Refused diagnosis. What can I do?

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Oh my gosh... reading this thread makes me so sad as something similar happened to me today!

I moved to a small town here in New Zealand last year. I went to my new doctor today to ask for a diagnosis for Asperger's as I know now I have it from all the reading I've done... it just makes sense of my whole difficult life. I was diagnosed with ADHD-I in 2008 in the big city I moved from last year, but they never mentioned Asperger's and I'd never heard of it back then so didn't ask if I could have it.

Anyway, my new doctor told me that everyone has Asperger's to some degree and saying I've got it is like saying I'm tall whilst another person is short. There's no reason for it to stop me from working in a normal job (which it does... a lot!) or for me to say I can't do anything else because I have it. I wanted to laugh and cry at the same time, but was so nervous I did neither.

She is writing a referral for me to be seen by the local Mental Health Board about it, but she didn't think they'd accept the request.

I am going to fight this if I don't get taken seriously... for myself and all the other people who are going through this crap and being made to feel they're just being silly when they know there really is something wrong with them and they need help for it. But it just makes me so angry!

I hope you get the help you need. I think it's important for us all to stand up and fight for the right to be heard and taken seriously... even if it is really scary to do (and it is!)

Find a new doctor.

I haven't been in a situation where I was diagnosed wrongly, but I have had GPs misunderstand me for being difficult. Once they leave the room, and come back after consulting another doctor, they completely change their attitude towards me.