Dyspraxic Adults

Hi.

I realised yesterday that there is a strong possibility I have Dyspraxia. I'm already seeing the Doctor tomorrow and want to mention it but I feel so daunted at the prospect and scared he will not understand where I am coming from.

I didn't even know about Dyspraxia until yesterday. I had never heard of it. I have visited the Doctor before but it was never mentioned and I have felt brushed to the side with my concerns. Now I know about Dyspraxia I see my concerns are part of this condition which was never picked up on.

I'm feeling so angry right now. If I had signs of Dyslexia I would have recognised it myself, and been believed by the Doctor, because the condition is so widely known. I have friends who suffer with Dyslexia and have received help and support since childhood. I have never received help when I should have and even after approaching 2 different Doctors and going for tests due to bad posture and back pain it was never picked up on. After my tests I was told there was nothing wrong with me except having 'growing pains'. When I tried to convince the Doctor he said 'maybe I had Scoliosis but they couldn't see it on an x-ray but not to worry because I'd grow out of it'. I have never grown out of it and my posture is now worse.

I was 14 when that happened. When I was in my early twenties I approached my new Doctor about my memory problems and tried to explain that I frequently have to check that I have done something because I cannot remember if I have done it even if I had only done it moments earlier. He said I probably have OCD! I said I knew I didn't have OCD because that would require an overwhelming compulsion to keep repeating the same action but my problem was that I could not remember if I had done the action hence why I had to keep on checking back over my actions.

A few months later I went back and asked to be tested for Epilepsy. My sister has it and has blank episodes which I get so I had started to think that it may be what was wrong with me. He told me that I was imagining a condition because my sister had been diagnosed and that I didn't have Epilepsy. I know I don't have Epilepsy, I am now convinced I have Dyspraxia. I guess at the time I was grasping at anything to try to explain why I am the way I am. Since those incidents I have never discussed this with anyone and just muddled through because I felt that maybe there isn't anything wrong with me. Maybe I am just stupid.

I'm going to the Doctor tomorrow - a different one who is lovely - but I'm feeling very apprehensive about it and feel in trying to convince him there is something wrong that he may think I'm forcing this upon myself. I'm becoming so worked up about it I'm afraid to ask to be assessed.

Boo

You certainly aren't stupid. The dismissive GP you talk about sounds much more like an example of what stupid is! However telling him (or any other professional) you believe he/she is stupid would not go down well and does tend to be very counter-productive. Always try to keep opinions like that to yourself with such people and try to steer clear of them.

How did you get on with the other Doctor you were going to see?

Well, I started to speak and got very upset and cried a bit. I told him about it all and how I'm now convinced I know what it is and he's going to try and help me. He tried to make me feel better when I told him everyone laughed at me when they realised I didn't know how I appear to people and that they said I run like a '****ing spaz' with my arms flapping around and everything.

He could tell how much it had affected me and I told him I usually take part in school sports day events for a laugh and now I know I would've looked so silly in front of the whole school. I feel absolutely mortified about it.

He didn't actually know what it was. He said he knows he has heard of it somewhere but I had to remind him. He's going to try to get me assessed but he said it will be difficult as I'm an adult but he will try his best.

I also told him as soon as I learnt about dyspraxia I recognised symptoms in my daughter too - she has memory problems like me which I have noticed for years which are too similar to mine to ignore. He said it will be a lot easier to get her assessed but we will go one step at a time and he will deal with me first. Even if I don't get assessed I will be happy if she is because I would want her to receive all the help she is entitled to.

It was a good visit with my doctor and I feel so much better for it.

You poor dear I really do feel so sorry for you. You seem to have so many things, memory is one symptom of dyspraxia. Do you forget where you put things for example keys purses? Do you miss appointments as well these are typical symptoms of Dyspraxia.?Unfortunately Doctors,do not know an afuwl lot about Dyspraxia,but that should your first port of call. O T might be able to give you help with some gadgets for around the house.Haveyou tried The Dyspraxia Foundation? Think they have a help line and they could also send you out an information pack and give you other helpful advice. Is there a dyspraxic group in your area that perhaps you could join and get help and support from them? I wish you all the best.

Mopps