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snowdrop
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23 Aug 2012, 5:15 am

For those who were assessed and diagnosed as an adult with Aspergers:

1) Why did you seek diagnosis?
2) Did you believe/feel that you had ASD before your appt?
3) Has being diagnosed effected you in any positive/negative ways?
4) Do you have another diagnosis?

I don't think I have ASD but it was suggested by a pdr. I feel he went looking for it after he misunderstood an answer I gave to one or 2 other questions he asked. I have gotten NHS funding to be assessed and have an appt in the next month. No one around me (family/friends) thinks it is worthwhile attending the appt as they don't think ASD is the cause of my difficulties. But I am wondering whether it would be the right decision to cancel the appt because I am not sure I want to have a question mark hanging over me for the rest of my life....and for some reason although I am pretty much 99% sure I don't have ASD, that isn't enough for me and I need some 'professional' to agree with me so I can finally be confident in it all. ...This is despite me having no confidence in any professional I have met so far - I am a walking contridiction!

I don't want the wrong label attributed to me again so no one can understand why I would put myself through an assessment when I want it to be a "no" answer...I mean it would make more sense simply not to go for an assessment at all! Fyi, it isn't that I don't want to have ASD, I'd happily go to the assessment if I felt that was something I could relate to but I don't want a label attributed to me that is wrong. But it is important to me not to have loose ends left, and if I do have ASD I'm assuming it would be good to know long term!

Apparently my reasons for attending the appointment aren't healthy reasons though and I need to think about why I feel the need to attend. Can anyone else relate to any of this? I want to make the right choice over whether to attend or not. I don't want to use NHS money to rule out a diagnosis when it could have been given to someone who will be helped by a diagnosis.



EstherJ
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23 Aug 2012, 8:09 am

I sought diagnosis because I realized that I was fundamentally different, that my struggles my whole life were not because of a character flaw or "just natural," and I wanted to know why.

I knew I had ASD before I was assessed, and before they tested me, they were sure of it.

It's brought clarity, helped parents and friends be more understanding, yet it's brought depression because I know that I'm NOT normal. It's also brought frustration as most people I meet are pretty convinced that I can "overcome" it or "be healed" of it, and pressure me to try.

I also have a diagnosis of Major Depressive Disorder.



YellowBanana
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23 Aug 2012, 10:31 am

1. I was having a lot of difficulties and my functioning was deteriorating. The explanations of depression/anxiety didn't really cover it and I wanted to know what the root cause of my difficulties were.

2. I thought that I might have an ASD, yes.

3. Diagnosis hasn't really made much of a difference. Things continued to get worse because knowing the problem isn't the same as knowing how to deal with it. I am still struggling.

4. I have an additional diagnosis of Emotional Dysregulation Disorder (which made be directly due to the ASD or due to Borderline Personality Disorder (with which I have been tentatively diagnosed)).

I think you should go to the assessment. You didn't bring up the possibility of an ASD, a doctor did. And you should go and find out if you have it or not. It is just as valid to go for an assessment to rule something out as it is to confirm something.


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kirayng
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23 Aug 2012, 11:25 am

1. had a nervous breakdown that ended up causing me to lose skills previously acquired to be self-sufficient (even if they were maladaptive, I wasn't on the street and held down jobs for a few months at a time).
2. I read about Asperger's and actually wanted that to be the reason so I could convince myself I wasn't crazy. (is that odd?)
3. Diagnosis hasn't made a difference. I can't seem to get through any process to get benefits as I get easily frustrated and discouraged.
4. I also have generalized anxiety disorder, ADHD, C-PTSD, possible borderline PD, depression and an autoimmune disease.

If you don't think you have an ASD and someone else does, why not prove them wrong? If the assessment is free they may find something they can help you with, if you are getting there anyway. THe system in the UK is much better than here in the US (You need a friggin' lawyer to fight for your benefits in our absurd free market economy and they take up to $6000 of your back payment).

Curious, what questions were asked? Some of the traits of ASDs can be related to other disorders, but those are quite few (social anxiety disorder I'm looking at you).

HTH



Bloodheart
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23 Aug 2012, 11:52 am

1) For some sort of legal protection - I'm unemployed and the job centre and DWP have been very awkward (as they are with everyone) about my disabilities, having an official diagnosis means if they try to kick me off benefits again for not being able to do X, Y or Z I have a leg to stand on when I appeal on the basis of discrimination.

2) Yes, without a doubt.

3) Only just been diagnosed, so no way to tell yet.

4) I had a diagnosis for social anxiety disorder (this was a place-holder diagnosis until I was diagnosed with ASD), and I have a diagnosis for body dysmorphia.

The problem is that NHS diagnostic assessments are total BS - during mine the doctors, despite being 'experts', didn't seem to have a clue about autism IRL...the set-up in the room was not autism-friendly, one doctor mumbled the whole time, they kept asking vague questions, the ASD-specific questions they asked were on sterotypical autistic behaviour (e.g. 'do you flap or rock back and forth' - I had to point out that although I don't do that I do have other stimming behaviour), and they didn't understand words we use (e.g. 'meltdown' - even after explaining what a meltdown was they took it as 'getting upset easily' which is of course not what a meltdown is!).

I personally don't completely trust their assessments based on this. You must have gotten your appointment pretty fast, but if I were you I'd cancel (explain why) and hang around forums like this to get a better idea of how autism presents in real cases, it may be that you can't see ASD in yourself because you don't know what it looks like IRL.


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