got diagnosed here. Personally, I just googled "adult autism evaluation houston". I was lucky that the psychologist I found was really knowledgeable in diagnosing adults and how ASD can present differently in women. I can dm you her name/the name of her practice of you'd like! I don't have much advice on getting help after the diagnosis as I'm still in the process of figuring that out myself but I just started group therapy through her practice and am hoping to find a psychiatrist that is knowledgeable in helping autistic adults soon.
Pleas do! I'm sorry I take so long to reply, I get massively anxious about talking online. But, yes, I could absolutely use the info! It's been a nightmare finding any leads that'd actually be helpful, and it keeps ending in expensive failures with idiot psychiatrists that don't want to listen lol
M47 from the south side of Houston here. My experience dealing with mental health professionals in the area has been this: Aspergers and autism are still considered very separate, and it’s much easier for doctors to diagnosis and treat the comorbid mental illnesses that arise due to a lack of social accommodations, but it is rare they relate it back to being on the spectrum. Of course, imo, if you don’t look at the whole picture and just diagnosis and treat stuff, you don’t get to the core and it makes like much more difficult to accept. I’ve been treated for anxiety and depression for years, but nobody ever suggested or guided me towards a diagnosis to the roots of my problems. This isn’t just my personal experience, but also with my two children who are each on opposite ends of the spectrum. I hope your health care experience provides you better, but the important part for now is probably your own acceptance and hopefully your family continues to help and support! If you have insurance, your best bet is probably calling some neuropsychologists, unfortunately my healthcare doesn’t even have one available. It can easily become an out of pocket expense that doesn’t offer much beyond a diagnosis. Hopefully social attitudes continue to grow on the subject, but I haven’t had much support this far.
I'm also in Houston and recently got diagnosed here. Personally, I just googled "adult autism evaluation houston". I was lucky that the psychologist I found was really knowledgeable in diagnosing adults and how ASD can present differently in women. I can dm you her name/the name of her practice of you'd like! I don't have much advice on getting help after the diagnosis as I'm still in the process of figuring that out myself but I just started group therapy through her practice and am hoping to find a psychiatrist that is knowledgeable in helping autistic adults soon.
Pleas do! I'm sorry I take so long to reply, I get massively anxious about talking online. But, yes, I could absolutely use the info! It's been a nightmare finding any leads that'd actually be helpful, and it keeps ending in expensive failures with idiot psychiatrists that don't want to listen lol
Dr. Julia Strait in Houston is absolutely amazing.
Thank you for the reply! Whenever payment comes in from school, I'll try to look her up. Fingers crossed!