Are you only Aspie if a doctor said so?

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How do you know for sure that you have Aspergers even with the doctor's note? All the doctor's note does for you and other people is to give you another opinion on your situation. Does not really change the fact that you have it or not.

Some people may need that doctor's opinion to convince themselves that they or other people have Asperger's. That is fine. But in my case I feel I have it and at this point I do not see how getting another opinion would help me. So self diagnosis is all I have.



Your details about diagnosis seem a little vague. Don't get me wrong I'm not attacking your diagnosis. But to some people it may not be enough to convince them that you have Aspergers.



I will not take offense if you do not do the same in return. It is a good question to ask though. I'm glad that you asked it. Questions like that make me and other people think about it.

The reverse is also true. If you have cancer, and the doctor says you do not, it does not make the cancer go away.

I agree with you.

Snivy,

I'm curious - how old are you? I get the feeling that you are young.

I think that you will find that the prevalence of self-diagnosis will be higher among the older members of WP - simply because they weren't screened as children as they fought their way through the school system (because it wasn't in the DSM yet).

It's tough to get labelled with something when there's no label for it yet.

Are you only Aspie if a doctor said so?

Put it this way.

Are you only non-aspie if a doctor said so?

No doctor has ever diagnosed me as not having aspergers so therefore by default I must have aspergers. Officialy.

Obviously the above is nonsense and so is saying you only have aspergers if officialy diagnosed.

This "aspie" (me) doesn't want a damn "aspie" badge, nor have I ever wanted one.

truth from Moog, been seeing psychiatrist for OCD for 3/4 years (&about 17/18 years overall) and they barely understand that. seems to me the diagnosis has become a 'trophy' and people believe the illusion that doctors are infallible far too often. but anyway.. meh!

Wow. It seems this attitude is sadly prevalent in aspies as well as NTs. The apparently need for elitism, seperatism and exclusion.
Statements like this are like saying undiagnosed aspies, regardless of their life circumstances, are fakers and only those with official diagnosis are "real" aspies. This is a worrying kind of message to be supporting.
As said above, many working-class people don't have the money for an expensive diagnosis. Others have always had family troubles (often due to AS traits) and would therefore be unwilling to involve family members in any diagnostic process. Others already have enough trouble being accepted in the wider community without another "official diagnosis" making them unsuitable by societal standards to even get work or support themselves, making them even more different than they already are.

I agree. That "in crowd" mentality as you put it - the seperatist elitism, turns me right off. If someone is different and identifying with ASD explains that and helps them, then so be it. Even a doctor has no right to tell you who you are.

Badges?! We don't need no stinkin' badges...

And there's a parade too?!

I'm not really sure I see what the possible benefit would be to someone to self diagnose. It's not one of those fad diagnoses that people stand in line for - there are no cool drugs, no rocking rehab parties, no social or employment benefits for wearing that 'badge'. And, by current diagnostic standards for adult Aspies, I wouldn't even qualify for diagnosis because I no longer have immediate family to recall my childhood. They still largely rely on the childhood diagnosis model for adults and place much emphasis on family interviews. (at least the doctors I contacted said as much) They still haven't developed a specific, comprehensive adult diagnostic model. I've had 40 years to incorporate learned social skills into my repetoire. There's a good chance they'd never diagnose me because I perform well socially. But it will always be a performance. It will never be natural or comfortable and will always be a source of anxiety and stress. It doesn't change who and what I am - I can only fool people for so long. Or exhaust myself trying.

So you can have your parade and wear your badge. It's ok. I'm used to sitting on the sidelines...

O-kay...

I believe that you can be an aspie without an official diagnosis. Its like saying you are officially dating a girl or something.. whats different than before? You are still hanging out with that person and things don't change.

I have been told I have tourettes my whole life and in the last month been reading up on aspergers. I truly believe that I was misdiagnosed. I read symptoms for aspergers and can relate to soooo many of them. I just never opened up to a doctor about all the social problems I encounter.. and until not long ago, I thought I was just weird because I didn't like social situations and suck at them.

I am debating on going back to a doctor or not. because what will change? If i have aspergers, I have dealt with it my whole life and I can find ways to overcome it my self. The only reason I would want a diagnosis is as a scape goat. Like when I get on peoples nerves or spill food or drink like I normally do or whistle or hum, I can be like "Sorry that was my Aspergers"

I know it sounds bad to only want to be diagnosed for that reason but I wont feel so dumb when I get upset over something stupid and literally cry over it at 19 in front of my parents. Maybe people won't look at me as such a whiner.

It was sarcasm

I'm 50, and realised a few months ago that I was very like a character in Steig Larsson's books, which I read on a holiday, and started looking. 3 months and 19 days ago, the penny dropped.

And here I am. Having Asperger's has explained my whole life. I will never seek an official diagnosis. I just KNOW. And if you can't understand that, then you are NT.

The only regret I have about my life and this brain differentness is that I was 34 years old when it became a diagnosable condition, and my entire knowledge of autism before a few moths ago came from Rain Man, like most of the general population, and that includes the medical profession. And I'm pretty sure that if I had had the knowledge available to me when I was a teenager that is available today, my life would have turned out totally different to what it is now.

We have so many gifts. Identify yours and use them to make a good life for yourself, you've got plenty of time.. We're also really bad at some stuff, but it appears that most of us have a pretty good ability to learn what we are interested in really well, so if you are interested in participating with the rest of the world, even just periodically, you will learn how to without making a total idiot of yourself, because you are young, have plenty of time, and a head start.

Badges and parading about isn't what we're about. Trying to understand and learn how to live productively and lovingly with the vast majority of the natives on our wrong planet is what we're about.

Make it Official? I hate Officialdom. It's peppered with NT's, and they really don't have a clue.

Of course not!

You could be choose to not be diagnosed, but still be an aspie. I am most definetly an aspie by since I'm 38 I see no reason to go find a doctor to be diagnosed.