LIFE began to make sense for Olly Carmichael when he was diagnosed with autism at the age of 25. It was the key to understanding him and the beginning of his recovery. He speaks to health reporter Kate Liptrot.

BY the time Olly Carmichael reached the age of 25 he had started to despair he would ever feel better.

Having suffered from mental health problems for ten years and being diagnosed with a number of conditions - including an incorrect diagnosis of borderline personality disorder - he had found himself in residential treatment for an eating disorder.

But the English graduate wasn't making any progress and was considered disruptive by others at The Retreat in York.

He said: "For the first six months I made no progress at all, I could be really disruptive because I kept having meltdowns when I would take out my anger towards myself or objects. I spent a lot of time moving around, I had high anxiety.

"I had made no progress, it looked like I might have to leave the ward as I was too disruptive. "

For Olly, the feelings of isolation and frustration he was experiencing had been a recurring theme.

As a youngster he had struggled with school. "I can struggle to socialise and could get angry quickly and struggle with emotion regulation, Olly said, "It got to the point where I refused to go to school. I felt alienated."

But his life was completely turned around at The Retreat when a psychiatrist spotted one of the tell tale traits of autism.

The only thing that could halt one of Olly's meltdowns was a hug, and Dr Andrea Brown considered that for many people with autism, pressure can de-escalate emotional overload.

A lengthy diagnostic progress, which included a five hour interview with his parents, resulted in Olly being diagnosed with high functioning autism, also known as Asperger syndrome.

It was the moment life started making sense.

"That was the moment my therapy started working," he said "Andrea explained the characteristics and it was like someone was talking about me and in a language I could understand. It explained why I had found it difficult to live on the ward - it was a sensory overload."

Many people with high functioning autism are not diagnosed until adulthood, Dr Victoria Hughes, Olly's psychologist and lead for the autism service at The Tuke Centre at The Retreat.

She said 65 per cent of people on the autistic spectrum can have co-morbid health difficulties.

"Individuals have found it very difficult to be diagnosed, " she said, "People only see someone who is functioning intellectually but the person may be experiencing different difficulties which may be interpreted as mental health difficulties."

"Often for people who are high functioning, people may see the mental health difficulties and not the autism diagnosis.

"It's often a relief for people because finally they have an answer. Other people can understand so they can be more empathetic and adapt their support to the person. It's not just about their mental health, it's about supporting with their autism."

Dr Hughes runs the autism service which offers diagnostic services, psychological therapy, occupational therapy, skill based groups for people with autism. The service - which has self referred or commissioned patients from across the country - is bidding to lead autism services locally.

She said people with the condition should be aware of the Autism Act of 2009 which was the first ever disability-specific law in England. It enable it to be easier for adults to get a diagnosis and be able to get the support they need.

In Olly's case, the diagnosis explained his difficulty with certain foods, as the texture or smell can be overwhelming. About 20 per cent of people with autism have an eating disorder, she said.

"You can understand yourself better," Olly said, "There's things you can't change. My brain has a different experience of the world to a neurotypical person. I have no empathy so I have to intellectually experience other's emotions."

Olly said he has always been into reading fiction so he has a "filing cabinet" of scenarios in his mind to apply to situations to understand peoples' feelings.

Now 26 and living in County Durham, Olly writes a blog for people about his experiences and has recently delivered a moving speech about his diagnosis and experiences in front of 120 people at the Tuke Centre.

"We have had some excellent feedback, Dr Hughes said, "Olly really connected with the audience. I had some parents say they couldn't understand their child but now they do."

"It has changed my life and improved it," Olly said about his diagnosis, "If someone had not spotted it, I probably would have died because my mental state was in pieces. I didn't feel like I belonged or anyone understood me.

"I think my parents have been a bit blown away. My mum used to think it was her when I was angry, now there's an explanation".


What is autism?

Autism is a lifelong developmental disability that affects how a person communicates with, and relates to, other people. It also affects how they make sense of the world around them.

It is a spectrum condition, which means that, while all people with autism share certain difficulties, their condition will affect them in different ways.

Some people with autism are able to live relatively independent lives but others may have accompanying learning disabilities and need a lifetime of specialist support. People with autism may also experience over- or under-sensitivity to sounds, touch, tastes, smells, light or colours.

Asperger syndrome is a form of autism. People with Asperger syndrome are often of average or above average intelligence. They have fewer problems with speech but may still have difficulties with understanding and processing language.