Does anyone have any tips/experience with asking a psychiatrist to refer you for a diagnosis?
I have the name of a doctor who has experience in diagnosing adults. I went to my GP to ask her to refer me to him, and gave her two pages of notes as to why I thought I was on the spectrum. She read my notes, photocopied them, and agreed to refer me. When this doctor sent her a referral form to fill out though, it said that if the patient has a psychiatrist, the psychiatrist must make the referral. My GP sent the referral in anyway, but advised me to also get my psychiatrist to refer me.
I don't see my psychiatrist very often. Maybe 5 times a year, or less. Every 3 months or so I see her psychiatric nurse, who asks me about my symptoms, checks my medication, and writes it all up for the psychiatrist. I was referred to this psychiatrist several years ago when I was experiencing some psychosis to do with my current diagnosis of Bipolar disorder. I was still functional and managed to complete my first year of university during this time, and the psychosis went away pretty quick when my medication was adjusted. I believe it was the stress of starting university that triggered it. I am on a lower dose of my medication than I have ever been on and am doing better than I ever have done.
I brought up ASD with the psych nurse about 18 months ago. Her reaction was disbelief, and she said, "I've seen children on the spectrum. You don't act like boys I've seen." First of all, I'm not a child. Second, how long ago was this? Third, I was raised female. Because of this reaction, I didn't decide to press on and ask my psychiatrist for direction.
Now I have to do it if I want a diagnosis, and I'm worried, because this woman is very no-nonsense and acts like she knows everything and the patient knows nothing. I see her next week, and I guess I'm just going to go in there with my notes and ask for a referral, and if she questions why, I will tell her. I just get so nervous because I've been mistreated by psychiatrists in the past. I feel like she will likely have misconceptions about autism and think that because I'm intelligent and functioning in university and sometimes make eye contact I am not on the spectrum.
My therapist, in contrast, is great. She acknowledges that the way I am one on one in a therapy session is no indication of how I am in a social situation. She has been researching Asperger's, and is helping me with social skills. She brought in something she had printed off the internet about social skills and said "Hey, this reminds me of you." And I read it, and it was written by a person on the spectrum. She is completely for me pursuing a diagnosis and said that if my psychiatrist refuses to refer me, we will find another way.
But what's the best, most diplomatic and convincing way to ask my psychiatrist to refer me to this other psychiatrist, given everything I stated above?
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Transgender. Call me 'he' please. I'm a guy.
Diagnosed Bipolar and Aspergers (questioning the ASD diagnosis).
Free speech means the right to shout 'theatre' in a crowded fire.
--Abbie Hoffman
10 Feb 2012, 9:41 pm
