Getting a Diagnosis

Post Reply New Topic

I'm 20, female, and have been told I have HFA by a previous psychiatrist but have yet to receive an official diagnosis (he says I have severe autism but with a high IQ). I was previously diagnosed with schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder and borderline personality disorder (and probably a few other things...). Thanks to my former misdiagnoses it has proven nearly impossible for me to get help and for anyone to take me seriously. Everyone is very rude to me because of my borderline misdiagnosis and thinks that I am simply manipulative and want attention. I try to tell them to contact my previous doctor who knows that I have HFA but they just ignore me.

I went to the mental health center and she told me they don't treat people with autism and she tried to make me think I actually had social phobia because I didn't "look like I had autism."

My parents suspected autism when I was very young but decided to see if I would "grow" out of it. I didn't. I was misdiagnosed with schizophrenia/schizoaffective at 11 and then the dreaded borderline personality disorder at 18.

I've never had any friends, have extreme difficulty with language (understanding and using), currently cannot talk, have rigid routines, can't tolerate a change in my environment, have obsessions, think completely visually, used to injure myself, flick light switches, pace for hours a day...and I spent my adolescence in intuitions.

They keep referring me to mental health centers who then say they don't treat people with autism. I still have yet to get a diagnosis because I can't find anyone to help me. I've been trying to do this for about 2 years.

I went to the emergency room to try to get services and the doctor was incredibly rude and thought I was faking everything because of my "borderline" diagnosis. I haven't been able to talk to anyone except my father for the past year or so and so write down what I want to say to everyone else. The fact that I had to write things down was "proof" that I was faking it because in my chart it said that I could talk. I never said that I couldn't talk, I said that I had difficulty talking and that it was easier for me to write. And everyone who has autism knows that symptoms flucuate with circumstances, the environment, stress and etc. He also said that I was faking it because I didn't have a diagnosis of autism in my records at that hospital and he refused to contact my former doctor.

So, how am I supposed to get a diagnosis and help? I've tried everything I can think of.

Where are you from? What is the medical system like?

I avoided going to GPs and stayed away from the public service altogether. I researched the symptoms I had and didn't have and visited a psychiatrist with the list and talked to him about it. It was hard to talk about it, but he believed everything I said and told me my symptoms match AS.

Have you tried going to psychiatrists who are used to diagnosing AS? Is it very important that you get a diagnosis?

I receive disability so can only see certain doctors, mainly the ones in public health systems. I need a diagnosis because I need treatment and services. I can't get help from the Department of Disability Services and Special Needs because I still have yet to get a diagnosis. The psychiatrist who said I had HFA believed me and informed many others (although it's not in all of my records, apparently, but I know it is in some), but I cannot see him: he is full. I'm in the process of making another appointment, so we'll see how this one goes.

The public mental health system sucks wherever you are, but it is all I have.

Then I can only empathise, I work in a service for people with autism (ironic isn't it? ) Sometimes the service we provide is terrible, the resources just aren't there. I'm sure the last thing the state wants is more people on the register. You just have to keep trying. You'll get good advice here though.

burningiris,
that is supposed to be very common everywhere [once diagnosed with a MH condition,they stop taking anything else seriously],and it isnt right-it isnt fair either that they only see things in stereotypes,such as with speaking-theyre probably think lack of speech problems equals full time non verbalism,and assume if are able to speak sometimes then its got to be fake the rest of the time.
it's very common among auties and some aspies,maybe they mostly only know profoundly autistic people and assume because they're always non verbal then everyone else with speech problems through autism has to be that exact way otherwise they're faking.

what would help a lot would be to see an autism specialist-someone who will understand,and who also should be able to undiagnose those MH labels,but not sure if the previous diagnosis are removed from records or not.

also,contact social services to get assessment for a social worker [as once are accepted they can force things through-do lots of things and can get access to the team autism specialists,speech therapists,OT etc who all understand].
if are refused access to SS,would it be possible for family to give or lend money to see an autism specialist,or to save up for it? if write on WP what area live in and say are looking for a autism specialist, someone else may be in same area who has been to one so may post their details,though the local autism society may also have a list.

what sort of help do need?

Well, I need to stop hurting myself (I was diagnosed with BPD because I would bite myself, cut myself, hit myself etc.), I need a place to live (I currently live with my father and it is NOT working out very well), help with SSI (because they make everything so complicated), living skills (I can barely take care of myself) and it would be really great if I could get one of those text-to-speech things because writing everything is a bit annoying, sensory issues, etc. And I don't know what else. I just want to have a good life, better than the one I have now.

They don't want to believe I have autism because I actually have severe autism (more LFA than HFA) but they don't want to admit they really screwed up in my diagnoses. Or at least it feels that way.

The problem with me attempting to ask for services is that I can't ask! I can't call someone up on the phone and ask for something. Which is why I go to the emergency room where I can write and they always inform me, "Autism isn't in your chart here [although it IS in other charts at other places]" so I can't give you any autism-related services. Then they again refer me to the Mental Health Center, who again tell me they don't treat people with autism. So I try the emergency room again, and over and over...

I live in Summerville/Charleston, SC, by the way. I receive disability so I'm sure I can get social services, but I don't know how to begin the process of that. I don't know of any autism specialists around here, either, at least for adults since once an autistic person becomes an adult they disappear.