Should I bother getting diagnosed?

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I've considered the possibility of having an autism spectrum disorder for awhile now, but until recently, I wrote it off as me making excuses for being an unsociable, unfriendly person. I mean, I am, I've heard it enough. I also figured that, if it were true, I would have been diagnosed by this point. Recently, having done more reading, I think it's pretty clear. I scored a 37 on the AQ, though I probably would have answered a few of the questions differently had they not been so specific (i.e. I don't care about license plates).

I've been described as shy for most of my life, which always irritated me (and still does). To me, it suggests that I have some kind of fear of people, which isn't the case at all. I have no problem giving a presentation, a speech, or performing music. I just don't see the point of small talk. I don't entirely know what "small talk" is in practice and am sure I just come off as painfully awkward when I'm forced to attempt it. So, I don't. I also get tired of hearing how I mumble. I never know how loud I'm supposed to be speaking and am afraid I'm going to end up yelling at someone unintentionally. I hate using the phone and avoid it as much as possible. I do love email, though.

I have to laugh at the idea of having a a single, fixed interest. That would be nice. No, I have more than my share of obsessions and anytime I find something that interests me, I have another. I've always been known for that. That $200 library fine I had a few years back, I'm almost proud of that. Of course, I'm not, because that would be wrong.

I have no problem with sarcasm and jokes, though people don't always find me as funny as I do. Probably has more to do with my love of bad puns and dark humor than anything else.

I keep reading about people with ASD being "visual thinkers". I figured most people were. Though, maybe considering music a visual medium isn't so common, I don't know. Either way, it's an easy out when explaining the meaning behind your weird music.

The funny thing is, the more I read up on ASD and Asperger's, the more I'm realizing about my own personality and mannerisms, things that I hadn't really noticed.

Would it be worth the time, effort, and expense to go in for a proper diagnosis? Am I just a socially inept jerk looking for excuses? Maybe most importantly, what should I expect as far as treatment (counseling, therapy, etc)? I know there's no cure (and I wouldn't want to completely change my personality, even if I could), but what kind of improvements could I reasonably expect? There wouldn't be much point going in just to say I've been formally diagnosed. Fortunately (and ironically), my fiancée is a job coach working with autistic teenagers/young adults and is extremely patient and understanding. If I do go in, I'm sure she'll be with me.

I really appreciate the help.

I wouldn't be surprised if your fiancee can do a better job diagnosing you than a professional--not only does she know the information that a professional collects, but has had numerous opportunities to see how you react to various stresses and situations. I'd discuss your concerns with her--this is the thing couples should talk about.

I agree that this is something a couple should talk about, and we have been. It was actually at her suggestion that I looked into it more. She seems pretty confident that I have Asperger's, but she's still encouraged me to go in for a diagnosis and figure out what my options might be.

I'd just like to be more informed before I choose to do that.

http://turtleisaverb.blogspot.com/2011/ ... nosis.html

Thanks for that.

Being as informed as possible makes sense. The reason I wrote that post up is to try to inform people without needing to go through trying to remember what I've gotten from my diagnosis every time the question comes up (usually elseware, but I've linked to it on here before too).

I just hope to be helpful to people who are trying to figure out what its like. Hopefully it helped .

Of course either way you're welcome here.

I think the worth of getting an official diagnosis depends or your personal situation.

If you're getting along okay, and it's not going to really make a difference to your life, then possibly not. But if it's going to improve things for you personally, then go for it.

I went for mine because I was having social problems at work. Peoples perceptions of me led to my being bullied by one colleague in particular. Nowadays, things are so much better.

I'm a paramedic and find for the most part the job suits me very well. The problems arose from when I'm hyperfocussed on a job, especially the very high pressure ones- large amounts of trauma from vehicle accidents etc, people having cardiac arrests or being generally very ill. In those situations my learned social skills go out of the window and I come across as quite brusque and arrogant. Also I'm very by the book, and need to do things methodically.

I got my diagnosis and made the decision to go public with it to the folks at my station. Things are far better now, as they, being medical people, went and read up on AS, and have realised that many of the things they were taking personally weren't done on purpose, and that they were simply due to my AS. That understanding goes a hellava long way. They now don't tend to get mad at me, they'll just quietly give me a heads up if I'm rambling on too much about my special interests and help pick up the interpersonal slack at times, which gives me the clue that I maybe need to be more softly softly with a patient.

I also have less problems with my family, as they understand that sometimes I just don't want to mix with people at all, so won't turn up for that family lunch. They know why, so don't get offended and angry.

Before this turns into war and peace I'll conclude that for me, it was the right choice. I'm sure that may not be the case for everyone though.

I've decided to make an appointment as soon as I'm officially insured. I've been told that should be the first of the year, but the date keeps changing, so we'll see..

I hate that, apparently, I can't handle things on my own, but I've wasted enough time. I know I could use some help. I've been looking for work since I was 19, I'm now 23, and I've held one real job (hired in June and fired before the end of summer). I was in school for a year, but there was an issue with the financial aid office, money was already tight, so I had to nix that for the time being. To top everything off, I started having problems with my car that I couldn't afford to repair, and ended up selling it. Great deal for the other guy, but this put a wrench in the job hunt.

Do I mention the diagnosis to potential employers? What are the odds that would excuse my seemingly shifty body language in an interview and not just cost me the job? I'm guessing not good.

What is your experience with managing symptoms? What should I expect, realistically?

I know that it's possible to qualify for SSI/disability benefits with ASD. I have no idea if I will, but I know that it would be incredibly useful right now. I could get back on my feet, maybe start saving up for an beater to get me from point a to b, start looking for work again, and get back in school. I'm clueless about the application process, so if anyone has any experience with that, I'd like to be prepared.