General Psychiatrist? Or wait out my queue at autism clinic?

Post Reply New Topic

I've been seeking out an evaluation for an official diagnosis of Autism Spectrum.
I ended up getting recommended to some Autism clinic at my local children hospital. However they booked me for August! 4 months?

My father says that I should just go visit a General Psychiatrist.

I hear a lot of negativity on this forum about going to General Psychiatrists; any advice?

In my own experience, psychiatrists are more about medications to merely reduce symptoms ... so I would wait it out and go to the autism clinic for an actual assessment.

I've had both good and bad relationships with them.

Some simply don't know very much about autism--they believe it's a kids' disorder, or that it's always severe, or that if you can talk you don't have it. That's a problem; more so if they're not willing to learn. A few THINK they know a lot about autism, but actually just have stereotypes in their heads that they apply to everyone. This is not helpful.

Others have a pet disorder that they like to diagnose everybody with. I met one of these when I was first getting into the mental health system; she diagnosed me with borderline personality disorder, a diagnosis that has made several counselors since then laugh out loud at the absurdity of it (I have many of the exact opposite problems that people with BPD have!).

But a few will take the time to either learn about autism, or already know a good deal about it and , and will work with you to find solutions for your everyday problems. The psychologists I've met have had about a 50% chance of being in this category; but I am told that I am quite good at communicating in a formal manner, and that many psychologists understand me well because I communicate in a way that is quite similar to a psychology professor! (For example, I may come in worried that I'm developing another episode of depression and report "anhedonia and sleep disturbances".) Other psychologists have apparently been intimidated by this, though; but the ones that have been most helpful and given the most useful advice were generally willing to accept that I had researched autism and that the more I knew about it, the more I was able to solve my autism-related problems. Some of them have even dropped the simplistic language they use for many patients and will use the more specific language of psychology to explain what they mean, and this has really helped because we both know exactly what they are referring to.

So--really, it is probably a matter of luck. Do you need help before August? If so, you should probably try it, if only to find some way to survive until then. If not, waiting isn't the end of the world. But do make sure that this autism clinic has some way to evaluate adults, especially "high-functioning" adults (i.e., verbal and living independently), rather than only children.

Anyone know a way I can bargain with this doctor of mine to move me up closer?

I think you should wait for the specialist. If you go to the regular psychiatrist and he/she misdiagnoses you, that would be a big pain as well as a waste of time and money.

A general pediatrician, a general school psychologist, and a general psychiatrist diagnosed me just fine.

Depends on who you get.

Not all "specialists" are great either, you know.

Now, if it's for a specific problem such as depression or anxiety, another option is a 'regular' doctor such as an internist or a family practitioner.

For example, a particular person who's suffering from depression, an SSRI (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor) such as zoloft to take a specific example might work great, or it might not hardly work at all. It is impossible to predict in advance. Even the best doctor in the world can't predict. So, light touch and patience and willingness to try again is almost more important than sheer technical knowledge. If the first medication doesn't work, let's try a second, or third or fourth. That's the way to play the hand in a trial and error situation. And you want a doctor you can halfway talk with, and a doctor who can accept when a person tells him or her that a particular medication is not working. Or, on the positive side of the equation, think how good the person will feel if it is one of the later medications that works for him or her.

And dietary changes are the same way, works great for some people, hardly helps others at all.


Please Note: I AM NOT A DOCTOR.

although I might possibly some medical journalism down the road, and that's very different, please understand that