Asking for a referral, social anxiety, why I prefer my own company.

I am planning to make another attempt at “official diagnosis”

Due to problems with communication and my GP’s short, abrupt, impatient treatment of my questions, and incidents of her scornfully yelling at me in the past, I had avoided the idea of asking for a referral, or trying to explain to her why I believe I am autistic.
I had searched both my insurance network and the network of health care providers she works for, and none of them had any specialists in autism, not even for children.

I considered asking for a referral from the GP an unnecessary, dead end approach to diagnosis. I did not bother asking her, because I knew from my research on Doctors available in her extensive statewide medical system that none were providers with any interest in autism.

Now I have found a Hospital in another state, 9 hours drive away, which has a department devoted exclusively to diagnosis and care of autistic adults. The doctor in charge of the clinic is an author whose books I have read. It seems she does indeed understand autism in adults. In order to see her, or to be considered for diagnostic testing and interviews, I must have a referral from another doctor.

I dread going for my yearly scolding/wellness check so am already beginning to fret.

A thousand “what if” questions run through my head. I feel as if I have to be prepared for any eventuality and of course I am not able to do that. Feeling incompetent to deal with a given situation is a BIG trigger for anxiety in me.

Most social situations (dealing with any other humans and trying to interact with them on any level is something I consider a social situation) cause great anxiety because I fear I am not competent to deal with whatever may happen. Let me re-phrase that, I know I am not competent to deal with most situations that may arise. Life long experience has taught me that. I am much better at age 67 than I was in my first 30 years, but by comparison with most NT persons, I still find I fail quite frequently.

Most anxiety for me is because I feel that I will not be able to deal with whatever situation I am facing in a competent manner, without making a fool of myself or annoying or angering somebody.
So many life experiences in the past have proved these fears are founded in truth.
As an older adult I no longer fear physical harm from most situations, but I dread anger, argument, aggression, criticism, scorn and rejection. I am simply afraid to subject myself to situations where these dynamics come into play, leaving me emotionally hurt and helpless to defend myself.
With life experiences of this sort of thing happening in interactions with others, is it any wonder I am anxious?

It is not that I don’t want to interact with other people, it is more that I seem unable to do so without causing anger, scorn, or other negative treatment from others.
I prefer not to ‘socialize’ – that is interact with others regardless of whether it is in an informal or a service or professional setting, because the negative experience has been the most common in my life, and why indeed would I seek that out?

BUT: Is that not what the goal of seeking diagnosis is all about?
I wish to interact with persons to tell them about autism in elderly people. One by one I am facing my fears, the message is important.
I hope to help others understand how autism has affected their own lives, and mean time I continue to try to find a way to overcome the way it affects me as well.