My Kafkaesque/Orwellian diagnosis nightmare

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I appreciate seroquel may help some people.

However, I am not bipolar. Wearing bright clothes does not a bipolar make. Aspie women are also notorious for lack of grooming. Therefore, do I want 300 mg of seroquel? Wouldn't I be insane if I did?

Whatever happened to self-management? Been managing myself for 30 years and the past 5something yrs with SSRIs, something that I couldn't have done if I actually was bipolar, as they push bipolars to mania.

The shrinks did not even write in their reports that I had started an exercise regime, meditation and re-engaged in my special interests (that I tried to fight due to lack of time, prioritizing work commitments) and this has all boosted my mood over the past 6 months so much so I have reduced citalopram from 40 to 30 mg with the supervision of my GP. One would assume I would eventually be able to recover from my depression, but no, it is twisted into 'a manic episode'. Innocently going in for aspie diagnosis, all hell breaks loose.

I am a sometime journalist and am contemplating writing about this to a national newspaper. Thoughts? Also, husband is keen to take legal action.

Sorry to waffle on about myself. I feel bad I haven't commented much on others' experiences. I love reading them and sympathise greatly.

Sorry, did not mean to hijack thread about your urgent situation.

You're very welcome, Felinelover. I'm glad I was able to help if only a little.

I feel I have talents writing, including health topics these days. When I worked at a tax place, I was also good at direct dealing with clients. At the same time, I'm behind in my own taxes. Applying for new health insurance feels like a major mountain. So, I have patchy skills, probably like every human being on the face of the Earth, but for those of us on the Spectrum, more patchy than average. It's like I have an A game and a C game, and not too many skills of a low-energy, good enough B game.

And yes, by all means, her saying that you are an unfit parent is very serious.

Okay, with your clothes, I think it's okay to wear vintage clothes and at the same time okay to dress more formally. If you can wind to a place where either option feels like an okay option, that's a pretty good place to be. As long as you are relaxed and have good present energy. And for them to so focus on clothing kind of exposes them.

As far as political activism in general, I protested my country going to war in the first Persian Gulf war back in 1991 and have some other activism since, and the main coin of the realm seems to be slightly understating your case. Here we're among friends and can put it on the table plainly. And I'll say, this first shrink is either glaringly incompetent and/or mean-spirited in trying to crush you down to "prove" that she's right. But as far as any kind of formal written complaint, I'd really go the method of slight understating. For example, maybe write, a bus driver was rude to me and my husband wanted to report the driver, but I decided to let it go. And hopefully another halfway competent mental health professional can see that she is cooking the books so to speak. But I wouldn't use the phrase, cooking the books. And I wouldn't use the expression, big porky pie. I haven't heard that in the states, and I kind of like it!

Alright, here's the part where you really want a co-activist or co-advocate who maybe has at least a half dozen different cases of challenging a NHS report and/or reporting a bad practitioner. This can be someone from an advocacy group who might be excellent, or it can be a lawyer. In the best of all worlds, it might be both, but that may not be obtainable. If you can find a person who's gone the distance even three times, that might be helpful.

In response to the original post since I have not read the whole thread yet - Wow, this is terrible. I am sorry that you are going through this. I wish you could find someone else if you have not already.

I have an ongoing private correspondence with a psychologist in the US who specializes in treating victims of (parents, partners) Narcissitic Personality Disorder (Cluster B).

She is constantly picking up the pieces after clients have previously and unknowingly gone for help and have been abused by NPD therapists. She says it is one of the main professions that NPDs are very attracted too, because they go for maximum power over people, and psychiatry particularly.

Hi Felinelover,

Sorry to hear about your issues with your diagnosis for ASD. What part of the UK do you live? Are you going private or via the NHS?

I live in Surrey, UK, and have got diagnosed in October. For me the process was see my GP who referred me to the OATS service that the Surrey NHS Trust has setup because of the Autism Act (2003). Once I got assesed and then a few motnhs later got my report throght. It was a very simple process but it a few months.

The one thing I'd look at is find out if you have a local branch of the NAS (National Autistic Society) as they'll have advice on how go about getting the diagnosis. You can even become a member for free without being medically diagnosed.

The Surrey Branch of the NAS have been very helpful in doing talks, holding and running various meeting and groups for teens, parents, boys, and girls. They also run a service called ASSIT where you get free one and one help with forms being filled out, help with other things.

If I can be of help or give you any advice then let me know. I can put you in touch with the person that did my assement as he has over 15 years working with people on the ASD spectrum.

Regards

Data001

I googled vintage clothing, but it didn't seem that weird to me, quite attractive ackshuly, better looking than conventional clothing.

What's your eye contact like? Some of them leap to the bizarre conclusion that lack of this equates to mental illness unfortunately, just on the strength of that people have been terribly misdiagnosed. In future take a support person with you who knows you and can advocate for you; it also acts as a monitor on their behaviour and they tend to act more appropriately with a witness present. If they won't see you without your nominated support person (that's your right), then that itself warns you that you are seeing someone who won't respect you, so give them a wide berth. The good ones will welcome the participation if it is beneficial for you.

Some, not all, nor the majority I hope. I am glad that you weren't sectioned though! We have enough challenges without incompetents adding to them.