Self-diagnosed people: why have you not obtained...

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Money. Time. Finding a competent professional. Potential problems with future health insurance. Potential social stigma. Potential professional stigma (I will probably be at my current employer for quite a while, I see no benefit to a proper diagnosis but the "old boys network" could certainly crush my career).

My partner is more certain than I am that I'm on the spectrum, and is the only person I've talked to about it. Hopefully it stays that way.

I can refer to myself as "self diagnosed" but I doubt I could ever get "really" diagnosed even if I tried. And I would not have any use for the diagnosis. It's just too mild aspergers or just some traits that I can hide or keep somewhat under control when needed. But knowing that there is some pattern in my wierdnesses - that feels good and helps to avoid things that are not good to me. Before this self diagnosis it was sometimes hard to see that something is totally discomfortable before I was deep in it already. I manage all the everyday tasks life brings (well, maybe not parenting a child, but not sure) and I hate viewing myself as fragile and helpless when I somehow could pull myself through. Time to time I say to people "I'm a bit autistic, I don't like to be here/do that", but of course they think I'm just trying to be different. Who cares. I live in much more peace with myself after finding the "pattern".

My struggles, as I've noted in other threads, are documented in my blog (with a new entry today). Here's the short answer:

I can only go somewhere that will do all of three things: do the assessment, deal with adults, and take Medicaid. I found a place that said they would, but the assessment was not actually performed, even though I was clear (three times) about it being the sole purpose of my going there, and even though they said that's what they do. I only got a rehash of things said about me before, combined with a dose of prejudice and stereotyping suited to be an affront to both the gay community and the autism community. I've been unable to find another place to get the assessment carried out. I'm now considering how I'd like to go about lodging a formal complaint against the place where my assessment was supposed to be done.

It's pretty inconvenient to get to see my GP, because the doctor's surgery is closed by the time I finish work (and I can't drive, so I couldn't go in my lunch break or whatever).

I did manage to get there last year about it, and he basically said he didn't know anything about it ("Maybe you are, maybe you aren't") and gave me some leaflets about depression (??)...after that, I just didn't see the point in bothering anymore, because I wasn't going to get anywhere.

If your insurance covers psychological services they probably cover neuropsychological testing too. That's the route I'm going on. I'm on medicare.

During the 20 years I was undiagnosed, more than likely because:
*I live in a patch of the country where Aspergers isn't even known to many psychiatrists
*I have a vagina

http://www.rdos.net/eng/Aspie-quiz.php

Thank you! I found it right away, though.


Your Aspie score: 167 of 200
Your neurotypical (non-autistic) score: 48 of 200
You are very likely an Aspie
AQ-45

so, yah. I did talk to someone at Fraser who said they were developing systems of diagnosis for adults and I should get back to them. I still have to get to it. lol.

I know part or the reason I haven't is because I'm not sure a diagnosis will help me at this point. I've figured most of it out and I'm sure I could research my own OT that could help more.
Like another poster said, though, my self diagnosis, and self acceptance, is reassuring enough that it has banished suicidal thoughts from my life and allowed me to think long and hard about how I can survive.

I dont need someone to tell me I have a cold, a headache, a sprain or aspergers

Its all quite rudimentary with online testing unless your a bit dumb

Getting a professional diagnosis really wouldn't gain me anything. I can function well enough within society in that I can living independently and earn a decent living. The impacts to my life are primary social and while they make my quality of life lower, they don't make living difficult.

Also, what problems could an official dignosis of Asperger's cause me in the future?

No problem.

I wish I could see into the future and answer that for you....but it seems that people in this thread have only mentioned problems, not benefits.
the #1 reason seeming that health insurance could be impossible to get or much more $$.

I have no reluctance to get an official diagnosis to illuminate whatever may be my problem. I simply lack the funds to pay for the testing. Most psychiatrists that I have contacted won't even tell me how much they charge for the testing because they want me to see them once a week for a year (at 150$ an hour) before they will even contemplate giving me the testing. I certainly don't tell anyone I have any disorders that I've not been diagnosed with, my interest in Aspergers has been the result of people asking me if I had it, me researching it, finding out it had many many many things in common with disorders I know I have, and then trying to seek out help for it.

The University of Georgia will do the testing, but has an epically long waiting list, and even it costs nearly a thousand dollars.

Basically if you are unlucky enough to live in a place that doesn't provide health care, and then you don't have health insurance, and you don't have the ability to get a job which will provide you with health insurance.. say because your problems prevent you from driving... You are basically screwed.

I've got two childhood diagnoses for ADHD and ADHD-Primarily inattentive, in addition to childhood diagnoses for Anxiety and OCD. None of those count as an adult. When I went to Georgia's only government funded mental health resource, I filled out reams of paperwork, and then in 5 minutes of talking to the barely comprehensible and thickly accented English of the psychiatrist I'd been given a diagnosis of Bi-Polar disorder and put on a huge dose of Geodon. That needless to say didn't fix any of my problems, created other problems such as genital anesthetization and caused my meltdowns to be worse. On my last visit I was admonished for not taking the Geodon, and for being argumentative to the doctor about his diagnosis. I didn't go back again.

I can't get diagnosed for a variety of reasons. Some of them are:

I have no money and no insurance.

I have a fear of talking to psychiatrists/psychologists because I was locked up in a mental hospital a couple of times in my teens.

I'd like to pose the question. Why would I want to?

Actually, I'd like to get an official diagnosis, however, I am in a financial bind, so I'll have to find out how much it costs first.


I've come up positive on every online test so far and I seem to have almost every trait of female Asperger's, however, I realize this isn't good enough. I am 45yrs old, and I only discovered what Asperger's was about several months ago, so I've only suspected for less than 1 year.


Also, I don't know if I'm going to stay with my current psychiatrist. I've only seen him once so far (last week) and he wouldn't prescribe Valium for me, but that's what works the best for me when I have a meltdown.


Instead, he prescribed Citalopram and the first time I took it, I had a bad reaction - heart palpitations, anxiety, and tremors and I felt even worse than before.... I realize everyone reacts differently to medication.


I hope to get an official diagnosis soon.