Dyspraxia in adults

[TheEnchantedMeerkat]

Afternoon Mumsnetters.

I’m not sure why I’ve NC but I have just for some added privacy I think. I am a regular poster though.

Ive not spoken to a single human being about this. Not because I’m ashamed but for fear of being looked upon as if I have 3 heads I think. I really, really don’t like having my feelings dismissed as ‘silly’ and I’m scared that would happen.

I’m wondering if one (or more!) of you knowledgeable folks can help me.

For a while now I’ve suspected I might be dyspraxic. I can’t really list all of the reasons why, there’s too many! But I tick a large majority of the boxes. A lot of the dyspraxic traits I display have caused a great deal of embarrassment and pain throughout my life and my parents would definitely would not have picked up on it when I was young. They would’ve rather have blamed me iyswim.... I have a young child and I see a few of the same traits which makes me worry sometimes, although they are much much less than me and I’ve been toying with the idea of getting a diagnosis for myself. I think it would help me to have a ‘reason’ for why I am the way I am, why I have no hope of doing certain things and why so many ‘simple’ things are just so difficult. If I were to be diagnosed, I’d welcome support with open arms and a shit load of relief. I also wonder that if I did have a diagnosis, whether it would be easier to help my children should they be like me.

The problem is, I have no idea where to start apart from going to the GP but I’m terrified that they will think I’m stupid and just fob me off. I have no idea what the process would be in adults or even if it’s something that happens. I’ve done a lot of reasearch and I know it’s usually diagnosed at primary school age.

So, does anybody have any experience of a dyspraxia diagnosis in adulthood? Can anybody out there help me figure out where to go with this?

Thankyou.

I was diagnosed as a child so can't help you there but I know that here is loads of info on dyspraxiafoundation.org.uk.

Feel free to pm me if you want to discuss x

Thanks @BettaSplenden. I have The Dyspraxia Foundation’s website on my reading list. I think from everything I’ve been reading, I should approach a GP and just keep trying until someone listens to me....

I was diagnosed at... 18? When at uni.

Went thinking i might be dyslexic (cant remember why now, probably a teacher said something at college) did a test (like what are two words for this word) and i was told i am dyslexic and dyspraxic with visual stress syndrome 😑yay

I think if you arent in education you need to go to a doctor

When i got my diagnosis it did click why i am so weird and different from my two normal siblings

Hello! I was diagnosed as an adult and felt so much better.
I just wanted to find out if the things that had got me roundly told off/teased as a child were actually due to this, and they were! Practically it hadn't helped ie I still don't drive (I can, but find it overwhelming and don't feel I'm safe to), but mentally the relief was enormous.

There's an excelent book called "caged in chaos" it's written by a dyspraxic teen for dyspraxic teens but I am well past my teens and got a lot of usefull stuff out of it

@girlinthegarden still don't drive (I can, but find it overwhelming and don't feel I'm safe to). Me too!! I have nightmares (not figurative, literal!) about driving. I’ve failed twice after so very many hours of lessons and I’m too scared to try again. It’s a constant disappointment. Did you go via your GP? Can I ask what the process was?

Swimming and riding a bike are also no go’s. I am abysmal at organisation and housework. I don’t do maths at all and it was suggested that I have dyscalcula but it was never followed up (the parents thing again. Not a particularly secure childhood...)

I also don’t know what to say to a GP. I don’t know how to explain this or go about explaining this adequately. The overall feeling is that there’s a big part of me that is a failure. I do have anxiety and depression and have regular check up for these, I don’t know if I could work it into my next review somehow?

Thanks @hedgehogblues I’ll look it up.

I went through a US doctor though I'm in the UK now so I don't know how it works here though I will try to find out. I have depression and anxiety too.

Driving test- you get extra time to do things if you have learning difficulties