To the undiagnosed aspies: Is diagnosis important to you?

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For the umpteenth time, there is no medication that will treat AS.

Anyone telling you otherwise has been misled or has a profit to make.

You can treat comorbid conditions with medication, to a point, but not AS directly
http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/asperger/detail_asperger.htm#179713080
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asperger_syndrome#Medications

I actually have an appointment this week with a psychiatrist because after MUCH hesitation, I've decided to get back on SRRIs or possibly Strattera.

I'm just being prescibed meds for ADHD though, which is on my file multiple times and I'll have no trouble being DXed with again.

Anyway, I've been wondering how much most doctors are aware of ASD now. I haven't been to any kind of professional in about 5 years. I was thinking that if I were completely honest about all of my traits I might actually be referred to an ASD specialist, BUT this depends on the doctor I see, most have been unaware of AS for so long.

At this point I'm not pursuing it, if I get DXed with AS along the way I don't really know how I would feel. Relived in a sense, but I probably wouldn't tell many people.

I don't think it's going to happen, though, because as many traits as I do have I do some natural masking at this point, and some of it isn't even masking. There are certain environments that really bring out the traits, if you saw me in a grocery store you'd be like HOLY ASPERGER'S BATMAN, bu in a quiet room with a psychiatrist, I may have a some eccentricities but generally have good social skills and am able to communicate effectively.

Not saying there aren't Aspies like me, but in most cases they're either diagnosed as children and improve or have to do A LOT of convincing medical professionals before they find a doctor who has the patience to listen, I'm just not willing to do those things.

Last edited by EXPECIALLY on 08 Feb 2012, 8:38 pm, edited 1 time in total.

It is for me..
Tired of getting hasseled at work because of what I am. I think a dx might help. Some, not a silver bullet or anything.

Sincerely,
Matthew

Im in the process of seeking a diagnoses and its very very important to me to find out why my life has been the way it has and the difficulties i suffer. I wont be sharing the diagnoses with anybody other than my parents and wife. I just need an explaination as to why iam the way i am and hopfully this will allow me to put the past in the past where it belongs and start looking to the future

I don't think I've ever seen this explained so accurately in so few words. Well done.

I hardly see what difference it would make for me, might help with getting on disability.....but do I really want to spend the rest of my life as a nutcase who can't keep it together enough at a work place to keep a job. Well I guess that could be the case with or without disability.

I agree X1000000000000000000.

I do feel a deep connection with some people (albeit a limited number of people), but I still can't listen to them on the phone and the mundane details of their day.

I just don't get why people talk about these things, I guess I generally don't talk to someone at all, if I don't really like them or only like to have deeper conversations with people that I do like. Sometimes very random/weird/funny conversations too, but I absolutely CANNOT fake the boring stuff, I just won't absorb it. I always have to ask them to repeat themselves or I just stop listening.

Last edited by EXPECIALLY on 08 Feb 2012, 12:33 pm, edited 1 time in total.

The community exists because of common difficulties. It's not based on a label. Even if you don't have AS there's no reason for you to feel unwelcome. That's how I see it anyway.

I know, people are so ignorant when it comes to Autism. It is stressful.



I was so stressed. Because of the whole thing, it tends to stress us out. I am thankfully that the CPS did there home visit, shortly after we got home. Then have not had to deal with them really at all, even though our daughter was not even there. She was at my folks house because I had a fever, and also had been having insomnia. We were in the middle of moving(From TN to SC, even though you should not travel with a newborn. We waited a couple weeks at least.) I was told to contact her when we moved. Then heard nothing from them. We knew they dropped the case. They "had no case". We were not surprised either.

I'd like to know one way or the other. But other than that, I can't see what benefit it could possibly bring me. Getting diagnosed with ADHD sure didn't do me any good. It didn't help me in college, and it didn't help me with accomodations in the workplace either. Maybe it has something to do with where I live, but people typically react in a really hostile way if I tell them I have ADHD, and telling my past employers has brought a lot of harm and no good at all. And I can only imagine that telling an employer I have AS or some other ASD would be exponentially worse.

I also don't especially want it to be on my medical records. I don't have insurance, and right now I don't want any because I don't trust doctors and I am not going to go for medical treatment unless I just absolutely have to. But if the day ever comes when I HAVE to get insurance, whether because of a health condition or because of the crazy laws in this country, I don't want to be turned down or have higher rates for anything pre-existing.

Or they're just ignorant. Of course,  none of that is going to help you at the moment that CPS is taking your kids away. I'd bet that many doctors/nurses/etc. would readily go along with the notion that ASD people should be "medicated," because they don't know any better.

Those hospital personnel probably have the view that all people with "brain problems" should be on neuroleptics.  Those drugs (aka "anti-psychotics") are  viewed as generic "anti-crazy pills," and everything in the DSM is viewed as some form of crazy. I.e. There's no drugs for mental retardation, but apparently lots of people with MR are on neuroleptics, anyway.

I would get diagnosed except I have no money, no insurance, and a fear of talking to psychologists/psychiatrists. I also don't want to take any medication if they do end up diagnosing me with something that they have medication for, except maybe something like valium to use as needed for severe panic attacks or excessive anxiety.

I chose "Not sure if I have it or not" instead of "Have Aspergers- Undiagnosed" because I'm not really sure and saying that I have aspergers would be lying if I'm wrong. I would like to do the test to know it, but I don't think I will do it because I do not like the idea of talking to a psychologist and I'm also afraid of finding something else. On the other hand, I would feel better with a diagnosis, I would stop thinking I'm crazy or stupid/ret*d, some people thinks I'm intelligent (I'm really good at some things) but I'm still learning things that my friends learned when they were much more younger.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLrnkK2YEcE&ob=av2e[/youtube]

Only in the sense that I would know whether or not I actually have it........more than likely I'd be considered too "high functioning" to qualify for whatever services or therapies might exist for adults in my area.