I love NT's and I love AS but...

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It costs a lot of money to get a Dx and there are places in the world where that's not covered by the government. It turns out that the majority of the people who are self diagnosed end up with a Dx along the way, anyways.

For a brief period, I changed my status from not knowing to having Asperger's but being undiagnosed. I've since changed it back. I was too uncomfortable, and I think the posters in this thread, and in the one in the general discussion forum talking about all their friends coming out as Aspies, have a point. I still want to be assessed properly, but I'm beginning to feel embarrassed by my defiance about the matter in general. The psychologist who did that poor excuse for an evaluation was definitely not doing his job, I'm sure. But that's a separate matter from what I say about myself on Wrong Planet or anywhere else. Viewing my life through an Aspie lens may make it make more sense, and I believe I've benefited from approaching my issues that way, which my girlfriend has supported me in doing. But I simply cannot say, in good conscience, that I know I have Asperger's. It's just wrong to do that.

Having Asperger's is not like being gay. I can know I'm gay without having to consult a professional to confirm it. But if I go around saying I have Asperger's before it's been officially confirmed by someone who specializes in assessment and diagnosis of it, I think I may be cheapening the meaning of the term. If I ever do get diagnosed, I want it to mean something, not just be something anyone can claim because they have a little knowledge about it. I wouldn't pursue a diagnosis if I didn't think it likely that I had it; it really wouldn't be worth all the effort to get it done right if I thought the likelihood to be too little. But lack of diagnosis is lack of diagnosis. I can read all I like about it, and think anything I want, but that won't prove anything to anyone.

Too bad the options for status here are for either not knowing or having it but being undiagnosed. How about suspecting having it but being undiagnosed? I'd be a lot more comfortable with that. It would feel a lot more truthful to me.

Not everyone can get a diagnosis for fear of losing/getting increased premiums on health insurance or discrimination from certain jobs... I manage (especially now that I figured out the missing piece of the puzzle), but probably not as well as if I had an "official" diagnosis

However, as someone who is a health care professional and has a psychiatric history, I tend to distrust most psychiatrists anyway; I've been burned before....never again