misdiagnoiss of ASD

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i am new to this page. i am very odd, i am very bad at grammer and math. im not a einstein lol. i have had socail interaction problems and mood swings and i fixate on topics of intrest until people get mad , i dont pick up on non verbal communication unless i realy try then i make a guess. im a songwritter singer composer. over the past 15 years ive been labled with every mental condition in the book the last was aspergers. the problem is i dont fit alot of the traits most do with aspergers like mood swings that mimic bi poler identaty problems such as not knowing how to be yourself and micking others voices and actions since i dont have or see my own!! i have very unpredicable anxiety that hits me in socail situations like jobs or partys but the panic attacks and my moods are unpredicatable. i think alot and love to learn and i fixate and i repeat myself over and over, i lack empathy but i know what it is i just never feel it. i dont understand socail norms and im a very unconventional thinking person. ive used alot of drugs to deal with anxiety and just for fun also, unlike ocd my fixations bring much pleasure and reduce anxiety, i hate being touched and i dont make eye contact with people i dont know unless they are doing something thats in my intrest feilds such as music fish and cicadas and the latest being trees. im at a loss at this point about who or what to belive and its causing alot of stress having professionals slapping lables on me over and over never finding a consesent dx , i can express humer yet its very limited to subjects that no one else but i think is funny, i do engage in odd conversations with strangers and they freak out or i get anti socail and i throw fits,but the thing i would like this board to know is theese traits very day to day month to month and im in a constant state of changing, i change my looks drasticly and get very upset wen pulled away from my dress codes or my fixations resulting in tantrems or deppression. any input on this would be great

It's no wonder they came up with Asperger's. You do have a lot of the traits, and quite strongly, it seems. You could very well be autistic, plus something else or multiple something-elses. I wouldn't be surprised, because what you're describing sounds very much like autism; but there are some traits that fit borderline personality-ish stuff better (mood swings, lack of identity) but not enough for diagnosis unless there are other traits; and some evident anxiety issues you're describing as well, which might or might not warrant a label of their own. (Disclaimer: I'm not a psychologist. I am only matching your descriptions to the stuff I've studied about psychology.)

I think a diagnosis is important; but it's not so important as whether or not the treatment works. If your case is complicated enough not to fit within traditional diagnostic boundaries, then I think you should tell your doctor(s) to stop fixating on putting a name on it, and just start describing your traits and brainstorming on what would help you.

Diagnosis is all well and good; but it's not magical. Eventually, your doctor is going to have to say, "Well, I'll use this particular diagnosis for the insurance company; but we're going to work on specific problems, habits, tendencies, etc. that you have." At least, a good doctor does. A bad one just keeps throwing more diagnoses and more pills at you.

Fact is, you're one person, with one brain, and you don't change depending on what label you've got. A diagnosis is only a description that a doctor uses as shorthand for a group of traits. Whatever your problems are, they need to be described properly before you can solve them; and usually that description involves a diagnosis--but not always. Sometimes, they can be described just by learning more about yourself and how you think and behave. You don't need a diagnosis if you can describe your issues fully enough to start figuring out solutions.

i am shure i have borderline almost 75 percent shure, i think this is a result of aspergers hence me not fitting in as a kid triggerd the borderline as an adult, i have no personality of my own. i mimic others but i cant help it becouse i realy dont have a personality, but what bothers me is i get so fixated on a person place or thing i become one with it hence my changing personality, this confuses all the docters becouse i act like a differant person almost at diffeant times in my life. im not insain becouse i am aware of this, the disabling part is interacting with people that are not on my page or are demanding or if they try to change me or my habits, i can not hold down a job sence im sensative to smells and im rude and overly talkative and talk about myself and fixations to the point i cant focus on my job plus my anxiety is bad at times, the only 3 things i fit for aspergers in my perception is fixating ,lack of empathy,bad socail skills, yet im diagnosed with AS by a socail worker . i did not think any socail worker or counsaler could diagnose you.only a phycoligist? i have a good point on my veiw of aspergers people, their should a reformed critera to fit AS the non autistic AS and the autistic AS meaning AS should in 2012 be used to descibe people who have hi functioning autistic traits yet lack all the proper critera to meet hi functioning autism. i do not think im autistic due to my childhood being very non autistic yet i had learning disabilaties due to lack of intrest of the topics that were taught such as math and grammer, i had no need to learn them yet i was an a student in every other subject, my memory is impaired now due to drug use of weed and benzos and opioids. but i see color and image with names and music and words . i always asumed everyone did this until reading about travis meeks a master guitar player aka days of the new, i would like to point out travis has sevear mood swings and is very unstable. but hes a cool guy i just get compaired to him alot by swim.he was diagnosed with all the same stuff as me scizo affective ocd ect ect then the last was aspergers and he talks about it and says his temper is due to AS. this guy is an amazing guitar player and i am not bashing him , i am using his own words as an example for he is open about this to the public yet i am told temper is not an AS trait

Hello slikk03 and I've noted your curious post. I do interact with many Aspies on the Wrong Planet as a moderator.

Your profile indicates your Dx as Asperger's yet you are asking about misdiagnosis. Your post is remarkably rote yet unusual in writing style. Callista, as always, gave great insight and maybe you could consider your diagnostic distinction if you have questions to post. I am watching.

well i am bad at grammer lol so you must look past that. it has been 13 years since i did any type of typing , i never made it to highschool ok!! im new to the board so give me some time and ill do just fine. i have a tendacy to jump into a topic and change the subject back to myself. did i break any ruls? if so sorry, i have so much to say on the topic i tend to rush and not proof read it

Hi slikk03,
I took note of this particular sentence:

I would like to know more about how you "see color and image with names, music, words". DO you mean you see the colors and images when you are listening to music? It caught my attention because I have what is called synesthesia, where my senses get mixed up. Certain sounds have taste, and certain people have a color. I also see time, like days, weeks, and months in a graphical representation in my mind. It is always the same and I have been this way as long as I can remember.

Also, Travis Meeks also had a drug problem. He was featured on the show "Intervention". I really wonder if it is a common thing for people with ASDs to self medicate with drugs and alcohol. I have read that many people with mental illness do this, so it could be why you have, as well- not that the drugs have caused the mental illness.

I am watching this thread.

Please note that illicit drug use is independent of ASD. Drug abuse, which seems to be what OP is indicating, is a confounding factor for any neuro/psych disorder. Unsure why this is Asperger's Syndrome is entering this thread at all. Instead, seems poster's "disorder" is a vat of diverging symptoms expressed incoherently. Sensory difference are certainly part of ASD but I personally take offense to parallels due to drug abuse - in fact, illicit drugs usually have opposite (and deletorious) effects upon sensory modality.

My Aspie sense is tingling, slikk03.

well sir i am not talking about drugs all i am saying was i did use drugs for relaxation and it probly did not help matters at all on the negative affects of AS. so i dont see the big deal here, i mean call me out of the loop but why does it say im watching this thread ?, i mean no harm!! ! or rudeness!!

There's plenty of people on here who've used drugs, and it doesn't surprise me that here's another one who has. You can't very well look down on people for it if you haven't lived their lives.

slikk03, has your browser got a spell-checker on it? Your posts would be easier to read if you used one.

That is quite close to the definition of Asperger's, actually. There are two main parts to the diagnosis--poor social skills, and restricted/repetitive interests and behavior. The poor social skills involve things like not making friends very well, not being able to catch non-verbal communication (like gestures, eye contact, or tone of voice), and not being able to have a good back-and-forth conversation. Your "fixations" (you will see them called special interests around here) fulfill the second part, which includes extremely intense, narrow interests.

Here's the diagnostic criteria--
http://www.aspergeradults.ca/aspergersdsm-crit.html

I'm also not too sure why your social worker considered herself qualified to diagnose. She might have a counseling certificate, or something of that sort; or she might have a psychology degree and be working as a social worker. You might ask what her qualifications are; but be sure to ask along the lines of, "What's your training in autism spectrum disorders?" rather than, "You're only a social worker; why are you diagnosing things?" because people are offended if you say they're unqualified.

Was the part about drugs directed at me? I was just saying that there are people who self medicate before seeing a professional. I was not at all saying that people with AS are drug abusers or that it caused AS. I thought I was clear. I have never used illicit drugs, and I may have it.

Apologies pumibel, and not at all. I value your input and your post is clear - my thoughts are parallel to your own.

But this thread is somewhat peculiar where I may have concern. In any case, diagnostics are to be approached seriously, as stated. Too many confounding factors have been presented. BTW, I am female. I am uncertain if OPster is posing a question. I suggest this thread may not be prudent if OP is contentious.

I can see what you mean.

I can't, sorry you lost me. Could someone explain the contention please, having a senior moment

look i had a drug problem, i know it has nothing to do with AS but in this thread i am asking a question!! am i realy autistic or did compounding factors and drug use cause traits that mimick AS, like i said my only trait as a kid was fixating and not being very socail and ld classes due to my lack of intrest in the subjects projected to me. i feel like i might be a target due to the fact it seems to me the drug issue was projected to this thread! drug use can cause many problems also i would like to note my sister has ocd and scizoaffective anxiety, i am told by my mom im not autistic but i have borderline personality and i fixate ! fixating is not just an autisic thing its just a symtome of it. Not to be rude but why would you insult my thread mam? im crazy i mean im not right in the head and i came here for advice not war and little rules that i must keep! i speak my thoughts, im honest with you and with myself , im just getting a vibe your against what i posted or mby im jut not in the loop.

Hiya, having just read the OP again and please understand I am not a doctor and so therefore cannot diagnose. However what I would say is that in my opinion it does sound very much as though you could be on the spectrum. Non prescriptive drug use could be said to be used as a 'self medication' and I have heard many many others on the AS admit to having dabbled in drugs, some more so than others. Who is anyone to judge the actions of others, certainly not me.

Did you have any speech delays in your early childhood? All you say in your OP sounds textbook to me! And if you are WELCOME!

The mimicing you describe is Echolalia, I am really naughty, I go into any accent, even if someone is getting offended I don't notice! And I would suggest that noone on the spectrum is pure anything. It may be that you are Aspergers with some ADHD or even some ADD? I have never met a pure asperger, adher or autie yet. There is always something else to confuse us! Most have signs of other conditons such as OCD, Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, Dyscalculia, Semantic Pragmatic Disorder, Central Auditory Processing Disorder, Oppositional Defiance Disorder....the list goes on and on...so even if you look up Aspergers and see some likeness, check out other spectrum conditions and there will be some traits that you identify with too! So we are all DIFFERENT but unique too.

What you are telling us is that you experience a lot of things that most of us on the spectrum do, some more so than others of us. I hope you find some comfort and identity soon, you deserve that.

www.jelibean.com

Even a lot of the traits you describe that aren't part of the criteria are things many autistic people do to cope with various aspects of life. There are a lot more common autistic traits than the criteria could ever cover.