"fake aspies" and self diagnosis. DISLIKE, sorry.

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I think most of us have a LONG history of saying things that are taken more seriously than intended, and end up offending someone. Does the opinion of a young person with limited life experience really upset you that much? Did you think you had allot more figured out than you really did once upon a time?

Cut the OP some slack.

Well I was formally diagnosed by a psychiatrist when I was 7 which was in 1996 i believe and I had to do quite few tests although i don't recall ever being brain scanned or having wired hooked up to me. But it doesn't really bother me at all if some people here are self-diagnosed. Maybe it would irl if they were aware they didnt have AS but claimed to for attention. But I've never met anyone who claimed to have it that didn't. Ive actually never met anyone else with Aspergers irl.

hi,

Just saw this thread, and couldn't read through all the responses.

Here is my own expereince.

I was self-diagnosed before I got diagnosed by a psychiatrist.

Since infancy, I was very diff from other kids as mum decribed. As I entered primary school, I started to feel my difference. I developed anxiety disorder and depression during teen years. I have never mentioned to anyone about the social diffculties I encountered in school, but one day, my paediatric psychiatrist told me "I think your problem lies on social interactions"... I was very surprised coz I've never mentioned a word about it.

Anyway, that was when I was in Asia, where no one knows a thing about Asperger and doesn't give a damn about it.

My parents convinced me that there's no problems in me, and there's no depression or anxiety... and for some reason I accepted it... but still living in hell for years.

And after all those suffering and thousands of attempt to make myself "normal", I realised I am "normal", there's something special about me. So I started my long journey of finding an answer, then I found Asperger. I had a bf at that time, he is a doctor and he too thinks that 99.999999% chance I have Asperger.

I asked GP to refer me to a psychiatrist. I got the diagnose. My parents didn't take it. I went to another one who is very specialised in autism, and my parents didn't take it either. And I went to a clinical psychologist specialised in Asperger...my parents still deny it... and I sent them the book by Tony Attwood "The Complete guide to Asperger Syndrome"...they read it and still wouldn't take it... It really upset me, especially when my own father is a doctor...

In total disappointment, I gave up on my parents. Then oneday they called me...
Tearing and apologising...
Saying that they read the book again and again and realised it is truth that their daughter has Asperger...and they hoped that they had knew this when I was younger so they would bring me up in a much better and suitable way.
Mum especially... she was so sorry...
She said that she regret so much that she didn't stand up and fight for me when I was bullied by other kids and teacher in school. She regret that she has been so harsh on me for the past 22 years...
things like that...

That was one of the most significant moment in my life.

Anyway, I'm a bit off track here. What I want to say is. There's nothing wrong about self-diagnosing... not every doctor is sensitive or hard-working enought to pick things up. For me, all they think was treating depression and anxiety, without making an effort to find the underlying cause.

I'm studying dentistry...and believe me.... 75% of the student doesn't give a damn about the pt. All they want is do the job and get the money. It is the same with medical student... so it can be hard to find a good doctor who would really care about you as a person, who would make all the effort he can to give you the best treatment.

Melbi, I went through the same thing with my family. They believe me now and think I'm weird and brain damaged now. I care very little about that.

I self diagnosed at first, because it was a long and hard process to get diagnosed - not to mention expensive. I kept doubting myself though until I was diagnosed. It seems silly now because I fit the criteria to a T.

My story is that I was born in the mid 80s and was in school from early 90s to late 90s. I went to college from 2001-2006 but no teacher ever suspected Asperger's or ADHD-PI, which I now know I have. My mum never took me to the doctor unless I was terminal but she knew there was something different about me though. I've always lived in a small community town so the knowledge of Asperger's may still be a bit behind.
I had to get diagnosed a second time because in Australia a psychiatrist needs to diagnose you. After the diagnoses nothing really happened. I had been on anti-depressants for another condition (not depression) and that helped ease my symptoms. But when I went off them I went back to how I was; meltdowns, social awkwardness, obsessiveness, anxiety, aversion to change, etc.
The diagnoses really didn't do much but tell me who I was and why I acted the way I did. I got on disability which eased my stress about finding a job. And I did get limited work experience through the disability service.
I self diagnosed with the ADHD-PI too. I still haven't got the diagnosis but have success with the medication. On meds I feel like I just have Asperger's, apart from less irritability and sensitive senses.

I also must add to the OP that people here can misinterpret what you said and then feel insulted. So, try not to take what is said too seriously if it's just abuse.

AphexSam,

you seem troubled by some of the responses, and i am old enough to be your mother. so i am going to give you some unsolicited advice:

1. instead of reacting defensively, just listen. read people's posts (as many as possible) and recognize that there are many experiences different than yours.

2. next time, try to be a little nicer.

i state very confidently that we have all said the wrong thing at one time or another. it takes extra thought to consider someone else's potential point of view before you speak. but - for your own comfort - it is necessary.

I was previously (about a year ago) posting on here some questions, as I was pretty much self-diagnosed via strong suspicions and some of the online testing out there. was none of that valid prior to today, when I was officially diagnosed this afternoon?

i had a friend in college that randomly started going around saying she had Asperger's. it was funny to me because she clearly didn't, she just, as the person stated, did not want to try socially. she expressed herself perfectly all of the time and had about a thousand friends who loved and adored her, not to say that ppl with Asperger's don't have these things, but it seemed to be conveniently timed around when her alcoholism threatened to get her kicked out of school. i dno't blame you for being upset poster, i feel as though in this day and age of technology and rabid information it is completely too easy for one to diagnose themselves. i struggle with bipolar disorder and feel the same way when people randomly decide they have a mood disorder just to be cool. it's not cool, it can suck, just like any disorder. on the other hand, as wide as the autistic spectrum is, it is quite possible for every one of us to have some type of autism, whether it be mild or severe, and that is something to keep in mind. another point is that autism is a fairly new disorder, 20 years ago doctor's probably considered it a fluke, or a type of schizophrenia or something (as with bipolar disorder) and it is hard for people to get enough information. last but not least people can not treat doctors as if they were gods, meaning just because a doctor tells you that you have something, it does not mean you do, and vice versa. i've been diagnosed with a lot of mood disorders and i know that i'm essentially 'fine'. just think about how many dsm books have come out with different disorders, that were not in previous editions. homosexuality was a disorder a while back, and now it's all over popular television.

AphexSam

I find you rude, though I grant that youth might be an excuse. I was pretty obnoxious at 16 too. You are very, very lucky that you got a diagnosis how and when you did. I grew up without one. Believe me, it's HELL.

Peace Bro,
Wuff

no need to bash the kid