Psychiatrist TODAY - updated! (edited title)

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In 3 days I have my appointment with a consultant psychiatrist about my suspicions of having Asperger's. I'm in the UK so it's not entirely certain what he will do (even if he agrees) because things can vary greatly from area to area because of the way the NHS works. I can't stop thinking about it; this is kind of a life defining thing so it's just stuck in my head going round and round. I wish I could know exactly what to expect because that's how I cope with stuff but I really don't know what to expect. Part of the problem is that I saw another psychiatrist at the same place about a year ago and he was horrible. I've been referred to a different team (my GP said the people that deal with learning disabilities as opposed to the mental health people) at the same building this time but I just keep having visions of me walking into the office and it being that same psychiatrist. Oh well given how nervous I am I am likely to be mostly uncommunicative and stimming like crazy so it might not be a long stretch for him to think I am autistic. Still I am terrified, it's not nice

Last edited by invisiblesilent on 20 Sep 2012, 3:04 pm, edited 2 times in total.

You will have another psychiatrist. Don't worry. If your old psychiatrist was horrible, you have the right to change him.

If I understood well, this would be your first visit with a new team. Don't get nervous, uncertainty always plays with us, but a visit to the doctor is not very long.

I understand how the visit may be taxing. I too get obsessed with unpredictable events. I've had psychiatrists that came up with stuff that was just flat out wrong. One said I may have schizoid personality disorder. When I got a second opinion, My suspicion of AS was confirmed.

I understand how you're feeling. This is why I haven't tried to get a diagnosis yet - just the thought of going through the process not knowing what to expect makes me nervous.

Yes you're right this will be the first time I see this team. They said the appointment will be an hour. I figure it's that long because he will probably discuss with us the whole thing before deciding whether to refer me to somewhere else; there is a unit who diagnoses adults about 25 miles away so I suspect that if he doesn't outright disagree then referring me to there is what he will do.



I think this is one of the main things I'm concerned about, that the psychiatrist does what all the other ones did and just sticks some wishy washy diagnosis on me. Last time it was anxiety and depression which is accurate in that I am anxious and depressed but it doesn't address the fact I have been anxious and depressed consistently for the last 20 years or so. His attitude seemed like "pff how dare you fill my schedule with your trifling anxiety and depression I have really ill people to see" and you could see exactly the point where he had decided on that diagnosis and had stopped asking any questions that might be pertinent to anything other than those two things. Another psychiatrist when I was a teen suggested I had psychotic depression (despite not having any symptoms of psychosis O_o), at one point it was suggested I had bi-polar (despite me never having episodes of mania... kind of a big clue I don't have bi-polar you would think *facepalm*).

edit: Thanks for the replies so far. I doubt anything anyone could say would make me obsess about this less but it's nice to at least vent and hear some constructive responses to said venting.

This is happening today now, technically. Appointment is in 13 hours and 26 minutes. I am *SO* anxious about it. Thankfully my GP was kind enough to give me some diazepam so that is taking the edge off things a lot. I would probably be going totally crazy right now otherwise. Even still I am sitting here rocking back and forth and doing my muscle tensing and counting thing like a maniac. I hope this goes ok and he doesn't try to slap some crazily inaccurate diagnosis like schizoid or obsessive personality disorder on me :/ :/

edit: argh words just can't convey how anxious I feel. It's hard to stay calm when the future of your life is hanging in the balance.

I don't mean to be annoying, but your life isn't exactly hanging in the balance. You're not diagnosed at the moment and you're still alive. Relax.

I understand where you are coming from but you are lacking the context. I have been mentally ill for my entire adult life. If it turns out that mine and my family's suspicions are right then a big part of the reason for that mental illness becomes clear. It changes everything for me. Also anxiety and obsessiveness is a really big problem of mine and medical appointments are one of the big triggers for my anxiety symptoms. I'm not getting angry with you by the way I totally understand your comment. Maybe in retrospect you can understand a little more why I feel so anxious though. I mean I'll live but I just felt the need to vent and this part of the site is the appropriate place

edit: OK the future of life comment is maybe a bit melodramatic but the anxiety makes stuff feel that way :/

Sorry, I was just being literal. I've also always been mentally ill.

It's actually possible to have AS and Schizophrenia at the same time. Although Schizo has that massive stigma coupled to it... >_>

Like I said I didn't feel attacked or offended by anything you said at all so I didn't expect an apology Like you I was being totally literal with what I said; there was no intended subtext of me being offended or anything like that

It went REALLY well It wasn't the same mean psychiatrist. First he asked me about my motivation for seeking a diagnosis. He then, over the course of an hour and a half, asked me and my mum and auntie (who both came along) various questions about my life, my symptoms, what I was like as a child etc etc. At the end he told me that in his mind there is not really any doubt that I have Asperger's! He stated it wasn't a formal diagnosis but that he would be suprised if I didn't have it and he was wrong. He still wants to test me to be 100% certain and to identify my exact issues but still, this is the best result I could have possibly hoped for! I am so relieved and very happy! I don't think it has entirely sunk in yet; I can't believe how easy it was. It probably helped that, as predicted, I was stimming like crazy and completely unable to maintain my usual façade of normality. Wooooo!

edit: His secretary is going to contact us in the next few days to arrange the assessment which he said he wants to do ASAP.

Fantastic!! !

I'm VERY happy for you

Thank you and thanks to all who offered advice or temporary diversion by posting in the thread. I will probably be freaking out again when it comes to testing day but for now I am cool