Question for the self diagnosed

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Hey, I am someone that is uncertain of having AS or not and until I get a diagnosis positive or otherwise I could not begin to have the confidence to say I have AS, I am wondering for the self diagnosed people out there how you have the confidence in your opinion of yourself to know that you definitely have AS, I am baffled, as I feel that no one can be subjective easily when it comes to themselves to know, unless of course you have had people outside of yourself backing you up in the self diagnosis, and even then unless they have extensive knowledge how can you trust that they can give a good opinion on the matter.

I hope I don't come across as undermining those self diagnosed, I admire the confidence you have in your feelings about your life, it just seems an impossibility to me, I doubt myself too much

I still want a diagnosis. But reading The Complete Guide to Aspergers really opened up my eyes. It felt like something in my life was finally explained. I'm confident to say I have AS because I don't fall into False Authority Syndrome.

Personally I find it BS, that people disregard self diagnosis. I don't have a job. I don't have health insurance. How the f**k am I suppose to get an assesment and a diagnosis?

To me self diagnosis is part of a step to get an assessment and I don't think it should be dismissed and disregard.

Btw, False Authority Syndrome basically means, that people always only believe an expert.

I know my mind. I know my body. I know when something is wrong. And to admit something wrong starts with me. Starts with my understanding of myself. Self diagnosis is just a step, but shouldn't be dismissied or disregarded. Personal opinion.

hmm, I forgot about the problem with money in relation to getting diagnosed, in the UK paying is not a problem, although I have heard stories about how difficult it is to get people to take your concerns seriously, particularly in females.

if you have a well enough knowledge of yourself and can be objective and carry out extensive research then I see no reason why people can't be self diagnosed. I wish I could be so confident, I get confused when trying to understand myself , my brain can confuse me, one second I am convinced the next I think I am being silly.

There must be self doubt though, sometimes? until someone gives you that definite yes I imagine for anyone there is lingering doubt about whether they meet the criteria or whether they might somehow be imagining symptoms

This thread is really good timing for me, because I just got attacked pretty hard by a few people on another forum for being self diagnosed. One of the people discrediting my diagnosis was someone who also suffers from AS and I don't understand that at all. She's from the UK though and probably doesn't have any concept about how horrible the health care system in the US is in terms of being diagnosed. The other one is part of a group of people there who have dug into other members accusing them of using the condition as an excuse to be an as*hole. I for one don't doubt anyone who claims the condition on that forum. It's easy to recognize the symptoms when you can see them in the mirror... so to speak.

In terms of self diagnosis, it was actually my mom that discovered AS. I believe it was through Internet research but I can't be confident I'm remembering that right. But yeah, that's probably what hurt when I got attacked for self diagnosis. I wasn't really aware anything was wrong with me until my parents matched up the symptoms when I reached adulthood and all of us pretty much agreed that the symptoms fit. More than anything else, being aware of it my life suddenly makes a lot more sense to me when it was very confusing and frustrating to me before.

I mean to a degree I feel like those responsible for diagnosing dropped the ball on me in the first place, (an entire childhood where no one knew what was wrong with me, so they eventually settled on nothing.) so why exactly is it that getting a diagnosis from these kind of people is something I need for my own word of having the disorder to carry weight?

I'm undiagnosed, and don't intend to get diagnosed; too much moolah!

I KNOW I have an ASD. I was blatantly, classically autistic (without stimming, though) until age 5 1/2, when I acquired speech. After I acquired speech, I became pretty much an Aspie. I was the classic "little professor" type. I was very bad with social cues. I didn't consider my audience when I spoke; I didn't listen to advice about anything.

I went to special schools through most of my academic career. I went to a regular college and got a regular degree, though (at age 45). I was placed in "regular school" for three years (grades 6-8); I came very close to getting kicked out a few times.

I thought FAS meant when someone thinks they know more about a subject than they actually do (tying in with the saying "a little knowledge is a dangerous thing"), but I think I understand the point you are making.

For me, the self-diagnosis came about simply because...

a) Someone I know who works in the field (counselling) believes I have AS/ASD, but he isn't qualified to make an official diagnosis

b) See my test results in my signature

c) After spending countless hours reading up on the subject it's like looking in a mirror.

Yes, there is always the risk when self-diagnosing anything you may see shadows where none exist, and you can talk yourself into symptoms that you don't have to make the diagnosis fit. It's all subjective anyway, but for me nothing has felt more closer to the truth than that I am very likely an Aspie (as one test puts it).

Being as methodical as I am, I have looked at many other possibilities and actually attempted to disprove my self-diagnosis. I can't agree that I have a personality disorder such as Schizoid, or ASPD. I'm 100% certain I am not schizophrenic. I'm not overly anxious and nor do I have Tourette's.

I've known all my life I am not the same as everyone else. I don't think in the same manner as NT's. I toe-walked as a child (still do sometimes), I have no recollection of any friends before the age of 10 (and neither do my parents) and only one friend between the ages of 11-16 and he was likely on the spectrum also. I could go on and on, but suffice to say I have yet to find a reason to doubt that AS/ASD is the correct diagnosis for me.

I have learnt more about myself in the past few weeks than I have done in many years. I've had the tears after dredging up painful memories from my childhood. I've felt anger at the fact that this whole shebang should have been discovered years ago and perhaps I wouldn't have struggled through life as much as I did.

I'm learning that AS isn't always a bad thing, and for me I think I have done alright for myself. I live on my own and I have a good job. I've just laid down a deposit for a kitten. That being said, I do believe I am about 10 years behind where I should be in my life. Let's just hope I live for a decade past average life expectancy and everything will balance out.

Diagnosis or no diagnosis. AS or no AS, make the best of what life has given you. That is all anyone can do. If you want the label, then take it. If you want help, find it. If you want to be left alone, close the door. But remember, if you want the impossible then you will never be happy.

(No, I have no idea where all that came from. Random philosophical tangent alert!)

I was in special classes from preschool up to about the third grade, and then by that point I apparently passed for normal because I was pretty much fully integrated into the regular school program.

Not necessarily because I made any real improvement in regards to AS, but just in regards to the fact that I think they believed they were treating me for being "slower" than normal kids and I displayed enough intelligence to get out of those classes.

I really feel like the school system in particular really dropped the ball in terms of how it handled me.

For me. My life feels complete. Like I finally understand what is wrong and I can finally find a way to cope with that and get better with myself. I came along an AS blog and went, holy cow this person's life sounds EXACTLY like mine. But I nevr really understood it, until now. And it makes me feel like I am normal. It makes me for the first time feel less wrong than what I was.

If you are at all able to do this you can try to do what I did. I actually did not even plan to do it, I was just very blessed to have been around the right person who recognized my ASD and told me about it and then helped me understand it. So in my case, I was unofficially diagnosed. But since this person told me a little over two years ago, it was the first time I ever really started to learn about what the Autism Spectrum was. I had heard of it but I had never really paid much attention until I was told that I was on it. Then I started doing a ton of research and I also found a psychiatrist who was willing to give me a professional opinion off the record. This was great for me because I have been evaluated by professionals who work in the field of Autism specifically but since it was done completely off the record just as a favor among friends, I did not have to pay. Here it can usually cost up to $2,000.00 and sometimes even a little more and since there are no resources available to adults in the US, resources that can really help us that is, if you get diagnosed after the age of 18, it is really kind of pointless to spend that kind of money if you don't have it. But if you are able to find someone who is willing to just give you an opinion without the record then that might be helpful to you. Even if it's at a university or something. Because sometimes just having another person's opinion, someone other than yourself who can observe you can really be a help and really be an eye opening experience. You can also have your family or friends, if you have any, read Tony Attwood's book and even take some of the online tests as if they were describing you and you can take online tests as well. That way people who know you well can also tell you what they see in you. So even though you might never be 100% sure, and from many stories, even with a clinical diagnosis many are misdiagnosed, so even they can't always be 100% sure, but if you get input from others and you know yourself well you can get a pretty close idea and chances are you will be right or if not, you will be very close.

False Authority Syndrome is a bit like White Coat Syndrome. Why do we walk into a room and allow a stranger wearing a white coat and a face-mask to drill holes in our teeth or stick a finger into our private orifices?

People who 'know' about autism write books. Others read them. End of story.

One thing I would like to mention about a professional diagnosis. A professional diagnosis in the end is an opinion it may be right it may be wrong. That opinion can be based upon any number of diagnostic criteria which change from location to location and what the person in question has been trained to look for or chooses to look for. ICD-10, dsm-5, gillberg's diagnostic criteria are the ones I know of each is different yet tries to define the same thing. And the diagnostic criteria are also still changing the DSM recently underwent a revision and in time I am sure they will undergo another as more is discovered especially about woman who have not been as thoroughly researched as men. The point is that there is no certainty sooner or later you do have to take a leap of faith in someone?s personal opinion of you or your own.

With a self-diagnosis being subjective: You can alleviate some of that by asking your parents, friends, and relatives for honest evaluations. If you can get them to take a known AS questionnaire, that's the best way, so that they don't worry too much about offending you by telling you they think your social skills suck.

hah yes, well my mum keeps telling me I am literal. I have actually tried the questionnaires, there is only 4 of us including myself, but I got double what my parents and my brother got, so I suppose that means something, and my aunt has mentioned AS recently but I don't know if she has thought it for a while or its a recent development.

I don't think my parents really want to say if they agree with my suspicions, they don't like the idea of a label.

With an official diagnosis you have protection under the ADA. With a self diagnosis you may have an uphill battle with an employer and accommodations. American jurisprudence is a victim of this "false authority syndrome" as described by AceofKnaves.

Hey MPEJDBA, welcome to WP. I see this is your first post. We are glad to have you.

I have actually heard the opposite of what you said about having protection. If what you say is true I would really like to learn more about that. I have been told that even with an official diagnosis, there is no real protection so I would be really excited if there was. That sort of thing could possibly justify me looking into a getting a diagnosis but I really can't afford one at all.

There are supposed "protections" under the ADA.

In practice, these "protections" hardly exist for people with Asperger's.