What the doctor said

Post Reply New Topic

So I went for a physical yesterday and brought up my questions to the doctor about possibly being on the high-functioning end of the ASD spectrum. My intent was to possibly get a suggestion of who might be able to help an adult through the diagnosis process. I have not decided whether to go through with it. The primary concern I have is that, for reasons unknown to me, I do not have any real friends, only acquaintances.

Here was her response, as someone who said she has first-hand experience with ASD:

1. She didn't blow me off, though she thought I probably wasn't severe enough for a diagnosis.

2. Without any discussion of my childhood or any other problems I have besides a lack of friends, she said I could be borderline.

3. She questioned the purpose of getting a diagnosis (note: she didn't question my asking/desire.) She didn't think getting a diagnosis would be of any benefit to me or any other adult, and basically said there wasn't much available in services. She didn't know of classes that taught social skills to adults, but I might be able to join one for teenagers. Basically, she didn't think the services available to adults (if any) would actually help me learn something I haven't already figured out by now.

4. She thinks my best bet is to talk to a therapist about specific issues (like the lack of friends) and the therapist would be able to determine if a full evaluation was warranted.

How do you feel about this?

Did the doctor mention how much a diagnosis would cost?

Obviously, I could understand it if obtaining a diagnosis would result in more "clarity" for you--that things would "make more sense now."

However, in a pragmatic sense, I would weigh the cost of the diagnosis versus its tangible benefits. Would it gain you a promotion? Would it provide you with much-needed accommodations at college?

LOL....forget about what the diagnosis-nazis everywhere say--it's your dough, after all.

You want to save your dough for baking beautiful cakes and pies--if the diagnosis would not provide you with tangible benefits.

I mean, do you feel you need the diagnosis? What your doctor told you is practically the same as my therapist told me. I decided not to get a diagnosis based on his advice, then my situation changed and a diagnosis became necessary.

I feel OK with what the doctor said.

She had a reasonable answer, and it was something along the lines of what I was already thinking.

I don't see the point of paying for a diagnosis for myself if it is not going to help me.

But that is the argument I have been making every time the issue of self-diagnosis comes up. What is the point of an adult getting a diagnosis?

I know what my childhood was like. At age 17, I started to get better and that was basically because I met my to-be husband. He stuck by me and also explained a lot of the world. He taught me about humor and taught me how to stop rambling on, and many other things. He was a sort-of life coach except we had the benefit of being in love.

I think if a doctor who I have only seen about once a year for the last three years (and it's not like appointments are very long) can say I am "probably borderline" without any knowledge of history or in-depth discussion of why I think I might be on the spectrum, then I think there's a good chance I'm right.

I will probably go see the therapist. The question is when.

I am curious what changed that made a diagnosis *necessary.*

The only concern I have is if my husband were to die.

People don't get that I am not completely functioning on my own. I get that I can now manouevre through most social situations. But, my executive functioning issues can be a real problem. It is my husband, though, that makes sure the bills get paid. I was in charge of some things before and I would always forget. I am the one who loses track of appointments, can't keep my papers in order. I live with my support.

Also, I have adapted *my whole life* to reduce sensory overload. I have learned how to self-regulate, so it looks like I don't have a problem. What is reality is that I have made lots of choices to reduce those things which aggravate the problem.

Difficulties at work made a diagnosis necessary to claim accommodations and autism specific personal development through my workplace (and to help with a certain discrimination incident).

That is good that you were able to get accommodations even though you were diagnosed as an adult.

Do you wish you had pursued a diagnosis earlier before the situation changed? (I don't mean if it would have benefited you to get one as a child. I mean if you had *pursued* an adult diagnosis rather than waiting for circumstances to demand it.)

I wish I had pushed for a diagnosis earlier but I didn't know how to go about it. I was lucky in the end that everything fell into place and the MHU got involved. I had a great team with my doctor, therapist and the staff at the Mental Health Unit all working together to get me 'processed'.

Well, all there is for you is government [and perhaps educational] support.

If you don't need that most of the time, there's not much point in having a label.

Not all doctors look for a diagnoses and they focus on the troubles the person has and to fix that or work on it. I do think it's a good thing. Your doctor could have been one of those people who doesn't easily hand out a label to people unless it's necessary. If you were a kid or a teen, then maybe. Sometimes in kids, they don't look for one either and they just focus on what the kid has trouble is. My son has been through a couple tests and has no diagnoses but he is in intervention. I consider him normal. I just found out he is visual like me.

I did take the opportunity to give her a heads-up on my son, who will have his physical next month.

Did your doctor mean 'borderline autistic' or 'borderline' - the latter being a completely different thing, a mental health condition? Official name borderline personality disorder.

If she meant the latter, pls look up my post on my kafkaesque/orwellian diagnosis nightmare, where I was 'diagnosed' with 'bipolar' after a 50 min consultation and subsequently harassed by a mental health crisis team for 2 weeks until me and husband threatened legal action and complained to bosses.

I was officially diagnosed yesterday with aspergers and ADHD, and the psychologist was terrified with how the psychiatrist and the system had (mis)treated me, but she also told me unfortunately it can be like that with medical professionals who do not know anything about learning/processing disorders/differences. She also said doctors get paid a premium for each bipolar client.

My psychologist friend (good friend who happens to be a psychologist) has told me some horror stories about how she diagnosed some patients as normal and was told off by her boss that 'everyone comes here is at least borderline'. She is now on maternity and trying to avoid returning to her job because of all the horrors she witnessed whilst working in that profession.

My doctor meant "borderline autistic." She said, "Say there's a scale of 1-100 and autistic is 80-100, maybe you are 70."

I did see your thread about the diagnosis nightmare - very scary!

I'd pursue the diagnosis if you can. You've got an opening because she said she'd refer you to a therapist. Take it! Knowledge is empowerment. Before you see the therapist make a list of your symptoms - specifically things that cause you to struggle.

I got my diagnosis primarily out of a desperate need to know, for my own sake, whether I was or wasn't on the spectrum. Since then, it's had some unanticipated benefits. I didn't think I'd need support at school, since up until my diagnosis, I hadn't, but the following semester, I took a stats class, and the extra time for exams I was able to get as a result of my diagnosis enabled me to pass the class where I otherwise wouldn't have. Not long after that, my supervisor at work wanted to transfer me to a position that I couldn't handle due to my autism. I told her about my diagnosis, and she kept me where I was.

It's up to you whether to get diagnosed or not; if you're not in school, have a secure job, and don't otherwise need government benefits, and you're comfortable being "mostly sure", there's no reason to. If however, you need to know for your own sake, or you think a diagnosis has the potential to be useful in some as yet unforseen capacity, I would recommend it.