Tempted to ask psychatrist about ASD again

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Angnix
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08 Jan 2019, 1:06 pm

I have a psychatrist appointment again tomorrow and I am so tempted to ask her about ASD... Though she would probably want to talk to me why I'm ending up in the ER so much. My current therapist has brought it up, but the same doctor in the past was unhappy when therapists tried to diagnose me with it. This psychatrist insists I have schizoaffective and borderline... I'm just getting frustrated. What is the best way to bring this up, just ask why she thinks I don't have it?


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kraftiekortie
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08 Jan 2019, 1:08 pm

What sort of rapport do you have with this therapist?

If it's a good one, I might ask her why she doesn't think you have autism.



Angnix
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08 Jan 2019, 1:13 pm

kraftiekortie wrote:
What sort of rapport do you have with this therapist?

If it's a good one, I might ask her why she doesn't think you have autism.


I've seen her on and off for a few years now, but in the past when I said the therapists think I have an ASD her response was "the therapists can't diagnosis my patients!" As if it was a pride thing lol.


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BeaArthur
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08 Jan 2019, 4:37 pm

Why bring it up? You know what she will say.

It seems as if you need some external validation of your ASD. It's not as if they can give you any medication for it - other than for symptoms, which may be the same across several diagnoses.

I'm not pooh-poohing your interest, but we've been down this road before . . .


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BTDT
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08 Jan 2019, 7:02 pm

I suppose that is what you can do if you work full time at a good job that pays well. You can pay a professional to properly evaluate your mental health. And, if you know how to work the system, it is likely that you can deduct it right off your gross income via a Flexible Spending Account.



Angnix
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09 Jan 2019, 12:06 pm

I got the guts to ask her and I got a "your possibly on the autism spectrum but your social skills seem okay enough to me so you don't need a diagnosis" speach.


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BTDT
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09 Jan 2019, 12:23 pm

As I said, the way to get a diagnosis just for the sake of having a diagnosis is to have enough money to privately pay for it.



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09 Jan 2019, 11:42 pm

I hope your appointment today went well. One reason I can think of to possibly bring this up again with your psychiatrist is to avoid a misdiagnosis and treatment/medication based on it. I was diagnosed with autism and a pediatric brain injury around age 3 and totally put it out of my mind, but pretty much every therapist I ever saw would bring up my autism (in addition to my other diagnosis of PTSD). And I've seen 7 or 8 psychiatrists over the decades but I never mentioned that I'm autistic. So I've had psychiatrists say I was bipolar II, had schizoaffective disorder, OCD, etc. and put me on medications for those. None of the literally dozens of medications I've been on ever helped, although some made me really miserable, impaired my functioning and made me addicted to them. Subsequently I had a clinical psychologist tell me that autistics generally require significantly lower doses of meds due to increased sensitivity to them and tend to get overmedicated. I gave up on psychiatrists and meds years ago and actually do better without them, but that misdiagnosis of bipolar II has been following me in my medical records for a long time now and I can't get it removed...



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10 Jan 2019, 9:04 am

It may be a lot easier to just talk about getting a low dose prescription if you wish to try that route. It may also help to put together a graphic that shows the effect of different prescriptions you have taken in the past. The doctor may be a visual thinker with a little autism.



Angnix
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10 Jan 2019, 1:39 pm

I saw my talk therapist again today and she says I for sure an aspie or have traits, but it's not what's disabling me so I probably wouldn't get a diagnosis. My mental illness however is and needs to be addressed. I would argue though my low mucsle tone disables me more right now


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BeaArthur
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10 Jan 2019, 1:44 pm

Angnix wrote:
I saw my talk therapist again today and she says I for sure an aspie or have traits, but it's not what's disabling me so I probably wouldn't get a diagnosis. My mental illness however is and needs to be addressed. I would argue though my low mucsle tone disables me more right now

I'm curious about the low muscle tone. My daughter has times when she falls down - not tripping, it's more like her legs just give out, and she crumples to the floor. It makes her reluctant to go anywhere for fear of causing a scene and people coming over and asking her if she's okay. Is that what you experience?


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Angnix
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10 Jan 2019, 2:17 pm

No, I'm just not very strong and for some reason I cannot walk fast or run.


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BeaArthur
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10 Jan 2019, 2:38 pm

OK, thanks for the reply.

On another matter - any progress on respite care for husband?


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Angnix
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10 Jan 2019, 3:27 pm

BeaArthur wrote:
OK, thanks for the reply.

On another matter - any progress on respite care for husband?


No, the therapists basically say I should just leave the apartment, he'll be fine lol


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BeaArthur
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10 Jan 2019, 5:04 pm

Do you disagree? Whose therapists say this - yours or his? I suggested contacting his primary care doctor.


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Angnix
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11 Jan 2019, 10:59 am

BeaArthur wrote:
Do you disagree? Whose therapists say this - yours or his? I suggested contacting his primary care doctor.


My therapist said he could fall down while I'm there.... So basically why hover over him like a mother hen


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