Diagnosis: Are doctors full of crap?

Post Reply New Topic

I think a lot of people are forgetting that developmental and psychological disorders are inherently complex because we're still in the midst of learning how the brain operates.

Also, a clinician has to consider all angles when looking at a case. You may think someone is screaming for an ASD DX, but a clinician have to ensure that the DX is completely warranted before they can give it, which includes the possibility of a differential DX. Is a person displaying certain traits that seem ASD-like because it's a malfunctioning coping strategy, or is it ASD-like because it's actually from an ASD? It's not always a lack of knowledge on part of the clinician. You're not looking at your own symptoms objectively so you might miss something about your behaviour, or your mind might be overstating a behaviour in your mind that to a clinician might not be as clinically evident.

That being said, I've had experiences with clinicians whose knowledge base on ASD I would consider suspect at best - I had one psychiatrist maintain I couldn't have an ASD because I was female and was able to hold a conversation - so I can understand both sides of the argument. I've been given various DXs before my current one because clinicians weren't looking in the right area. I just prefer to look at the more positive side in general.

I think you really need to diagnose yourself, not just with AS but with any condition that doesn't have obvious physical signs, by reading and informing yourself, and then bring the diagnosis to a doctor.

Some doctors won't listen or will even be offended that you are stepping on their toes. You just have to keep looking for a doctor who will take you seriously and will take the time to either help you figure out if your own diagnosis is right or refer you to someone who can,

Even when looking for a doctor you're better off looking for one yourself, by looking up info on the internet or asking on a forum like this one, rather than hoping that a doctor will give you the right referral.

I still think that intense therapy is much better than pills. :\

While it won't be the case with some disorders, I honestly think that if someone was willing to just talk to me and listen during my periods of depression, I would have gotten out of it much earlier. Instead, they gave me an antidepressant to "make it all better", and it was only after I took it that I attempted suicide.

That's our society. Pills, pills, pills. Peoples' emotions don't matter. Shut up and get back to work. Give them pills and everything will be all better. Oh wait... teen suicide rates are at an all-time high. Are things really getting better? Only if you think that reducing the population via suicide makes things better.

Dysfunctional families left and right, increased laziness and irritability among the generation, leading to more bullying and abuse everywhere else, and people wonder why these kids are depressed? If someone would just listen, we wouldn't have as many Columbines and suicides. I'm really sure of that. Now we have a generation of - everyone who doesn't face severe mental illness is taught that they are to trust no one in life but themself. Which is why even families are screwing up now.

Correct me if I'm wrong. I tend to be.

Either way, as my signature says now, the doctor I saw today for part two of my diagnosis said I most likely have Bipolar. That makes even less sense. I have ADHD symptoms, yes, and some hyperactivity, and yes, some traits of mania (thoughts racing). But I've never experienced a manic episode. Ever. He told me that my "Asperger's" criteria is iffy, that if anything, it overlaps with Bipolar. Then I made a mistake; as I left, I remembered other Asperger's-related things I forgot to tell him. Still seeing him in another week, but still. It's difficult for me to pick out a part of my personality and look at it, think "Oh wait, that's not normal?", and consider it.

As far as I know, I can say that I have some Mood Disorder (with major depression history), and that my mind's screwed up in another way which no one seems to be sure about.

I am studying biology and plan on going on to study medicine (I plan on specializing in orthopedic surgery, so I don't know too much about mental health). Doctors aren't perfect, simply put. I think the first thing for a primary care physician to do is to send a suspected person to see a psychiatrist, they often have the best training regarding the autism-spectrum. Primary care physicians don't always do that.

One example that proves that doctors aren't perfect is that GPs are prescribing SSRIs for cases that don't need SSRIs, such as emotional females who broke up with their partners for example. These prescriptions are written without the consultation of a mental health professional which is contributing to over-medication. It is similar to the excessive prescription of antibiotics.

For the record, SSRIs are a great way of attempting to combat specific mental health abnormalities, but they are being prescribed, along with other medications, to people that don't necessarily need them.

I have been on Zoloft for 2 years and it has done wonders for me. I have AS and had anxiety to the point of mild auditory hallucinations, this paralyzing anxiety has not returned since. If any of you suffer of similar symptoms, I wish you the best if you are taking a similar course of treatment whether it be SSRIs, CBT, counselling, etc.

By the way, I'm glad that for the most part, people are being fair to psychiatrists. Unlike the rest of the body, the physiology behind mental illness or PDDs such as AS is poorly understood and you can't expect to be treated overnight - at least not yet. I understand that psychiatry has not helped everyone, but for the amount of people it has helped, they are doing an amazing job. I understand that sometimes medication has worsened some cases, but at least medication has helped some people, and to be able to help at least a percentage of people escape OCD, depression, schizophrenia, etc along with some of the symptoms of AS is simply a beautiful thing.