to seek a diagnosis or not...

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Is it really worth getting a diagnosis?

I called an organization I found because their website talked about autism and developmental disabilities and they also had a "dual diagnosis" section which I liked because I also have a mood disorder. When I called them, they told me they didn't diagnose Asperger's and that I couldn't be helped by them because I was too high functioning (they asked me if I went to university and when I said I was in university they said their clients didn't make it past high school.)

But I'm wondering if I really need to get diagnosed. I've been wondering back and forth whether I have Asperger's or if it's due to bipolar/childhood abuse/shyness. I think I am an Aspie. But I don't really need the label for school - I'm already getting accommodations at school because I have bipolar disorder. I'm not looking for a trendy, "different" label, I already dislike having to deal with bipolar stigma.

I'm seeing a psychiatrist about the bipolar as well as some psychosis that comes along with it, and psychosis is the only thing they deal with but I'll mention AS to them and see what they say.

I guess the only reason I'd want the diagnosis is for me to know for sure what it is. But do I really need that? It wouldn't change the difficulties I have with social situations, my sensory issues, my special interests. I don't need the label to know who I am. I know I have AS traits and am reading everything I can to help me deal with them. A diagnosis wouldn't change that.

I've found a group that I identify with and an explanation for why I am the way I am. So many of the threads here sound like me. You guys wouldn't kick me out for not going for the official diagnosis, right? If it was easy to get the label, maybe I'd go for it. As it stands, I'll mention it to my doctors. See what happens.

Those diagnosed in adulthood, was it really worth it?

Okay, I know you were addressing people who have been officially diagnosed. I am self-diagnosed only, and an official diagnosis would NOT be worth it to me. I have learned to function well enough (most of the time) that having it on record as a "disability" would be more of a hindrance (read: stigma) than a help. Also, I know myself well enough to KNOW that it's true without some "expert" having to tell me. I also feel like I belong here at WP--like you said about yourself, many of the postings sound very much like me.

There are many self- and undiagnosed people here who know they have AS. We certainly wouldn't "kick you out" for lack of an "official" diagnosis.

However, if you're interested in a self-diagnostic test, here's the one I used:

http://www.piepalace.ca/blog/asperger-test-aq-test/

If you feel like you belong here, you do.

My original question might have been posed to those diagnosed, but certainly I welcome input from anyone. Thanks.

I've taken every internet test I could find and score within the Aspie range on them all.

I'm already on record with a disability and am dealing with that stigma. I find that bipolar disorder is just as "invisible" a disability as Aspergers is.

Being a 26 year old woman who's learned to hide many of these problems, the diagnostic path would probably be long and arduous. I don't want to feel like I have to "defend my Aspieness". If they didn't confer an Aspie label on me, I'd still have social and sensory problems and narrow interests. So I feel like all I need to do is say "I'm a person with (such and such) difficulties."

It depends on how AS is affecting your life. With a diagnosis, you might be able to qualify for more services. If your IQ is considered high, people don't like to believe you have any problems in your life. That's the situation I'm in. I do really well on tests, so people don't see a problem and don't think I have a disability. Yet when you first see me, you would think I do. It creates obstacles for me. Diagnosis doesn't mean a lot, it's more about how you function. If you live on your own and score high in IQ tests, it's hard for anyone to see disability, diagnosed or not.

If you are comfortable with your autism/asperger's and accept yourself and your identity, then that is all that should matter. You don't need a certificate in order to practice autism.

If you told someone you were born with a hole in your heart and they demanded to see the diagnosis, what would you think? If you feel you have to prove this to someone, they probably aren't worth your time.

SEEK A DIAGNOSIS!

Seeking diagnosis is the journey of finding yourself. At least, for me, it is. It is after being diagnosed with AS that my whole life started to make sense. That I understand why I'm so different. And it is ok to be different from the majority.

Too high-functioning to be AS? What the ****? Albert Eistein has AS!! ! I'm in University too, and doing a high functioning course called dentistry and I got into medicine as well but my parents didn't want me to be a doctor, they said it's too much stress for a phychotic person like me lol. All three psychiatrists I've seen said I have AS. There's no such thing as too high-functioning to be autistic.

OK...i'm being a bit too hyper sorry... *calm down Melbi*

I got my diagnosis at the age of 21yo. An Aspie friend of mine got his at the age of 42yo. I guess it really depends on what you think. Getting a diagnosis was very significant to me...as for me to accept myself of who I am and also for my parents to accept me.

I used to hide all my condition...but now I don't anymore...guess I just don't give a damn anymore. All the people in uni knows I have Asperger, depression, anxiety disorder etc...and it doesn't really matter. Those who like me still like me. And those who hates me gossip around but I don't give a damn. All the staff knows as well, and I was very surprised of how much help I got after revealing my diagnosis. but everyone can be different. so it is of your own choice.

*get back to the track Melbi!! !*

ok...so my suggestion is to get a diagnosis. I mean, you want to know for sure, right? It wouldn't change anything, but you want an answer=) We all want an answer... find an answer, not for anything else, but yourself =)

I'm going through a very similar situation. I am dxed with schizoaffective bipolar (bipolar with quite a bit of psychosis) and they don't think I have AS though. But I've had comments from other people about it and I for sure have some AS-like problems. I'm high functioning too.

I was told that a dx only matters if you are really disabled by it. They confirm I have social difficulties, but they said it's not really a disability. They say my bipolar is much worse than anything like that if I have it, and indeed I can't function without meds.

I found getting a diagnosis had overwhelmingly positive outcomes.

Like others have said, finding an explanation for everything, and having that explanation validated and fully explained is priceless. Diagnosis (for me, anyway) was a great learning process where I not only had to answer questions, but the psychologist explained why my answers were not ordinary answers.

I have never yet told anyone that I have Asperger's in order to explain my behaviour to them, but knowing that I could gives me confidence. I did tell nursing staff in advance of hospital procedure which I knew might make me act unreasonably, so that they could avoid the stressor.

I had been treated for depression / anxiety / psychosis before Asperger's was diagnosed, so having a diagnosis that works and being off those drugs is fantastic. I would recommend anyone who thinks they may have autistic traits to get diagnosed and avoid the risk of that kind of misdiagnosis.

It is worth making a diagnosis. The reason is so you won't look like a fool going around saying that you have a genetic disorder without proper diagnosis. It's also great not to be grouped into the undiagnosed morons on this forums who seem to guy by the notion that "different = aspie". Im not saying that all undiagnosed aspies don't have it, but theres a pretty big majority who go by that logic.

Angnix, my bipolar was a big problem 2 or 3 years ago, but it's been about a year with no major mood episodes and I've just started University, so for me, the AS traits are a bigger problem at the moment.

I feel I can "find myself" without a diagnosis, because I believe that I know myself better than any professional. They're my experiences and my body. I've done a lot of therapy and gained a lot of self-knowledge and discovering Asperger's helped me find myself. Without a professional diagnosis I can't say "I have Asperger's" but I can say that I have traits. Getting the label won't really change who I am.

I don't believe getting diagnosed AS will overturn the bipolar diagnosis. From my history, I'm pretty clear cut bipolar, and a total of five or six psychiatrists have agreed on that.

I will mention to the psych nurse I'm seeing that I think I have Asperger's, but we meet one on one and we're always talking about me so I can talk to her and even make eye contact on occasion plus I'm female and I've learned how to make small talk for short periods of time. If she saw me outside of her office in a general social setting like my university, she would see what I see. But I fear that she doesn't really know AS very well being a nurse who deals with psychosis. I see her on Tuesday so I'll mention it then.

I'll keep throwing the idea out to the professionals I see, but my therapist has already told me I'm not an obvious case (of course I'm not, I'm female.)

I mentioned it to my psych nurse today and she said she's worked with other males with Asperger's and that I didn't seem to be like them. I said that I learned a lot about how to act when I went to theatre school. She said we could bring it up to the psychiatrist I see every so often but I chickened out. I wasn't prepared, my mind went blank when I tried to explain how I thought AS fit me.

I see her again in a week and a half. I'm thinking of printing off that chart of how AS presents in women that I've seen floating around here, and I'm going to write down what those who think I have AS have said to me about it. And once I have information and stuff written down so I don't go blank, I'll explain to her and see what she says. And maybe then we can go to the psychiatrist about it, though her specialty is definitely not AS.

At one point I said something and she made some facial expression and said "did my face say wow?" And I said "I don't know." And she said "Well that was a 'wow'." I couldn't tell what expression she was making... maybe she was checking that.