formal diagnosis?

Post Reply New Topic

what value do you see in having a formal diagnosis?

i don't have one, but last year i was seriously considering it due to an issue i was having at work with the place where they had me sitting.

(un)fortunately other bad things happened and i told my supervisor i was on the verge of jumping off the building if the noise issues were not fixed. they moved me a few days later. and then worked on a permanent solution which is fairly ok..

It SOUNDS like they are taking care of it for you. Maybe you don't need one. I had one reprimand of a sort because of a social problem I guess EVERYONE is "guilty" of. I have NO idea of WHY! I had another because of a wierd problem that has happened for only about 6 years, but ALSO appears AS related. I'm toying with the idea of getting a diagnosis, but it isn't yet worth it.

BTW I have worked for almost 30 years with few problems, and have ALWAYS done better than could be expected, and was often highly praised. I didn't even know I had aspergers, or even what it was. It has never been, nor will it be, a crutch. It COULD be a good defense against injustice though. NEITHER problem above hurt anyone/anything, and didn't affect my performance.

Heck, if they didn't subject anyone to them, more work could/would get done.

Steve

I don't really see the need for a formal diagnosis unless you have a problem. I could use it to cop disability and retire early, but that would be really selfish and insensitive because so many people on here can't get or hold a job. They would do anything to have my job to go to every day. So, I don't go there.


Sometimes I see on here where the diagnosis hurts. It seems like people obsess on it to the point that they can't move on with their lives and find work arounds. I just had to find a way around it because of my age. I certainly didn't feel normal, but I learned to get on with them to get the things I needed. After reading most of the posts here, I think lack of diagnosis and services actually helped me learn how to function. That was just for me obviously. It was also probably things like them teaching us social skills by drilling them into us with no explanation. Many of them don't make sense so you can intellectualize your way into understanding them, you just have to learn to do them.

I myself don't see the need for me having a formal diagnosis, since it would change absolutely nothing. It would merely confirm what I've already figured out for myself.

I've got a problem in trying to understand a formal diagnosis...I'm tempted to get one...because...

I think if more people were diagnosed, their would be more acceptance...and those of us that can't find a job...or are bullyed, would get the opportunity for jobs and not get bulleyed. I have a job, I usually keep my jobs, however, I can't stay in them for long...I don't handle groups well. I do good in social jobs, becuase I'm true and sincere, I want to help people, the jobs I get are usually one that I work on my own, not on a team.

It's an odd one.....My husband watched the congressional hearings on autism. One person was refused by his doctor to get a real diagnsosi. The doctor told the patient, "it didn't matter" your problem can only be solved by education. The patient explained to the Senator (who was testifying on his behalf - the patient had written a letter to the Senator) that without a formal diagnsis he can't get medicine to relieve the side-symptoms of his AS. Stress, paranoia, uncomfortableness in social situations, etc.

The best I can liken it to is PMS. There would always be someone lying about it...to get benefits or escape justice....

On the other hand, it's a true condition....I think the problem is the scaling of the spectrum. IF they could fine tune the spectrum to define differences, than that would help others that have it worse than some of us.

If someone found those congressional hearings on youtube; I think we should post them here.

I kind of want to get one just out of curiosity, to see if I'm right about it. Plus, if it ever comes up, I'd like to be able to LEGITIMATELY say that I have AS. It wouldn't really change anything, it's just, you know, I kinda want to know for sure. Just for kicks.

Access to disablility services at my university and from my employer. I haven't been given the documentation though so it's kind of frustrating and I don't know how to ask for it.

I am seeking a formal diagnosis because for 1, my parents will not believe my issues are down to AS without that, if that is even enough for them, and at present, I still need their assistance, and am tired of being called lazy among other things.

For 2, I think it is too easy to self diagnose...no offence meant, but anyone can go and look at a list of traits, and decide even on a flimsy basis that they must be AS. Yet, there are many other disorders and syndromes that mimic AS in various ways, such as avoidant personality disorder, Schizoid personality disorder etc etc. Having said that, one Psych might diagnose an individual with one thing, while another might decide on another thing, so even the damn diagnosis might be based on the subjective beliefs of the psychiatist.

But really, without that solid, on paper diagnosis, I will not fully believe I have it, no matter how many of the traits I fit, no matter how familiar the autobiographical accounts are etc etc. I need solid, irrefutable evidence...or what for me would be more irrefutable than my own self diagnosis. Okay, I am sure I have mispelt irrefutable, it looks wrong, lol.

But anyway... I am trying to get on the list to be Dx'd at CLASS by Baren Cohen's team. Annoying it needs a parent with you, but still.

I got the diagnoses when I was 12. My parents needed a diagnoses for me so they can get power over my school because they wanted to put me in a class with violent kids. I wasn't sure if I really had it or not. Was it a misdiagnoses, did my parents pay the psychiatrist good money to falsly diagose me to get power over my school, or did the psychiatrist not follow the criteria correctly because I was told lot of doctors don't follow the criteria to diagnose a child. They diagnose the child with it anyway and they don't fit it or not enough. Now I'm convinced my diagnoses was correct because my boyfriend has pointed out my behavior I wasn't aware of. Now it feels mine is pretty bad, not mild. I have AS everyday and I thought I only had it when I was stressed or when it comes to a group of people. But thanks to my diagnoses, my guy is still with me and even if I didn't have a diagnoses, he still know something was wrong he told me. So I realized my diagnoses has helped me but it won't 100% because people won't always give a damn if I have it because they can still see me as a rude person or self centured and not like me because of it. My guy told me a normal guy would have left me in a week because of the way I act if he has been with many women before. Having AS is hell and soemtimes I do wish I didn't have it. Then I would have been a better person and have an easier life with relationships and have it easier finding boyfriends. I have my second one now but I had to do it thru online to meet. I did the same with my ex.

my understanding from having to deal with psychiatrists and counselors and psychologists with two of my kids who are bipolar, is that psychologists are much better than psychiatrists for actual real diagnosing of mental disorders.
psychologists administer tests whereas psychiatrists use subjective testimony of therapists and parents to reach their conclusions.

mri's being used to diagnose something like this would be prohibitively expensive for most people, i think.