Fnord wrote:
ArthurDent wrote:
Although I've never received an official diagnosis sometimes I think of myself as an aspie and most people as neurotypical. Does this make me a presumptuous jerk or are there others who do there same thing?
No, not a jerk.
Only a trained and licensed mental-health professional can make a real diagnosis. This is because: (1) Other disorders may mimic some symptoms and comorbids of AS; (2) Other disorders may alter your subjective perceptions of your symptoms; (3) Your "diagnosis" may be wrong; and (4) While your "diagnosis" may be correct, it may not address other disorders that may coexist with AS.
Also, without an official diagnosis, you may be unable to receive the proper and appropriate treatment, and some social-system benefits may be denied to you that you would otherwise be entitled to.
Worst of all, you might be tempted to treat yourself, and with dangerous or illegal substances, and end up putting yourself in jail, in the hospital, or in the morgue.
Please seek an official diagnosis, ASAP.
Getting an official diagnosis may not always go well, which is why I won't seek one.
As I get nervous around people in some contexts (but not in others) people tend to talk to me like I am an idiot as it is. I have a support worker who just takes over (ie If I need to do a budget sheet, she seems to think I cannot add up), seems to think I can't think for myself and says "and I know that is complicated" on the end of every other sentence.
As I was getting A grades at University the last time I was there, got A grades for my GCSE's, have an A level equivalent qualification and various other qualifications in IT and Business Administration (for which I got a Distinction if it were possible to attain that grade) the way the 'support services' treat me is irritating.
I dread to think what would happen if I was open to my therapists about not being able to read people well or socialise...they already treat me like I am an incompetent imbecile just because I struggle to get my words out when anxious (when I am probably smarter than them in some ways) as it is. I don't want to add to that. Jesus. Better that they just go with the Social Anxiety which I diagnosed myself originally anyway because I had not heard of Asperger's back then and was looking for a reason to explain my social problems. They just went along with the diagnosis without any formal testing.
I'd rather keep it to myself, pull away from the support services and sort the problem out in my own way somehow.
01 Dec 2011, 9:21 am
