Have you ever experienced doubts about your diagnosis?

Page 1 of 3 [ 44 posts ]  Go to page 1, 2, 3  Next

pokerface
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 21 Apr 2011
Age: 57
Gender: Female
Posts: 921
Location: The Netherlands

14 Jan 2014, 8:08 pm

I seriously wonder how many of you ever had doubts about the correctness of your diagnosis. I have been officially diagnosed some time ago. I do experience moments in which I think that the experts were absolutely right when they diagnosed me with aspergers but I also go through phases in which I think I was wrongly diagnosed. Maybe I am just willfulluy fooling mysef, I don't know. Being still in denial after so much time is absolutely ridiculous, but still. When I was told I had aspergers I asked the professionals who diagnosed me if they were absolutely sure of their case and they told me they had no doubts whatsoever and that I had pretty severe form of aspergers.

Is it common to still experience doubts after you have been diagnosed or is that just foolishness?



ASPartOfMe
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 25 Aug 2013
Age: 66
Gender: Male
Posts: 34,480
Location: Long Island, New York

14 Jan 2014, 8:37 pm

It is pretty common. There have been a few threads here about it. If it is foolish would depend on each individuals situation.


_________________
Professionally Identified and joined WP August 26, 2013
DSM 5: Autism Spectrum Disorder, DSM IV: Aspergers Moderate Severity

It is Autism Acceptance Month

“My autism is not a superpower. It also isn’t some kind of god-forsaken, endless fountain of suffering inflicted on my family. It’s just part of who I am as a person”. - Sara Luterman


Last edited by ASPartOfMe on 14 Jan 2014, 10:21 pm, edited 1 time in total.

JSBACHlover
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 19 Oct 2013
Age: 55
Gender: Male
Posts: 2,282

14 Jan 2014, 8:40 pm

I think most of the so-called "high functioning" ones have had doubts. It's normal, especially since Aspies are very obsessive and insecure by nature. :)

Having Asperger's is a tremendous relief. :)



one-A-N
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 2 Mar 2010
Age: 69
Gender: Male
Posts: 883
Location: Sydney

14 Jan 2014, 9:19 pm

I got a Dx so that I could have an objective opinion. I am totally used to being me and not used to being anyone else, so my opinion about myself is too subjective.

The point is: you will often feel "normal" to yourself. You don't realise how different you might look to other people - especially to clinicians who are experienced at recognising the signs of Asperger's. They have seen many clients and can compare you to their other clients.

There isn't that much difference between someone who just squeezes into a DX, and someone who just misses out. They are probably broadly similar and have largely similar issues and presentation (think of two students, one of whom scores 49% in a test and just fails, while the other one scores 51% in the same test and just passes - their scores are really close). And someone who just misses out on a Dx is really part of the broad autism phenotype (BAP) anyway - it's not like you must either be an obvious Aspie or else an average NT. At the very least, if you got a DX at some stage then you very likely have an "Asperger-like" personality, even if you don't require professional assistance or accommodations during education or employment.

Just think: you are in the most autistic 1-2% of the population, regardless of whether you "deserve" a Dx or not. You are not an average NT.



Sweetleaf
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 6 Jan 2011
Age: 34
Gender: Female
Posts: 34,470
Location: Somewhere in Colorado

14 Jan 2014, 9:28 pm

Yes even though I was officially diagnosed in the past year, I still have my doubts. However not sure there is really anything else that really fits so I mostly accept the diagnoses.


_________________
We won't go back.


DevilKisses
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 3 Jul 2010
Age: 27
Gender: Female
Posts: 3,067
Location: Canada

14 Jan 2014, 9:30 pm

I am doubting my diagnosis. While I do have a few traits, there's a lot of traits that I don't have. When people know about my diagnosis they assume a lot of things that aren't true.

One example is problems dealing with change. They assume that I have problems dealing with change and prefer a routine. That couldn't be further from the truth! I hate routines and I love changes in my routine. Change motivates me, routine doesn't. That is why I am on time for the first days of school and doctors appointments, but barely ever on time for school during the rest of the year. I have other examples, but I don't want to make my post too long.

While I definitely have something going on with my brain, it probably isn't autism. It probably isn't even anything in the DSM. The human brain is just too complicated to put labels on it. I won't get reassessed because I still need the funding.

I would like to see a non-ASD specialist who will ignore my autism diagnosis and just listen to me. I have quite a few issues that cannot be explained by my autism diagnosis. They aren't really being addressed because everyone thinks all my problems are related to my diagnosis.


_________________
Your neurodiverse (Aspie) score: 82 of 200
Your neurotypical (non-autistic) score: 124 of 200
You are very likely neurotypical


redrobin62
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 2 Apr 2012
Age: 61
Gender: Male
Posts: 13,009
Location: Seattle, WA

14 Jan 2014, 9:42 pm

I was evaluated this afternoon by a psychologist. She was doing an intake for me to start receiving therapy. We got to talking and, of course, Asperger's came up. She said she doubted I had it because I'm able to make eye contact and I just don't seem to be like others she's met on the spectrum. She's leaning towards the fact that I've been abused , am an immigrant, have PTSD (her diagnosis) and depression - all these things combine to give me a diagnosis that resembles Asperger's. She could be right, I don't know. She wants to rule it out, though. That means she's willing to keep an open mind about its possibility with me.



Ashariel
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 16 Jun 2012
Gender: Female
Posts: 1,779
Location: US

14 Jan 2014, 9:50 pm

I have an acquaintance who doesn't want to believe I'm autistic, even though I've been professionally diagnosed. (Why does it matter so much to her? I have no idea!) So she's always pointing out how I'm not 100% like Rain Man, and her constant suspicion kind of confuses me.

But the thing is, the history of my entire life makes perfect sense if the explanation is "I'm autistic". It explains my personality, my problems in life, and things I've always been hopelessly bad at. Whereas if I'm NT (as my acquaintance wants to believe)... Wow, I am the biggest failure of an NT ever! :P



pokerface
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 21 Apr 2011
Age: 57
Gender: Female
Posts: 921
Location: The Netherlands

14 Jan 2014, 9:58 pm

Ashariel wrote:
I have an acquaintance who doesn't want to believe I'm autistic, even though I've been professionally diagnosed. (Why does it matter so much to her? I have no idea!) So she's always pointing out how I'm not 100% like Rain Man, and her constant suspicion kind of confuses me.

But the thing is, the history of my entire life makes perfect sense if the explanation is "I'm autistic". It explains my personality, my problems in life, and things I've always been hopelessly bad at. Whereas if I'm NT (as my acquaintance wants to believe)... Wow, I am the biggest failure of an NT ever! :P


Well, just like us most NT's have experienced many failures during their lifetime.

People who believe that all autists ar behaving like Rain Man should finally wake up and face reality. The movie Rain Man was based on a real life story. The only problem is that the original, real Rain Man didn't even have an autism spectrum disorder. He had a brain disorder allright but it sure wasn't autism.



pokerface
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 21 Apr 2011
Age: 57
Gender: Female
Posts: 921
Location: The Netherlands

14 Jan 2014, 10:00 pm

It is a relief to discover that I am not only who has experienced doubt.
Thanks you all!



ZombieBrideXD
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 26 Jan 2013
Age: 26
Gender: Female
Posts: 2,507
Location: Canada

14 Jan 2014, 10:04 pm

the diagnoses is a 'too good to be true' kinda thing, im expecting something to go wrong, like for the criteria to suddenly change and i will no longer get the help i need from having autism.

i always guessed i have something different or wrong with me like i was adopted or brain damaged and everyone always said "no emily, your fine" so the diagnoses was the first time anyone ever agreed with me .

but so far, i just keep re-confirming and re-confirming my diagnoses. always on egde


_________________
Obsessing over Sonic the Hedgehog since 2009
Diagnosed with Aspergers' syndrome in 2012.
Diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder Level 1 severity without intellectual disability and without language impairment in 2015.

DA: http://mephilesdark123.deviantart.com


Sethno
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 23 Nov 2012
Gender: Male
Posts: 1,077
Location: computer or tablet

14 Jan 2014, 10:32 pm

JSBACHlover wrote:
I think most of the so-called "high functioning" ones have had doubts. It's normal, especially since Aspies are very obsessive and insecure by nature. :)

Having Asperger's is a tremendous relief. :)



Uh, being obsessive and insecure is a tremendous relief? :scratch:


_________________
AQ 31
Your Aspie score: 100 of 200 / Your neurotypical (non-autistic) score: 101 of 200
You seem to have both Aspie and neurotypical traits

What would these results mean? Been told here I must be a "half pint".


Sethno
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 23 Nov 2012
Gender: Male
Posts: 1,077
Location: computer or tablet

14 Jan 2014, 10:36 pm

Ashariel wrote:
I have an acquaintance who doesn't want to believe I'm autistic, even though I've been professionally diagnosed. (Why does it matter so much to her? I have no idea!) So she's always pointing out how I'm not 100% like Rain Man, and her constant suspicion kind of confuses me.

But the thing is, the history of my entire life makes perfect sense if the explanation is "I'm autistic". It explains my personality, my problems in life, and things I've always been hopelessly bad at. Whereas if I'm NT (as my acquaintance wants to believe)... Wow, I am the biggest failure of an NT ever! :P


I like the fact you said "acquaintance" and not "friend".

Tell this...person...that when she gets herself qualified to diagnose autism, you'd love to hear her point of view, but that until then you really can't take seriously some non-professional pretending to have a valid grasp of who can and who can't be autistic.

Laughing as you say the last part might be a good touch.


_________________
AQ 31
Your Aspie score: 100 of 200 / Your neurotypical (non-autistic) score: 101 of 200
You seem to have both Aspie and neurotypical traits

What would these results mean? Been told here I must be a "half pint".


Sethno
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 23 Nov 2012
Gender: Male
Posts: 1,077
Location: computer or tablet

14 Jan 2014, 10:40 pm

redrobin62 wrote:
I was evaluated this afternoon by a psychologist. She was doing an intake for me to start receiving therapy. We got to talking and, of course, Asperger's came up. She said she doubted I had it because I'm able to make eye contact and I just don't seem to be like others she's met on the spectrum. She's leaning towards the fact that I've been abused , am an immigrant, have PTSD (her diagnosis) and depression - all these things combine to give me a diagnosis that resembles Asperger's. She could be right, I don't know. She wants to rule it out, though. That means she's willing to keep an open mind about its possibility with me.



Is this woman stereotyping?

How many times have we all heard "If you've met someone on the spectrum, you've met ONE person on the spectrum."

She apparently doesn't even know that? For cryin' out loud!

This so-called professional, I'm guessing, is a generalist, and doesn't specialize in autism, whereas the person who diagnosed you does? (Am I warm?)



droppy
Velociraptor
Velociraptor

User avatar

Joined: 3 Oct 2013
Gender: Female
Posts: 477

15 Jan 2014, 2:09 pm

At the moment I am officially diagnosed with AS, ADD, GAD and also ODD which I don't think I have anyway.
Sometimes I think I just have ADD and anxiety and that AS is untrue.
ADD shares a lot of symptoms with AS, basically these:
Problems reading facial expressions/body language
Poor motor skills
Possible motor skills and self-help skills delay
Social issues
Poor attention
Ability to hyperfocus on something one is interested in
Saying things that can hurt others without reakizing they can
Behavioural problems
Stimming
Problems falling asleep
Picky eating habits
Being disorganized
Meltdowns
Shutdowns
Many people with ADHD/ADD also have sensory issues and/or auditory processing disorder, as well as OCD traits and anxiety issues
Many kids with ADHD/ADD have high IQs and a very good vocabulary

So, saying AS+ADD+GAD is basically like saying ADD+GAD to me since AS and ADHD/ADD are so similar. I don't even see a point in diagnosing someone with both disorders since they share all these symptoms. They're pretty much the same thing. I wonder why they didn't put both AS and ADHD under the HFA label.



Jensen
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 15 Feb 2013
Age: 70
Gender: Female
Posts: 3,013
Location: Denmark

15 Jan 2014, 3:22 pm

Most of the time, Yes.
It could be, - like RedRobin said, a reaction to a combination of stressors, - of which I have had a few.
To reassure, I asked my therapist (the one who dx´ed me in august ´13) in more than one sneaky way, if I could have reacted like this or that if I hadn´t been an aspie, - whereto he said "No".
Very few aspies are completely "by the book" with all traits. Especially not women, since the official aspie-model have been a male up till now. AS affects people very differently and in some it is not noticable until a fullblown stressor comes along.

This is still "new" to me, but I think, I´ve gone through all the sterotypes and am beginning to find my aspie-points and recognize when they come forth and under what conditions.


_________________
Femaline
Special Interest: Beethoven


Last edited by Jensen on 16 Jan 2014, 3:19 am, edited 2 times in total.