need advice on finding a psychologist.

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ToughDiamond
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18 Apr 2009, 4:20 am

Seeming nice over the phone would make a big difference to me......it says nothing about their competence or integrity, but at least the tone of the interview would suit me and make me feel relaxed.
Good luck :)



oppositedirection
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18 Apr 2009, 1:46 pm

It is unclear what sort of disorder Aspergers is. Asperger himself thought it was a personality disorder, whereas the woman who reinvented his theory (I forget her name) thought it had more of a definate biological basis. Opinions differ highly but it is of little relevance compared to the experiences you have.

A doctor who put you in contact with a psychologist would be the route for the UK.



ToughDiamond
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18 Apr 2009, 5:29 pm

oppositedirection wrote:
A doctor who put you in contact with a psychologist would be the route for the UK.

Maybe so if it was on the NHS, but if you go privately then you can select your own, though some of them won't see you without a note from the GP. And on the NHS, the GP might send you first to a less qualified individual to do a preliminary screening, and you might not find that out till you get there. It's cheaper for them that way. They don't necessarily keep you very well informed on the NHS.....you may get left waiting without knowing whether you'll get a referral or not.



just-me
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19 Apr 2009, 1:54 am

oppositedirection wrote:

A doctor who put you in contact with a psychologist would be the route for the UK.


Well that's good to know because I will eventually be moving to England to live with my boyfriend.

I know very little about how the NHS is run. Although my boyfriends sister is a psychologist in the NHS. Even she says they don't always do the right things.



ToughDiamond
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19 Apr 2009, 7:22 am

just-me wrote:
oppositedirection wrote:

A doctor who put you in contact with a psychologist would be the route for the UK.


Well that's good to know because I will eventually be moving to England to live with my boyfriend.

I know very little about how the NHS is run. Although my boyfriends sister is a psychologist in the NHS. Even she says they don't always do the right things.


She is correct.....they do make a lot of mistakes, and according to the NAS, it can be very tough for an Aspie to get the GP to refer them in the first place, though not all GPs are so stubborn. There is something rotten in the NHS, and it needs cutting out, but there's a lot of good too, and the UK right now is probably the best place in the world to be if you have AS.



just-me
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23 Apr 2009, 8:00 pm

ToughDiamond wrote:
just-me wrote:
oppositedirection wrote:

A doctor who put you in contact with a psychologist would be the route for the UK.


Well that's good to know because I will eventually be moving to England to live with my boyfriend.

I know very little about how the NHS is run. Although my boyfriends sister is a psychologist in the NHS. Even she says they don't always do the right things.


She is correct.....they do make a lot of mistakes, and according to the NAS, it can be very tough for an Aspie to get the GP to refer them in the first place, though not all GPs are so stubborn. There is something rotten in the NHS, and it needs cutting out, but there's a lot of good too, and the UK right now is probably the best place in the world to be if you have AS.


Thanks for the info!



NTIDAS
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27 Apr 2009, 6:33 pm

just-me wrote:
I have the phone number for the local autism association in the area. I'll give them a call when I have time.

Is there any special qualification that people who treat AS would have. Because I'm looking at what there qualified to treat and I didn't see AS listed anywhere.


I have been dependent on the 'system' for almost 2 years. (ever since shortly before I found out I may have AS)

When I first started to look for a diagnosis I spent about 3 months being referred from agency to specialist to agency to specialist. Nobody did anything but listen to me and then refer me. The kicker was that the final agency listened to my story and referred me back to the first place I started at. *sigh*

Last week I went to see a new psychiatrist about my anxiety and AS related job issues. I'm desperately seeking gainful employment that won't drive me insane or destroy my family life and am looking for re-training.
This guy talks to me for half an hour and says that a diagnosis for AS would take time but that I'm obviously a very high functioning autistic with some significant deficits. :D

45 minutes and the guy is ready to sign the paperwork that will get me further access to desperately needed resources. The difference? Small town doc.

What a world, eh? If I was back in that city I'd be getting pretty much the same treatment.



Tantybi
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27 Apr 2009, 9:47 pm

One thing to consider is the age of the AS patient. Some doctors don't consider it possible yet for adults to have Aspergers. A lot of them just specialize in children with AS as opposed to adults. But, you might want to consider autistic centers. Many universities have some sort of autism center if they have a med school too. Watch out for the quacks, and you may find most psychologists to be a waste of time. No pill is going to do much about it except maybe treat any depression or anxiety symptoms, and even then, most of the time, the cost of using the medication (i.e. side effects) aren't worth the benefit, and most doctors (especially in psychiatry) have sold out to the industry.

I personally won't waste my time with them. I can find much more info online and on my own that is actually useful for my sake. I did find a massage therapist who seemed to figure me out better than any psychologist I ever have seen in the past, and she's cheaper by the hour, and I get the full body massage while we talk. I very much believe at this point in time that money spent at a day spa is a much more effective therapy than money wasted on a shrink.