Misdiagnosis

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I've been convinced for years I have Aspergers - EVERYTHING fits - so I went through the NHS diagnosis and in 2016 I had a consultation which was a few hours over 2 days..... I was diagnosed as having a "mild form" and "some traits" but not enough for a formal diagnosis....so I pushed it to the back of mind and here I am 18 months on and the feelings are returning and just as strong. I asked my doctor to be put forward for another assessment and he refused - saying I'd only get the same diagnosis.
I'm 43 and have struggled with the social aspect of it since I was a teenager, eye contact etc.....and over the years I've managed to mask it and force myself to appear normal - learned behaviour - I think I used it to my disadvantage at the assessment....is this possible - to fool so called professionals??

Have you considered communicating with the National Autistic Society ( http://www.autism.org.uk/ )? It might help you to better convince your practitioner about getting a "more accurate" assessment.

Did they give you a clean bill of health or suggest what might be wrong with you ? Or was it just - you haven't got ASD - goodbye.

Are you diagnosed with something you don't have instead or just didn't get a "paper" for ASD?
I don't know what an adult with official ASD diagnosis could gain in the place you live. What do you expect?

I feel an explanation would help me mentally....what does "where I live" have to do with it....I was given a 3 page essay explaining that I have many traits - but not at the level "required for a diagnosis" - but I hide it extremely well and have learned behaviours over the years.

I meant accommodations, services, disability papers, etc. Those depend on your location.
For self-understanding - I didn't go for official diagnosis. I have the "female", masked form, only good specialists would see it and there are no reasonable accommodations for autistic adults here.
I wanted an official diagnosis in the beginning, when I barely could tell what was real and what was not because of my anxiety level. But over time I got comfortable with "suspected Asperger's" as my permanent label. Enough to warn people that I may behave odd ways and get what I hear too literally, enough to explain my sensory issues to others.

If you don't agree with your diagnosis, you may seek more specialised specialists. The masked traits are still freshly researched.

Can you get another doctor?
My first psychiatrist refused to listen to anything I was saying.
He let me know that I have "Some sort of personality disorder that looks a lot like AS, but it's not", then gave me some pills that could make me suicidal, and sent me on my way without follow-up.

I went to a new one this year, and I was afraid to mention AS, but he took it up directly (as he could see it stated in my journals) and have only given me AS-related questions and forms. Since he knows the subject, he could tell right away where to put the attention. I am so relieved to finally have gotten the real diagnosis now, and without going through the whole ordeal that's talking about childhood traumas that do not matter at all.

Some doctors don't know enough, and if they also happen to have already made up their mind, there's nothing you can do to change it. Try and see someone that know's something about AS.

I'd never heard of the female masked variation - why only female? I truly believe I mask it well - as a gay man with only female close friends since leaving school - this could apply to me

Have you ever considered looking into other disorders and if you are struggling still, it doesn't hurt to go see a therapist and you might end up with another diagnoses that fits better. If you are functioning well in life and still want answers, go see someone and discuss your childhood and early adulthood and so on.

If you're female, it is possible you can still have it because it's harder to diagnose females and they tend to end up with other diagnoses.

This could of been written about my GF ^