Undiagnosed Dyspraxia-please help!

[connie25]

Hi,
My name is Melanie and I have been lucky enough to retire to Southern Spain and take early retirement from a very stressful former life as a single parent and civil servant. In July this year, I will be 60, and it was exactly four years ago that I was told, by my Son's Mother-in-Law to be ( who is a District Nurse and qualified Nursing Sister), that I was Dyspraxic like my Son, Ben. Although I know that Ben and I had similar issues with certain things, I was intrigued and relieved, to be honest, that our ''anomalies' may have a name!! We both have good Degrees from reputable Universities but suffer from the 'clumsy' and generally chaotic, disorganized existence that appears to categorize this special need/ disability.

Although Ben has only a few issues with Dyspraxia, mine have been full-on and have really dominated the life choices I have made along my journey; some good, but others ruled by my sheer need to be accepted into mainstream society as a 'normal person'. However, now I have the time to reflect and research exactly what dyspraxia means and how it can affect your life, I want to write a book about my experiences growing up in the UK during the 1960s and '70s, where nobody had ever heard of this disability and laughed at kids who were never chosen to be in the ' A team' in PE and who got their words mixed up when speaking in public (and much, much more!)

And so, I would be really, grateful if any of you guys would be willing to tell me about the hardships you have suffered through undiagnosed Dyspraxia in your lifetime. Obviously, any information you provide will be treated in total confidence and if you want to contact me on Messenger I can be found as Melanie Farhall, and I will get back to you asap.

Looking back on my life, if I had known what I was suffering from, it could have made such a difference to the way I have always viewed myself, ie. with no self-worth or confidence. So, please, let us stop that from happening to someone else...it is my goal to bring dyspraxia into the public domain - we are not 'thick' or 'lazy'..we just need to be understood.

Blessings and love to you all

Melanie

[Tom fod]

Hi Melanie

Welcome to the Forum, which has been here since 2006. I found it myself, in 2011, when I learned in my mid 30s that I was Dyspraxic. This forum really really helped and nearly ten yrs later I'm still here. We're a more a quiet backwater as a lot of the 'action' is on social media

Getting an assessment /diagnosis as an adult is very much a lottery. A lot of the provision/expertise in in paediatric and educational spheres but even then many are unable to meet the cost of seeking a private assessment. Equally a lifetime of coping strategies can mean we're able to effectively mask our condition at least some of the time. Due to the difficulties a lot of folk here are self-declaring by necessity and we do not discriminate.

There is regrettably so much struggle/anxiety that goes hand in hand with the condition and feeling trapped outside what is classed as being normal (whatever normal is!) Awareness is better but there is also still a long way to go in many respects. I have been fortunate to call called a truce with my Dyspraxic Goblin alter-ego and I try to ensure he has to suffer me, rather than the other way about!

There are a lot of us about and we pop up in the most unlikely places. Dyspraxic Celebs include the likes of Daniel Radcliffe, Florence Welch, Harriet Kemsley, two avowed MPs (Emma Lewell-Buck and Tom Hunt) and even a Rugby player, Ellis George.

For a list of resources and info see http://www.dyspraxicadults.org.uk/forum ... 019ad350c2

[Fullerton]

I have reached the age of 62 and have retired early I had a fair idea I was dyslexic and only had it confirm about 4 years ago , but looking into it now I think I have dyspraxia as well I am very clumsy and can’t organise anything and terrible untidy . No matter how careful I try to be I spill things trip over things. I have trouble taking instructions as my short term memory can’t process it . I do get depressed and have anxiety with flashbacks of years ago random days or events that never came into my head before I don’t know why . I have witnessed some horrible scenes as a firefighter for over 30 years I do believe this has affected me and the way I look at life some of these events I can recall picture perfect .

[Tom fod]

I have reached the age of 62 and have retired early I had a fair idea I was dyslexic and only had it confirm about 4 years ago , but looking into it now I think I have dyspraxia as well I am very clumsy and can’t organise anything and terrible untidy . No matter how careful I try to be I spill things trip over things. I have trouble taking instructions as my short term memory can’t process it . I do get depressed and have anxiety with flashbacks of years ago random days or events that never came into my head before I don’t know why . I have witnessed some horrible scenes as a firefighter for over 30 years I do believe this has affected me and the way I look at life some of these events I can recall picture perfect .

Firstly welcome

Dyslexia and Dyspraxia often occur together and while firefighing is not a typical job where you'd find someone with dyspraxia, we don't necessarily conform to stereotypes.

While our short term memory can often be somewhat sketchy, our long-term memory can be quite the opposite.

Sounds like you may have some symptoms of PTSD.