Getting support for your mental health

Many of us experience mental health struggles at different points in our lives. But if you have a PDA profile, getting the right support can be especially tough. Long waiting times, inaccessible systems and professionals who don’t understand PDA are just some of the barriers that can leave people feeling exhausted, excluded or misunderstood.

Some professionals may wrongly assume that your mental health challenges are “just part of being autistic”. But that’s not true – and it’s not OK.

Mental health struggles can affect anyone. The Know Your Normal research by Ambitious About Autism shows that autistic people, including PDAers, experience mental health difficulties that are just as valid – and just as important to treat – as anyone else’s. Often, these difficulties are made worse by things like unmet needs, sensory overwhelm and a lack of the right support.

PDAers may experience especially high levels of anxiety, particularly when demands are involved. But this doesn’t make your experience less real or less deserving of care.

You might recognise some of these barriers:

• Appointment systems that are hard to access (like needing to call at a set time).
• Long waiting times for services.
• A lack of understanding about how autism and PDA affect mental health.
• Difficult environments like noisy, busy waiting rooms.
• Feeling dismissed or not taken seriously when you do ask for help.

There’s no easy fix – but these steps might make it a bit easier to advocate for your needs and get the support you deserve:

• Ask for reasonable adjustments

If something isn’t working for you, it’s OK to say so. For example: “I find this system inaccessible. Are there any reasonable adjustments that could help me access support?”

Using the term reasonable adjustments can help professionals understand their responsibilities under the Equality Act – and prompt a more thoughtful response.

• Be clear about what helps

You don’t need to share everything. But giving a few specific examples can make it easier for people to support you. For instance:

“The waiting room is too overwhelming. Could I wait somewhere quieter or arrive at a less busy time?

“I find verbal instructions difficult to process. It helps if things are written down.”

These kinds of requests help people understand your sensory profile and processing needs – and how to adapt their approach in ways that work better for you.

• Explain what’s changed

It’s common for professionals to ask “how are you feeling?” – but that’s not always an easy question to answer.

Where you can, it helps to describe specific changes. For example:

“I’m having four panic attacks a week now – I’d usually only have one.”

“I haven’t been eating properly for over a week, which is unusual for me.”

This gives professionals a clearer picture of what’s going on and helps them respond to your personal experience, rather than relying on assumptions.

You might find the Know Your Normal Toolkit helpful for tracking your wellbeing and sharing this with professionals.

• Ask someone you trust for support

If you’re not being heard, it’s OK to ask for help. You might want to speak to someone you trust or get support from a health advocate.

They can help you:

• Make a complaint.
• Contact your local integrated care board (ICB).
• Record what support you’ve asked for and what’s happened so far.

Sometimes just having someone in your corner can make all the difference.

Having a PDA profile can make it harder to access mental health support – but it doesn’t mean you have to go through it alone. You have the right to feel safe, supported and understood. And it’s OK to ask for help in a way that works for you.

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