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😷 Pamper yourself. Count as you breathe. Breathe in 1-2-3-4. Breathe out 1-2-3-4. If the doctor's good, they'll keep you talking and talk to you for further distraction walking you through each step they take. Most of the time, certain tests don't take much longer than 30 seconds and afterwards they'll leave you alone so you can recover if you need it. Talk to them beforehand so they know you're anxious and see what they can do to help you get through it. Knowing options are always open to you if you need them can help put you at ease.

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😷 If it’s a same day appointment without any preparation beforehand, still let them know any needs. Even if it’s not worth it to spend nearly an hour on preparing something especially for you, still let them know what might work best. If they need to use a speculum, ask for a small one! Even if they can’t use all their time convincing you of how convenient something might be, still tell them if you cannot do certain methods while feeling safe. Is there something on hand to relieve even a little pain? Can it be self administered at home? Can you sit in a different chair? If you cannot possibly resolve something as much as you’d like, ask for them to at least tell you what’s going on and ask how they might cope with similar sensations. Can an X-ray be done instead of a biopsy? If not, ask for them to take your concerns into account and go from there, such as a less invasive tool designed for the same purpose. 😷

😷 Keep a diary of the situations that make you feel anxious and note how you’ve reacted in each situation. This will help you identify potential triggers for your anxiety. 😷

😷 Treatments should be appropriately adapted for autistic people and their individual needs. (Rumball et al. 2020) and Kerns et al. (2022) suggest a number of other events that autistic people found traumatic: abandonment by/loss of a loved one (for example a family member, pet or support staff) sensory experiences (for example fire alarms) transitions and change (for example school transitions, routine changes with the seasons, unpredictability in day to day life) social difficulties and confusion (for example difficulties interpreting social cues, misunderstandings and conflicts) events related to one’s own mental health difficulties (for example psychotic experiences). Autistic people may also be more likely to find these experiences traumatic due to autistic characteristics such as: sensory sensitivities communication and social interaction differences distress around changes to routines distress if prevented from taking part in repetitive and restricted behaviours such as stimming. Some theories suggest that other factors associated with being autistic, may mean an increased risk of developing or maintaining PTSD symptoms But just because symptoms aren’t crippling doesn’t mean you're not affected. 😷

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