is getting an AS DX this hard for everyone

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I was recently seen by a doctor today about a diagnosis but i was painfully disapointed about what she had to say.

This is what i told her:
-ive been socially awkard since my teens, im 26 by the way
-i sometimes lack empathy
-i often seem emotionless and speak that way as well
-i avoid eye contact
-ive always been a loner
-i have agoraphobia
-i sometimes hear things but cannot understand them regardless
-i often take things literaly
-i stim when im overwelmed
-i am a perfectionist
-i am intelligent
-im artistic, write, and make music
-there is a history of abuse in my household
-i believe my mother is bipolar
-i use to take antidepressives
- i cut myself once


I forget to tell her:
-i had tourettes when i was younger
-i bang my head into the wall sometimes
-im passiveagressive
-my attention span often jumps, especially when i am disinterested
-ive been fascinated with death as long as i can remember
-i want to scream out loud and do something very lude at least once a day for no apparent reason
-i feel small convulsions in my stomach when i listen to certain music or hear or see something that touches me...
-i sometimes see and hear things people dont (hypersensitive i guess)
-i was a rather clumsy teenager and was nicknamed "floppy" because of the way i walked and flopped around

O.K. With all of that info she proceeded to venture into my family history and my troubled childhood even after
I told her that i have come terms with the abuse and my family. She said that she doubted that i had AS and believed there is an excuse for everything that i stated. She then reccomended putting me on medication. For a period of a minute or so she kept looking at me and although i knew she was looking for some sign of emotion on my face i could not help but display a small frown accompined by my blank stare. Between my momentary stares at her nose which gave the illusion i was looking her in the eyes i pondered her next question. She then broke the silence asking me how i felt about her opinion. I then told her I wasnt completely satisfied upon the basis of something as complicated as AS being diagnosed in a 30 minute session. I then told her I wanted to see a specialist because of her limited expertese and she wrote up the referral. For some reason everything i had i intended to say melted away in the afternoon breeze. I then thanked her for her time, took her card, and walked away..

My question to all who read this is what should i do....I feel very agitated and would like to see someone who takes my observations and research seriously. Being that i am a psychology student i wouldnt think it would be as hard to explain yet it definitely was when the moment presented itself. I am also confused if i should even continue to push on with this although already knowing the process will be along one.

I have had similar experiences.

What helped me was writing down everything I wanted to say including different examples of how I fit the diagnostic critera for AS and aslo examples from my childhood, as obviously I have had AS for my whole life!

It might also be good to have someone with you. An advocate from a local AS charity accompanies me to my appointments which is really helpful as she knows how useless the system can be so ensures that the doctors pay attention to me.

Are there any people / organisations that could help you in this respect?

It might also help to have written testimony (or testimonies) from others - either support workers / advocates or people who have known you a long time, detailing AS-behaviours that they have observed in you.
This can be difficult as, in my case, my family are unpleasant so I don't really have contact with them now, but the support group I use are willing to write a letter describing my AS behaviours, which is something.

And always be persistent

Anyway, these are just my ideas.

why do you want a diagnosis?
I find I need to write stuff down if I have to remember it in situations like that, I find too many stimuli in the room (like interesting things on the desk, screen saver on compy...)

I do have to say though, from what you actually remembered to tell her, I think the lack of dx is possibly justifiable.

I was feeling kind of bummed all day long about this...I have to search for support groups in the area but i havent
even attempted to meet personally with anyone yet...guess i am a little nervous about being open to everyone about my self diagnosis. I guess thats what its going to take to get my piece of mind though...

I can definitely write these things down, i love to write...

thanks for the info girl7000

What type of doctor did you go to? It needs to be either a clinical psychiatrist/ psychologist. Family Doctor GP will not know about AS nor much mental health. Socially awkward from teens does suggest Social Anxiety. However you can have both. You really need to talk about what you were like when young child or ask you parents. Did you respond to being called follow instructions?

The key point is that you need to see a specialist to get a diagnosis. You got the referral - good for you. Unfortunately you had to deal with one more misinformed "professional" on the way to getting it. Don't go back to her.

Bismark,

The hypersensitivity is abut the only thing on your list that you didn't tell her that should have had a chance to sway her. Almost everything else on that list is NOT an AS symptom.

The DSM manual can be misread it is NOT very clear, and is arbitrary. What is a STIM, for example? What is an INTEREST? what mental strength/weaknesses do AS people have? If I took the DSM literally as I originally understood such things, I would say nearly everyone here, and myself, would NOT have AS. Then again, even AS's kids wouldn't!

Steve

i guess i need to research the direct symptoms more and make sure i write down what i have next time...
i hope the next doctor wont think of this being rehearshed if i bring a note pad myself to the session...

i hear there are some tests and questionare's my family will have to fill out when i am actually seen about a diagnosis

Bizmack, it sounds like you're on track for getting a DX. My experience has been far more disheartening. My GP ridiculed me but I got an intermediate referral with the generic psychiatric team. They concluded that I had 'no mental health problems', which was, effectively, an un-diagnosing of BPD (something of a relief). However they could not refer me for a specific ASD assessment because facilities do not exist here. Even if they did exist, the fact that I wasn't depressed made me ineligible for NHS funding. Even if they had diagnosed me there would have been nothing to offer me. I don't think I'll ever get a diagnosis if I stay in the UK. I'm not convinced I will stay here, so maybe one day I'll get diagnosed in Australia or somewhere.

One GP believed I wasn't autistic because of the simple reason that I made "eye contact" for a couple of seconds spread out over thirty minutes; too bad I wasn't looking at her, and too bad I'm 25 and I’m bound to have learnt something of this illogical game of socializing and showing overt emotion due to having some form of intelligence; even though I am “Criterion” -- the Diagnostic Criteria for Autism…who is able to speak to professionals in their domain with perfect dictation and a lack of dichotomy. This is why general practitioners refer you to professionals who specialize in mental illness.

I told my psychic: ‘…hey dude, you know, I've been reading stuff on the 'net, and I’m like, uh…autistic?’ His reply, '...sure, probably...yeah...the treatment is the same as OCD, don't worry about it.'

From one extreme to the other....