Not sure on next course of action.

Post Reply New Topic

So little over a year ago I found out about Asperger's Syndrome and I immediately recognised myself in it. I went to seek the opinion of a psychiatrist, who agreed that I showed many signs and he referred me for diagnosis. There's a LONG waiting list for psychodiagnostics tests though, and I actually had towait a whole year. Apparently because children get priority (I'm 23).

So 2 months ago I did the tests and this week I got the results. The conclusion read that my psychological profile is "indicative of Autism Spectrum Disorder." And that's about all I got. Are they always this vague? The way the conclusion was written didn't really give me a sense of "you have it". I also didn't get any referrals for any additional consultations or therapy.

All in all I'm a little disappointed in the way psychiatrists and psychologists communicate. I don't think this "official diagnosis", if you can even call it that, has given me any more than me finding out myself a year ago and applying the diagnostic criteria on myself. And because of the vagueness I still have doubts as well.

I'm being very incoherent at the moment. Too early. I'll come back and tell some more later, but please psot your own experiences on gettingan "official" diagnosis and what you did afterwards.

AS got ruled out when I was tested in favor of at least 10 other disorders. I got refereed for testing because I had a mental breakdown & the psych I was seeing suspected I had AS. She wasn't qualified to officially diagnose it. I talked to her about my results after & she told me something like it doesn't make much difference what my diagnoses are; it was more about finding out what problems I had. I've seen other psychs & specialist for different things sense & they all agreed that I do not have anything on the autism spectrum & that I have about 10 other things instead. How do you think having a more concrete report & diagnoses will help you OP I doubt having an AS diagnoses would of really changed anything for me. It helps to know what your dealing with but I found I'm better off researching stuff online & posting about it in forums is a lot more helpful to me than seeing quacks/psychs

Well, two reasons really.

1. Getting an "official" diagnosis would give me access to services that could possibly improve my life, such as free therapy, counseling, individualised exam rosters or exemption from oral exams (those are a real big problem for me and the main reason that after 6 years at uni I still don't have my bachelor's degree).

2. I'm well aware that AS is being perceived more and more as a "fad" self-diagnosis. I respect others who self-diagnose and don't seek an official one, but not everyone does. To some, unless you have a diagnosis supported by an authorative figure, you don't have a problem, illness, different brain-wiring or whatever you want to call it, you're just weird, rude, irritable or any other negative adjective.

I understand that. About the only thing I can think of would be the ask that doc for a more concrete diagnoses or trying to get a 2nd opinion. I wouldn't bother with it but I've had horrible experiences with psychs, docs & specialist & my state has been slashing social services for the last 10years so I would not get any help with anything even if I had a diagnoses

Yes mine was quite vague. She wrote "good possibility individual has borderline Asperger's Syndrome" in my report or something similarly noncommittal but in speaking with me and my parents she excitedly said "I love it when all the symptoms come to together like this. Everything is pointing to Asperger's Syndrome."

I wonder if it's worded so wishy-washily in the official documents because doctors fear getting later called out, maybe legally, for misdiagnosis? I have no idea.

Anyway I too was disappointed in my weirdly vague "official diagnosis." It's not even scientific. What is "borderline" Asperger's? I still don't know the numbers on the tests that determined this. I certainly can't function enough to hold a job and support myself.