Accepting the diagnosis in writing; pros and cons?

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kx250rider
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Joined: 15 May 2010
Age: 57
Gender: Male
Posts: 2,140
Location: Dallas, TX & Somis, CA

21 May 2010, 11:12 am

As I said in my profile, I am informally diagnosed by an MD psychiatrist, with whom I've been counseling for 4 years. She has prescribed Adderall and Prozac, which seem to moderate my worst AS complications to the point where I can run my business and daily life just as well as anyone, keeping in mind that I cannot fix, or totally hide, the eye contact and interaction/communication maladies.

Here's the dilemma at hand for me: My doctor, my wife, and I all are in complete agreement as to my AS diagnosis. However, we asked that the doctor make NO written record to this date, of AS or Autism. She has written only of ADHD and OCD on the "record". This is because I don't need another legally crippling label, as was put off on me at age 8 when I was wrongly diagnosed with Paranoid Schizophrenia. That record is with the State of California, and it haunts me whenever I would have a job with a company requiring workers' comp insurance, or when I apply for a concealed weapons permit. Thank Goodness it hasn't hampered my credit or my ability to have a drivers license, or (last time I checked), a general aviation pilots license.

Will a formal written diagnosis of Asperger's Syndrome, or High Functioning Autism, cause me any problems in any state that anyone knows of, any problems in licensing or anything? I am grateful for my wife's financial position to be able to pick up the tab on the psych care, and we don't need any SSI or public funding for anything at this time. We operate a farm as our means of income, so I don't have to worry about state agencies warning my boss that I'm a psycho, and that they'll cancel insurance on us or stuff like that. But I sure would kick myself (literally) if I lost my driving privilege, or if I handicapped myself at the point of a doctor's pen.

Drivers license, Gun license (gun ownership), air travel, ????

Thank you for any info and input :wink:

Charles