I’m struggling to accept my Autism (Aspergers) diagnosis

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A bit of a timeline.

1981 - The Aspergers diagnosis is proposed as a way to get “milder” Autistics diagnosed who were not due to the strict criteria of the time.

Early 1990s - While serious consideration is being given to the 1981 proposal some object wondering about Hans Asperger’s Nazi connection. No evidence is found and the diagnosis becomes official in the two manuals.

1990s and 2000s. - Led by people being diagnosed with Aspergers the amount of Autism Spectrum Disorder diagnosis skyrockets. Hans Asperger is increasingly seen as a benevolent figure working secretly within the Nazi system to help Aspies. Pro Nazi writings were seen as a way to fool his Nazi bosses.

2008 to 2013 - Subsuming the Aspergers diagnosis into the Autism Spectrum diagnosis in the influential American Psychological Association’s DSM manual is proposed. The reasons given are wide variation in how the diagnostic criteria was being applied and no difference in the core traits of Autism and Aspergers. The real reason seems to be it is felt that Aspergers is being overdiagnosed. Hans Asperger had nothing to do with it. In 2013 Aspergers is subsumed.

2013-2018 While not a diagnoses in the current DSM 5 Aspergers remains a diagnosis in the World Health Organizations ICD 10 manual. Some clinicians in countries that use the ICD stop giving out Aspergers diagnosis because it is felt the ICD will follow the DSM.

2018 - Two historians, experts in that era publish works saying Hans Asperger was an enabler of the Nazi Eugenics program

2019 - The World Health Organization approves a new manual getting rid of Aspergers. The member countries have until 2022 to approve the manual

The UK has clinicians that use both manuals.

The manuals are guidelines not rules. Clinicians do not generally lose their licenses for not following the current manual dominant in their locale. Based on their professional judgement they can use the other manual, use the old manual, or none at all.

My advice to the original poster is this. Make an appointment with the clinician that diagnosed you, tell that person that you are having doubts, that you feel Aspergers better describes you. Have that person explain why you were diagnosed with autism and not Aspergers.