The Dino-Aspie Ex-Café (for Those 40+... or feeling creaky)

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He wanted me to go to Berkley back in January to do further tests on my visual memory, and I didn't want to go. Maybe I ought to go, and see if there is someone there qualified to diagnose Asperger's.

There is an Autism support group in Nashville that meets once a month. Maybe they can refer me to a physician that they trust. I've got more questions than answers at this point.

I sure do fit the description. ADD explained a lot of my behavior. Asperger's explained most of it. Dysthmia just doesn't seem to fit at all. Do I seem depressed or in ill humor to you guys? In spite of everything I've been through in my life, I'm sort of like the guy on the cross in Monty Python's movie Life of Brian.

"....Always look on the bright side of life...(whistles)...."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jHPOzQzk9Qo

What is Willowbrook, Richie?


Chuck, to answer your question. No, you do not seem depressed, but really, I, we, don't know you personally, nor do we see you in the flesh on a daily basis. So I for one do not feel qualified to answer that question. I didn't think I was depressed until my health was affected. I felt sick all the time, and I reasoned that it was one of the two: 1. I was really depressed and didn't know it and that was making me sick, or, 2. I was really sick and didn't know it and that was making me depressed. But I really showed no signs of depression that my family who saw me every day picked up on. And another thing I noticed, when I got really angry about something and expressed it without holding back, I felt suddenly not sick. I actually felt good. So, I decided I must be depressed and angry. I didn't go to a doctor though, I did self reflection and self therapy. Really, just knowing that I wasn't on the verge of death, but was depressed and angry, was a big boost to my overall health.

I am still trying to "Get myself together"

[quote="cosmiccat"][youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8BWBn26bX0[/youtube][/
quote]

Oh, wow, that was weird! I just came in from my therapy appointment, and signed on here. Too weird!

Chuck, I think that a lot of these shrinks are in agreement with pharmaceutical firms to push the latest drug off on there current patient, while evilly chuckling, "We'll make em' fit!" Notice how, since you raised the issue of your Asperger's, he was suddenly willing to cut that off, so that he could give you the new drug? I have had that time and time again, where I say that I am doing fine, and that the medicine is working well, only to have them change the dosage or the prescription. Run while you can! I wonder how they can sleep nights. Their's is a separate agenda, and we are of no importance, except as a pill swallower.

Richie wrote:

Hi, Hartz. So far I've managed to stay unmedicated. Hope I can remain that way. I try to stay away from the medical profession. My favorite doctor, an Armenian who was a professor at University of Pennsylvania Medical School, used to say after examining me and asking me questions, "You have no disease." I loved that guy. It's such a healing thing to hear a doctor say to you. Whenever I get panicky, I think of him and say to myself "You have no disease."

I think that I'll adopt that, CC! "You have no disease." Cool.

Chuck

s**t can the @$$hole. But I think you pretty much came to the same conclusion.

Some really interesting things mentioned. I had been noticing for a while, I seem to get the effects of the meds faster then what they say on the label. Also, when doing the least effective recommended dose it seems like too much at times, with some. It's like this one, I know the next lower, which is not suppose to be effective, would be effective, but I won't bother, because I know what the doc's reaction would be. But, that is important information for me to have, very important. There have been other meds in the past that were stopped because I was on the least effective med known for bipolar. Another reason to get a correct DX.

The Wife and I were looking through the early DX's of me at the VA, ADHD with a comorbid of Bipolar was the first (this isn't counting anything from before the VA). Anxiety was considered and ruled out, when and by whom we can't figure out. Lol and I could hardly get in a car let alone go outside, the panic attacks were severe back then and not just for those two things. What is wrong with that picture, besides everything. There were other flip floppings of ideas, never was AS considered. I don't play with those people anymore. I nail their ass to the wall and grill them, I play for blood. No, if's, and's or but's and I won't be jerked around by the system. I see it and I want it, I get it. They work for me, not the other way around. That last time I tacked his ass to the wall, his ears perked up, The Wife noticed, I didn't, she said he was leaning forward in his seat with some real concentration. I don't multitask, I can read body language, but can't talk at the same time. He didn't know about my childhood, again, no one asked and I thought it was normal, it was hell, but I figured everybodys was. I didn't even know I stimmed, till The Wife helped me take the AS test.

If I change anything about the meds I'm doing it will be the Valium. He's not liking I'm doing it at all. I gave em an offer he couldn't refuse. But I'm pretty sure a longer lasting more scheduled approach would be better. The thing with my meds is this, they have a nasty history of just stopping working. When is anybodys guess and sometimes they just keep on truckin, different for everybody. But the info about less then the label says as still being effective is valuable information, if I need to find another. So many of us have had wrong DX's and some of us still do. It's important that the ideas that float around here see the light of day. We have to learn to be our own best advocates. Our voices can make a difference to those that will come.

You're damn straight my freak flag is flying.

I've come to feel pretty much the same as you do, Postie! I get sick and tired of being used for some kind of freaking guinea pig. I started to suspect something was up, when I would report that meds were working fine, so they would change something anyway. I soon realized that they don't want you to feel fine. They want complaints and side effects, so that they can tweak, or try new and "improved" medicines on you. Don't you dare tell them that it's working!

And Chuck, try a psychologist. They can't prescribe meds, so they may actually listen to you! If its just counseling you want. If you really need meds, at least find a better psychiatrist than that two-faced pill monger you've been seeing.