Psychologist says yes, psychiatrist says no

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Has anyone else been in this situation?

I've been seeing both a clinical psychologist and a psychiatrist for my bipolar (which has been nicely managed so far). My clinical psychologist is almost certain that I have AS, yet my psychiatrist is certain that I don't.

Which leaves me in a conundrum because I'm not sure whom to believe now. Both are qualified professionals and can make diagnoses.

I guess I'm leaning towards my psychologist because at least she listened to my story and also explained why she saw some red flags which indicated AS to her, whereas my psychiatrist basically heard AS and laughed in my face.

Which one knows you better? My experience is psychiatrists no longer spend much time with anyone further than to ask how their meds are working. Your psychiatrist sounds very arrogant.

This is a concern I have because I'm supposed to be seen by a free psychiatrist to see if I qualify for state disability assistance. I've found psychologists to be very good listeners, but psychiatrists seem weird.

@Aimless: That's a good question. I guess my psychologist, because I've seen her for about 7 hours in total whereas I might've seen my psychiatrist for about 2 hrs in total.

Still, whose opinion would hold weight more?

@OverlyIntense: From speaking with psychologists during my social work field placement (I'm studying social work) and my own personal experience, I think psychologists are given training in therapy whereas psychiatrists are trained to diagnose and medicate. So not all of them have good bedside table manners.

I have the same kind of conflict coming from just one person I approached for family counseling a few weeks ago. I had told him about my self-diagnosis, and he had soon asked my wife whether she understood my AS. But, he now seems convinced my empathy sets AS aside.

Here is a site with some information I am using to try to sort things out:
http://www.aspergercounseling.com/executive.html

Bingo! The psychologist has job security in ongoing therapy, and the psychiatrist has job security in monitoring medications ... and all of that takes place within a society that is far more about science than about spirituality!

eejosepho wrote:

Just the fact that he dismisses the idea because of the empathy factor tells me he doesn't know enough about AS to diagnose. I think that's true of many. It makes me respect my psychiatrist (who I see for meds management only) for saying she didn't think she was qualified to diagnose me.

I guess it also depends on who is more knowledgeable about AS. The psychiatrist sounds pretty ignorant to AS. *shrugs*

My psychologist was the one who saw Aspergers in me, my psychiatrist doesn't believe in it.
So my experience is psychologists are the ones to believe and psychiatrists monitor medication.
She didn't diagnose me though, I went to a specialist and she diagnosed me and she's the one I see now.

Psychiatrists seem to be a lot more everything has to be written in a book whereas psychologists go with feelings.

I would trust a psychologist's diagnosis more than that of a Psychiatrist, based purely on their job description. A psychologist's job is to listen and offer advice. For their advice to work they have to listen to the patient and develop some working model of the patient's mind, what motivates them, how to help get things in order.

A psychiatrist can simply listen for the first five minutes, and then start you on a medication they think will work. If that doesn't, there's probably a list in their office of other medications to try. I honestly believe a lot of psychiatrists tune out their patients after the first five minutes because they've already decided which medication to try first, whereas a psychologist doesn't have that option.

Basically, a psychologist is going to have a lot more information from which to make their assumption, which in some ways makes them more qualified to diagnose. There's still the subject of psychiatrists who specialize in autism, as they're going to be specially trained to spot this stuff, but in usual cases, I trust the psychologist more.

The picture being painted of psychiatrists in this topic is completely inaccurate (in a general sense, I'm sure there are individuals like this). My experience with psychologists has been horrible, I consider them the cereal box version of a Psychiatrist.

Anyways, I have the same problem, I have 2 psychiatrists arguing over my diagnosis, well, 3 actually, but 2 of them are in a agreement and the other is not.

It is looking like I might have co morbid conditions, maybe you do as well?!?!

This whole thread is the sort of thing that persuaded me to get my diagnosis in a form that nobody could argue with. It took me over a year but I have what I asked for - a single page Dx on LoonyBin letterhead, signed by a psychiatrist. It recaps DSM 299.80

DSM 299.80 Asperger's

At the bottom it says "A diagnosis of Asperger's Disorder is warranted." That one piece of paper is what I show to people on a need-to-know basis.

Actually, the reports that I got constitute a file an inch thick, but I don't have to show my whole life everybody, just that one page. It was worth it.

What I started with was a referral to the Autism Dept of the hospital.

I don't really see why it matters what a doctor says (unless you want to get some specific therapy for AS). Just diagnose yourself; you know yourself better than anyone else.
If you need a doctor's opinion, try to find one that specializes in autism.

How can you just diagnose yourself though?? How would you know if you really have it or not or if you just relate to the stuff you read??? That seems a little shaky.

It depends on the person. In some cases, I would agree that self-diagnosis is ok, because it's spot-on. In others, I worry that NTs are claiming to be Aspie simply because it's been associated with intelligence. I saw some of this related to Daniel Tammet.

While psychologists and psychiatrists can both be idiots, a psychiatrist is a medical doctor whose main education is in medicine, but who has done a residency in psychiatry. A psychologist's education is actually in the field of psychology. While some psychiatrists do pursue further education in matters pertaining to psychology and psychiatry (like if they want to become a psychoanalyst) their main area of expertise is in biology and medicine, which is why a huge percentage of psychiatrists do nothing but prescribe medication. Most psychiatrists are NOT in any way qualified to make (or rule out) an AS diagnosis.