Getting diagnosed or not (new member)

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Hello Everyone,

I'm new to this board and would like to say hello. In the last several years I've realized that the reason I've felt different was that I might have Aspergers. I have not been diagnosed in any formal manner, but my significant other, who happens to be a psychotherapist, has told me on several occasions that I match the DSM description for Aspergers. This would explain why I never seem to do well in social interactions and also explain my many ideosyncratic mannerisms.

I'm trying to figure out if I should seek a formal diagnosis. Do you think there's a benefit to being formally diagnosed? Will it help me in some way or can I just go on wth my life as I've lived it without the need to know for sure.

Has being diagnosed helped some of you deal with things better? Has it caused problems as well?

Thanks for looking.
DB

Nice to meet you, DB.

Welcome to WP!

It's helped me in several ways. The main benefit is knowing for certain that I am on the spectrum, as opposed to being unsure. Knowing helps me cope with it. Also I am able to use services of my university's disability office because of an official diagnosis. For me there have been no downsides.

Welcome to WrongPlanet.

My sister was researching and believes I have Aperger's while I told the Psychiatrist he still says I have Bipolar and there aren't pills for Aperger's so he can't help me. My main concern for an offical diagnosis is A)money B) trying to fix my main issue which IMO is socializing I don't want to be hand held like a child behave this way/that way I'm 22!! ! So I choose NOT to get anything official and feel since the Psychiatrist will not help it's up to me to sadly try to help myself.

I hope my new avatar worked.

To WrongPlanet!! !

I'm undergoing a similar conflict in discussing the possibility; however, the primary characteristics of BPD do not sufficiently match the problems I experience, and the medications that they are so fond of lobbing around like toxic water balloons are either ineffective or cause worse problems than what I already experience. For me... I just want have some understanding why it seems as though I'm underwater as the world passes freely by around me; to be diagnosed, for me at this point, would be a relief to have a point of reference in the cascading cacophony of my life.


M.

Being diagnosed has totally changed things for the better for me, it really was a revelation to me to be able to understand myself, always knew I was different but never understood before. Like a lot of people on the spectrum I have bipolar and other obsessive tendencies and disorders... I do not believe in drugs and have never taken. I also feel we need to understand our symptoms and who we are fully be able to move on.

An accurate diagnosis is generally a good thing. Autism spectrum disorder over laps with several other disorders/ learning problems etc.. and this can vary greatly. As I see it Autism is the center of the web with many disorders etc.. surrounding it, just some of the them PDD, OCD, Social phobia, Anxiety, Bipolar, ADHD, ADD, Dyslexia, Dyscalculia, Dyspraxia, Tourettes Syndrome, speech disorders… and lots more! - See Diversity of ASD:
http://asplanet.info/index.php?option=c ... Itemid=125

So to be able to truly understand yourself I feel a diagnosis really does help to understand and would help others understand your differences… unfortunatelly the average person has a preconceived idea of what we should be like, and with out a diagnosis its hard to understand ourselves, let alone anyone else, family members, friends etc...

There may not be enough support once diagnosed, but that is changing and the more of us that get diagnosed the more statistically it will show a need. The down side I agree cost should be free and trying to find someone who can diagnose you correctly not so easy...

Hi!

Welcome to Wrongplanet!

I hope you enjoy posting here!

I'm wondering the same thing. I just tried the EQ test and the Systems Quotient test. Scored 22 on the EQ, and about 20 on the Systems Q. No fair! You'd think I'd at least get the benefit of being good at systems, which might help since I'm a technical writer for an engineering firm. However, we all know the EQ test is suspect.

So, what I'm doing is reading a lot first about Asperger's to learn about which traits I have (difficulty socially--always have since childhood, which has been the root of depression I have experienced) and the tools available to aspies to help with that. I don't know yet if I'll seek a formal diagnosis. If I find out there is therapy or skills training or some benefit, then I will.

It might help me make decisions I facing with my career right now too.

And just explaining things in my life is a relief. Now that I know it's a possibility I don't feel so ashamed about my inept social life and I'm very proud of the coping skills I have found, like joining different kinds of groups so the scary burden of developing personal relationships isn't left to me.

Hello.

Welcome to WrongPlanet.

I have a "formal" although unrecorded diagnosis. (That is, I've had a pro offer their opinion, but not make it "official" in any document.) It means nothing - unless I was seeking some sort of workplace accommodation that I couldn't negotiate on my own, there's really no reason to have it. One needs to carefully weigh the options - I don't need any accommodations that I have not worked out without mentioning ASD. If I had the diagnosis on my medical records, there is a chance that should I ever need to obtain private medical insurance I might not be able to find a company that will write an individual policy for me with ASD as a "pre-existing condition". As far as "disability" - in the USA, financial support for someone considered "disabled" is based more on how well you are functioning, rather than the name of whatever it is that's causing you difficulties (assuming you are experiencing significant difficulties). Hence, you can have a label of "autism" and it's meaningless for any government purpose unless you are low-functioning. If you are under 18 and in school, the label may get you some accommodations in your schooling. Those pretty much vanish once you leave high-school.

Other than those issues, I'd say it's for whatever self-satisfaction you need. If it makes you feel better to have an "expert" tell you what you already know, and put a label on it for you, then do it. Otherwise, you already know....

Thanks for the replies.

Other than the impaired social skills, I don't believe I would call myself disabled. I think human beings are highly diverse in their way of dealing with their environment, and just because I interact with the world in a slightly different way is no reason to label me disabled. It's unfortunate that every time a person is slightly different it has to be considered a syndrome, instead of just another aspect of human diversity.

Aside from the impaired social skills, I am happy with the unique way I see the world. I find I have insight into things others don't notice in life. I just have to find a way to share this with the world. I should start writing or doing art.

I will start another thread into what I experienced last night at a music club, which always brings home my total lack of social skills and inability to connect with others.

DB

I'm not officially diagnosed but I know for a fact I have it. You don't need an official diagnosis to know you have it. Read all you can on the subject and judge for yourself.