Probably Not On the Spectrum, but Curious

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Minder
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29 Feb 2016, 4:04 am

Hello, everyone. I've been lurking around this board for a bit, and thought I'd test the waters with a post.

I'm actually fairly certain (95%) that I'm not on the spectrum. While I do have some ASD-type traits, they could also be chalked up to anxiety or introversion.

What I'm asking is: do you think it's worth the time and effort to seek a professional diagnosis?

I have, in the past, been diagnosed with OCD (though honestly, I probably was a closer match to having some sort of general anxiety disorder—I've gotten better at handling it, fortunately). I'm doing relatively well for myself, though I am having trouble expanding my small social circle. Curiosity is probably driving this more than anything else.

Thank you!



TheAP
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29 Feb 2016, 12:51 pm

Welcome! If you don't think you're on the spectrum, a professional might be unlikely to diagnose you. Ask yourself: what benefit do you think a professional diagnosis will have on your life?



Minder
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29 Feb 2016, 12:56 pm

TheAP wrote:
Welcome! If you don't think you're on the spectrum, a professional might be unlikely to diagnose you. Ask yourself: what benefit do you think a professional diagnosis will have on your life?


Thanks! That's actually what I'm curious about: is there any real benefit to being diagnosed if you don't need official help? If the answer is none, or that the benefits are relatively few, I'll pass on the diagnosis.



Trogluddite
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29 Feb 2016, 4:28 pm

Welcome.

Have you checked out the thread about on-line autism quotient tests? It's a 'sticky' thread always at the top of the General Autism section. If you ask your doctor for an evaluation, they will likely use very similar tests to screen you to see if you are considered worth evaluating further. Obviously, that's not enough for a firm clinical diagnosis, but it might satisfy your curiosity and give you a better idea whether it's worth looking into in more depth.


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RoadRatt
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29 Feb 2016, 4:29 pm

Hey Minder welcome. :sunny:


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AnonymousAnonymous
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29 Feb 2016, 5:19 pm

Welcome to Wrong Planet! :)


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MannyBoo
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29 Feb 2016, 10:12 pm

Hello, welcome to here :)



Minder
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29 Feb 2016, 10:52 pm

Trogluddite wrote:
Welcome.

Have you checked out the thread about on-line autism quotient tests? It's a 'sticky' thread always at the top of the General Autism section. If you ask your doctor for an evaluation, they will likely use very similar tests to screen you to see if you are considered worth evaluating further. Obviously, that's not enough for a firm clinical diagnosis, but it might satisfy your curiosity and give you a better idea whether it's worth looking into in more depth.


Thanks for the suggestion (and thanks to everyone else for the kind words). Not all of those links still work, but I did take the one set up by Simon Baron-Cohen, and got 21, so I'm probably in the NT range.



AspieSingleDad
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10 Feb 2018, 8:47 pm

That's just one test, so it doesn't mean you've ascertained the correct answer to whether you are ASD or not. As to the benefit of finding out if you are really ASD or not, that's really a personal choice. Do you find you need a definitive answer to this concern you have about yourself? There's no wrong decision, as long as it's the right choice for you.



ElleGaunt
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03 Mar 2018, 6:52 pm

Minder wrote:
is there any real benefit to being diagnosed if you don't need official help?


Needing help is part of the diagnostic criteria for ASD. If you don't need help you aren't going to be diagnosed with this disorder.



Mudboy
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03 Mar 2018, 7:26 pm

Curiosity is a good thing. Going to get a diagnosis may help you discover your other problem too. Welcome


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