Happy or relieved with diagnosis? I don't get it.

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I was recently diagnosed ASD1 (my new shrink referred to is as Asperger's by name when talking to me).
I was sent to this shrink from my last one. My adult life has been shrink after shrink and therapist after doctor after psychologist etc etc etc.
I see people on forums saying how relieved they are to have their diagnosis. I would love someone to explain that to me. I've been diagnosed with NPD, BPD, ADHD, severe OCD, PTSD, Manic/Depressive, Schizotypal, GAD, and more and more. Why should I feel like this new one is right? Sure, the symptoms fit perfectly but with rationalization all the others did too. How can I be "relieved" because I got a still yet different diagnosis, and in fact one that is growing quickly in being diagnosed, similar to how OCD was when I got that diagnosis. Maybe in 5 years it will be something else. My shrink told me that now I can find a "community that I feel like I fit in with" but that's the same thing they said when they referred me to support groups for the other disorders I had/have. I just dont get it.

For me, while it was a big shock when it first came to my attention that I might have ASD, I was say I was somewhat comforted by the diagnosis when the assessment was complete because it gave legitimacy to how I've felt "different" a lot of my life and the difficulties that I've had. I'm not just weird; there's a reason for it.

As for your case, if you've had 8+ other diagnoses, I can certainly see why it wouldn't give you any comfort at all. I can certainly see why it might feel like you're just being bounced from diagnosis to diagnosis, and nobody really knows how your brain works.

I agree with SplendidSnail.

I was happy and relieved to find out I was aspie, because finally all the things that were weird about me now made sense.

On the other hand, you have been run through the mill of diagnoses and I am sure are plenty tired of it all. Just a difference in situation. For you, it is another coat to try on and see if it fits. If it does, then you may feel like SplendidSnail, others and me. Or not

Like the others said, I can certainly understand your frustration and how after so many diagnoses you feel like this is just another one to add to the list that you might not even be sure of. But for me, I have never been diagnosed with anything at all before this and it explained everything about my life and all of my struggles so that is what made me feel relieved to get it.

Oh, BTW, Welcome to WrongPlanet.

I can understand why you wouldn't take your diagnoses seriously when you have been diagnosed with many other different things. It just becomes another label you have collected.

For me, no other diagnosis that I was given except for autism was given only after doing actual comprehensive testing. For me, no other diagnosis but autism felt like it fit me upon honest reflection.

The only exceptions were "diagnoses" that were true but incomplete: highly sensitive person, yes, but that does not explain everything; sensory processing disorder, yes, but that does not explain everything; moderate hearing loss, yes, but that does not explain everything...

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31st of July, 2013
Diagnosed: Autism Spectrum Disorder, Auditory-Verbal Processing Speed Disorder, and Visual-Motor Processing Speed Disorder.

Weak Emerging Social Communicator (The Social Thinking-­Social Communication Profile by Michelle Garcia Winner, Pamela Crooke and Stephanie Madrigal)

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