Do I need a formal diagnosis?

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I know I'm an aspie, I've done all the research and listened to other aspies. I call myself an aspie.

Should I get a formal diagnosis?

I don't want to go through the whole process of seeing psychiatrists and trying to prove the title of aspie is me. The thought of having to go through it and talking to strangers about my life terrifies me and I have a meltdown over it. When neurotypicals find out I haven't got the formal diagnosis they are like "Oh, you don't have it then."

I emailed Autism Australia and had a rant about it. I mentioned cutting out the middle guy (psychiatrists) and going straight to other Aspies over the internet. I know what is in my own head and I fit in the asperger world. Needless to say they have not returned my email even when I asked them to please respond. I did ask them if they have a person on the board of Autism Australia on the autism spectrum. If they don't, they may not respond to me because they are guilty for not having a person on the board on the Autism spectrum. I think Autism Australia don't like me now due I spoke my mind.

I'm in two minds whether I should or shouldn't get the diagnosis. I don't want to prove to others I'm an aspie but then again I want to say I have got the diagnosis.

Other people out there on the Autism Spectrum, Is it better having the diagnosis? Is it worth it?

In my opinion, the only reason to get a diagnosis is to get support. So, do you feel that you need support in your life, either through therapy, medication, workplace/academic accommodations,and such? If so I'd recommend seeing a trained psychologist to see what they have to say.

I suppose in your case the only reason to get it is if it eats away at you that some people respond that way. If you're going to let it bother you & have your own sense of knowing and acceptance or happiness etc dependant on their approval of an official diagnosis vs. just dismissing their dismissal, or discounting, of what you already know yourself to be true and real.. otherwise, why bother? Only you can answer whether that's a reason to do it or not. If the whole scenario you described is causing you significant stress, then as illogical as it may seem to get the diagnosis to shut the peanut gallery up, it may be well worth while if it then in turn reduces your stress levels as you'll then never again have to deal with anyone not accepting your self diagnosis.

For myself, I'm going to follow through with an official diagnosis in part because of one of my brothers calling it self diagnosis BS as I don't have a doctorate that allows me to make the assessment. Meanwhile, in reality, the real reason he's reacting that way is he doesn't want to face & accept his own diagnosis or deal with his son's. But if me getting an official seal of approval on paper from a psychiatrist is the black and white proof his Aspie mind needs to accept it, and it turn that results in him learning about it and it benefitting my nephew, then it'll be well worth it. The other reason for an official diagnosis is the income tax exemption that'll save me some money every year forever.

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No for supporting trump. Because doing so is deplorable.

I agree with stargazer.

Allot of anxiety can come from appointments with medical health processionals, personally I do not know how to present myself to a professional, if I could watch videos of other people during real appointments just with my GP I would find it easier. I have discussed the issue with a psychotherapist who takes me seriously and believes the possibility of me being on the spectrum is high.

You must have a reason to believe you are on the spectrum it is not a self declaration to be taken lightly.

In regards to telling others ask yourself why is their opinion important to you? Is understanding yourself helping you or do you need others to understand to?

If I decide to pursue a PHD or a another degree which I may do in the future then it would be a good time to obtain a professional diagnosis. How would a diagnosis benefit you and how would remaining undiagnosed hinder you as you strive to achieve the things in life you want to achieve?

Thankyou so much to all. I now realise that even though I'm comfortable within myself not having the diagnosis, I do want it, just to throw it in NT's faces and prove I can't always act "normal." I want to be me (even if I act like a "weirdo").

The way I see it is a NT person acting strange is a weirdo and labelled a freak, while an aspie acting strange is acceptable. So I want to fit in and not have NT's look at me the way they do. So I will pursue the diagnosis so I can prove I'm aspie and can act strange and it's acceptable.

Good job, now I just have to build up the courage to go and talk to people and have appointments.
I'm still trying after 5 months to build up the courage to call the lawn mower guy to come and mow my lawn, and now I'm going to try and get a diagnosis. I'm very overwhelmed by it all.

I am self-diagnosed, although i am thinking about getting an official diagnosis from a professional.

I actually talked to a psychiatrist just now, ironically my own relative, we talked over the telephone.
We had an interesting conversation, she basically said AS is nothing too serious, do not worry about it.
My reclusiveness, intellectual obsessions, etc, its a common set of traits among academics (which i am).

She said the risk of self-diagnosis is you may try to read yourself and your life-story into the symptoms list.
Anyway i told her i tried to be as objective as i could with my self-diagnosis, and not trying to fit myself into it.
I told her i am not worried about having Asperger's Syndrome, but i just want an explanation for my tendencies.

She said that some people do have more negative or more serious fallbacks from having Aspergers Syndrome.
But that i am not one of them, i just need to loosen up more often, not fall into obsessions so much, relax more.
That was it. I am still thinking to get a professional diagnosis from a psychologist, not my relative, for "neutrality".
Anyway, she said she was glad i called her to talk about this, and that was it. Nothing earth-shattering happened.

You should get a diagnosis if you feel you need it, and its good to get a second opinion if you are self-diagnosed.

If you need outside help, then yes, you should get an evaluation.

Quite a few borderline cases don't require that kind of help, though--just more effort and more time. If you're in that category, it's really a matter of preference.

If you are doing okay now the way you are, it's okay not to try to get a formal diagnosis, because if you're wrong about having AS, it still isn't going to hurt you much because, whatever the actual diagnosis would be, it wouldn't be anything serious enough to keep you from functioning decently.

But if you're not doing okay, or if you need help, then you pretty much have no choice but to go to a doctor--not just because a doctor is the way to get help, but also because if you mess up with your self-diagnosis you're taking a bigger risk than just pinning the wrong label on yourself.

Sometimes, people can't get proper medical care and they have to do the best they can with what they've got, but you have the choice to either get evaluated or not, and I think choosing self-diagnosis when you have access to a doctor really only makes sense if you have such mild symptoms that you probably will not need assistance or accommodations, even when under a lot of stress.

It never occurred to me that I could have Aspergers until I was over 60. A lifetime of being seen as a bit wierd and no real friends finally made me seek help. I was on the point of being referred to a psychotherapy unit that deals with people with PD which I would have totally rejected, when I did some research on Aspergers for work. When I looked at Aspergers and women I was just looking at me! Surprisingly the counsellor agreed, took my theory to a psychologist who allowed her to refer me direct to the 'local' diagnostic centre - a traumatic 50 mile journey - and I had a diagnosis. I am still getting used to the idea, but feeling fairly comfortable as I had a couple of months wait to think about the possible diagnosis. Without the formal diagnosis I would have been worrying whether it was a personality disorder, or whether I am just an annoying person who is not very likeable. I cannot change my past but at least now I know there is a reason I am like I am and I am not a bad person.

As I mentioned in a thread I started, in this section, I shall have to get formal confirmation for my self-diagnosis, as my parents let it slip about me to their accountant, and she had them claim me as a dependent, in order to get a tax deduction. Now they're all a bit concerned that they might get audited by the government. But in all seriousness, I feel that going to a psychologist, or someone like that, in order to be assured that you're an Aspergian, is like going to a physical Anthropologist, in order to demonstrate that you're a Caucasian. That's if of course you are Caucasian. I myself am, though I know that there can be aspies, and autists, who are not. Anyway, my point is that you should know yourself better than anyone else. All that anyone else can do is to label you based upon what they find out about you, from what you'd tell them. But when I was a young boy, and my parents took me to see a Neurologist, back in the 80's, because they'd noticed my hand flapping, and were concerned about it's possible significance, he appantly did not know the difference between a Stereotypy (stim), and a tic. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stereotypy#Distinction_from_tics And so this doctor said that he felt that I probally had Tourette Syndrome. Hence the origin of my username, by the way. So I now must find some expert to give me a correct diagnosis, being that Asperger Syndrome was not at all that well known at the time. So, in conclusion, if you were an older person whom was misdiagnosed as having some other condition, a person in need of social services, and/or special assistance, or your parents, whom you still live with, want to claim you, in order to get a tax break, then by all means get evaluated by a professional. Otherwise, I'd just read the diagnostic criteria for A.S./HFA, and if it fits you then welcome to the community.

I feel so much better on wrong planet. I fit in and feel safe. I can express myself without judgement and get answers I seek.
I'm finally not alone any more.
Thankyou so much everyone.

With a diagnosis you would have options. You could get a support animal if needed.

(I am hoping to train one for myself in the future. Grocery shopping is a nightmare!)

Just took the RDOS test for the first time

Your Aspie score: 126 of 200
Your neurotypical (non-autistic) score: 77 of 200
You are very likely an Aspie

Congrats biscuitman. I got Aspie 168/200, NT 24/200.