Adult Diagnosis

Post Reply New Topic

Five people? I hope it goes ok for you

I think I'll have to write something for myself or even for teh doctor to read cos otherwise I'm going to be totally useless

I think an official diagnosis can be beneficial (provided you have access to cover the costs). It allowed me to kinda relax and accept myself the way I am. It helped me have more realistic expectations. While I try not to discredit something based on "Aspies Can't do That!"....I think "This could be challenging...". Pre-diagnosis I think my line of thinking was "Do it again and again and again and things will be better". Sure there are coping mechanisms but just the typical sink or swim approach probably won't work for me.

The assessment process took about a month. The guy was real easy going. I didn't feel strange like I was under a microscope.

'Five people? I hope it goes ok for you'

Thanks, me too. I suppose it's better I know that I'm going to have to talk to a few people in advance, rather than on the day, although in my mind I'm picturing some awful interrogation that's going to go on or something..

That's a good point that's how I feel too or that I won't be believed and just dismissed and then I'll feel even worse or that I'll be in a position where I have to 'prove' why I think it and I know I won't be able to say anything useful I could try writing some kind of notes but that's most likely going to take a while to get my head around and actually write. If I write down exactly what I want to say I'll be thrown if the doctor asks something else but if I don't I could end up muddled anyway. I couldn't find anybody specializing in aspergers anywhere near me and even if I could there's no way I can afford to go private

I am just starting on the process to get the official diagnosis. I see a psychiatric nurse practitioner and she did tell me in her notes she has mentioned that I have Asperger traits. When I saw her last week I pressed her on looking at a more official diagnosis. Right now I have Mood Disorder NOS and Anxiety Disorder NOS. These barely qualify me for services and I don't qualify for a case manager which I could really use sometimes (other people are even frustrated for me with this). She said she is going to consult with a psychologist who knows a lot about the autism/asperger's spectrum combined with mental illness to help decide what additional testing she is going to order for me. I do know with my pending Social Security Disability application I will need the official diagnosis from an MD or PhD.

I just did the AQ test and got a 44.

I am not going to individually reply to all the pertinent items within this thread, but I will say in general that I am in agreement. I am also externally "well-adjusted" with a wife and a job, but I am seeking a diagnosis in a few weeks. I am very self aware and do not need the approval of a shrink to know who I am. However, it may be nice for personal and professional reasons to have an official piece of paper somewhere with a Dx in black and white.

Like others have mentioned, I am scheduled for two two-hour sessions about a week apart from each other. This seems like standard operating procedure. My last psychologist basically says Asperger's and such is a crock of s**t and that Autism only refers to "people rocking back and forth in a corner drooling and wetting themselves". This comes from the pragmatic and behaviorist bent of much of the modern mental health field. The idea is that therapy is simply to modify unwanted behavior to return a person to be a "functional member of society." Even more cynically stated, it is a tool to beat non-conformists into social lockstep.

I am interested in the neurological processes involved in Autism and related conditions; coping mechanisms, data processing, logic and theory of mind. The reality is that 99% of shrinks are unable and/or unwilling to touch that kind of stuff with a ten foot pole. Even if they were interested, the vast majority even of PhD and other Doctoral level shrinks are not remotely intelligent enough to scratch the surface of my inner workings. No fault to them. That's just how it is. Ultimately, the only person who can get inside your head is you.

I made an appointment with my gp for next Monday