3 diff doctors told me i dont have autism

Page 1 of 3 [ 33 posts ]  Go to page 1, 2, 3  Next

Panic
Pileated woodpecker
Pileated woodpecker

User avatar

Joined: 31 May 2011
Age: 37
Gender: Male
Posts: 192

03 Jun 2011, 8:48 am

But I am totally socially isolated

Dont understand socializing

cant make eye contact

have no facial expression most of the time

Haave alot of anxiety issues

alot of repetitive thoughts

i like to spin things

i had deep obsessions as a child

monotone voice

feel very different from people i went to high school with

am a complete loner

feel lonely

virgin

many people say im weird / quiet

ive been quiet most of my life

feel that i cant think straight

underweight

told i am lazy alot

have a strange look

opposite of enthusiastic



rabbitears
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 18 Jan 2011
Age: 33
Gender: Female
Posts: 6,398
Location: In a box of chocolate milk mix.

03 Jun 2011, 8:53 am

But 3 different doctors have told you you aren't autistic.

Many of the things you've listed aren't even particularly autistic traits as such anyway.

Although obviously, I don't know you so I can't really judge.


_________________
:albino: THINGS I LIKE :albino:
Parasaurolophus, Plesiosaurs, Dinosaurs, Pterosaurs, Music, Tuna, Chocolate milk, Oreos, Blue things

Parasaurolophuscolobus. Parasaurcolobus. Colobusaurolophus.
....And Nunchucks are my friends.


Phonic
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 3 Apr 2011
Age: 32
Gender: Male
Posts: 1,329
Location: The graveyard of discarded toy soldiers.

03 Jun 2011, 8:55 am

What did they say? be specific, why don't they think you are autistic?


_________________
'not only has he hacked his intellect away from his feelings, but he has smashed his feelings and his capacity for judgment into smithereens'.


rabidmonkey4262
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 8 Mar 2011
Gender: Female
Posts: 864

03 Jun 2011, 9:15 am

rabbitears wrote:
Many of the things you've listed aren't even particularly autistic traits as such anyway.

???? Please explain.


_________________
Here's to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently.


wavefreak58
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 26 Sep 2010
Age: 66
Gender: Male
Posts: 4,419
Location: Western New York

03 Jun 2011, 9:25 am

What kind of doctors? A podiatrist might be good at feet issues but know nothing about autism.


_________________
When God made me He didn't use a mold. I'm FREEHAND baby!
The road to my hell is paved with your good intentions.


MONKEY
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 3 Jan 2009
Age: 32
Gender: Female
Posts: 9,896
Location: Stoke, England (sometimes :P)

03 Jun 2011, 9:28 am

You might not be autistic then, is that such a bad thing?


_________________
What film do atheists watch on Christmas?
Coincidence on 34th street.


rabbitears
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 18 Jan 2011
Age: 33
Gender: Female
Posts: 6,398
Location: In a box of chocolate milk mix.

03 Jun 2011, 9:31 am

Panic wrote:
But I am totally socially isolated

Dont understand socializing

cant make eye contact

have no facial expression most of the time

Haave alot of anxiety issues

alot of repetitive thoughts

i like to spin things

i had deep obsessions as a child

monotone voice

feel very different from people i went to high school with

am a complete loner

feel lonely

virgin

many people say im weird / quiet

ive been quiet most of my life

feel that i cant think straight

underweight

told i am lazy alot

have a strange look

opposite of enthusiastic


I agree these are very common secondary experiences for many autistic people, but are certainly not exclusive to the condition. There could be many other factors that determine this.

Once again though, I'm not here to say who is and isn't autistic. That's not my place. If Panic is really that concerned, then by all means, seek more help. But I think that to be told by 3 separate doctors that you don't have an ASD must certainly be taken into account.


_________________
:albino: THINGS I LIKE :albino:
Parasaurolophus, Plesiosaurs, Dinosaurs, Pterosaurs, Music, Tuna, Chocolate milk, Oreos, Blue things

Parasaurolophuscolobus. Parasaurcolobus. Colobusaurolophus.
....And Nunchucks are my friends.


rabbitears
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 18 Jan 2011
Age: 33
Gender: Female
Posts: 6,398
Location: In a box of chocolate milk mix.

03 Jun 2011, 9:33 am

MONKEY wrote:
You might not be autistic then, is that such a bad thing?


Yes, it could be a very bad thing, if you think there is a serious problem you may have, and for it not to given a name. I would be very worried.


_________________
:albino: THINGS I LIKE :albino:
Parasaurolophus, Plesiosaurs, Dinosaurs, Pterosaurs, Music, Tuna, Chocolate milk, Oreos, Blue things

Parasaurolophuscolobus. Parasaurcolobus. Colobusaurolophus.
....And Nunchucks are my friends.


MONKEY
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 3 Jan 2009
Age: 32
Gender: Female
Posts: 9,896
Location: Stoke, England (sometimes :P)

03 Jun 2011, 9:46 am

rabbitears wrote:
MONKEY wrote:
You might not be autistic then, is that such a bad thing?


Yes, it could be a very bad thing, if you think there is a serious problem you may have, and for it not to given a name. I would be very worried.


True also, because then someone could have a mixture of things.


_________________
What film do atheists watch on Christmas?
Coincidence on 34th street.


rabidmonkey4262
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 8 Mar 2011
Gender: Female
Posts: 864

03 Jun 2011, 9:50 am

I went to a psychologist for the first time when I was in high school. They were testing me for learning disabilities. I had some major trouble with executive functioning. My IQ test was very characteristic of an aspie (very high verbal, very low working memory, very low social comprehension) he also said that I needed help to make my thinking more flexible, and I needed to work on my social skills. He specifically mentioned eye contact. I was always very good at music and I was winning piano competitions, but I could not find friends. He gave me a facial memory test and I did very poorly on that (prosopagnosia). My mom also told him about my very poor directional skills (topical agnosia). Both of those conditions can sometimes be found along side AS. Even after all that, he still didn't recommend that I be tested for AS. I guess it probably was because I'm a girl and AS is harder to spot because females tend to mask the condition more than males.

Anyway, I was diagnosed in college by my university's psychology department. It really depends on who you go to. Try to find a doctor who is experienced in diagnosing adults.


_________________
Here's to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently.


littlelily613
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 11 Feb 2011
Age: 40
Gender: Female
Posts: 3,608
Location: Canada

03 Jun 2011, 11:07 am

SOME of what you said are not autistic diagnostic criteria and may or may not represent in some people with autism (ie. being underweight. I am fat. I am also definitely autistic. There are others, but that is just one example).

Other things are autistic-like, but COULD have a different root.

I don't know....if you said one doctor said you don't have autism and gave me that list, I might tell you to go get a second opinion. But you did that. And a third opinion too. I don't think you can keep going to doctor after doctor until someone says what you want to hear. On the other hand, they can't just say "no" and not give you an explanation. Maybe they did give you a further explanation? They should be telling you WHY they cannot diagnose you with autism. And if you they are saying not autism, are they giving you another diagnosis? I ask because some traits do fit under autism AND other conditions (similar symptoms, different reasons for the manifestation of the symptom), and you might find that the other label might actually fit more.



AardvarkGoodSwimmer
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 26 Apr 2009
Age: 61
Gender: Male
Posts: 7,665
Location: Houston, Texas

03 Jun 2011, 12:10 pm

Panic wrote:
But I am totally socially isolated

Dont understand socializing

cant make eye contact

have no facial expression most of the time

Haave alot of anxiety issues

alot of repetitive thoughts

i like to spin things

i had deep obsessions as a child

monotone voice

feel very different from people i went to high school with

am a complete loner

.

.

.



These seem spot on for Asperger's / Autism Spectrum.

For example, the spinning might be how you prefer to stim. And I guess I would also ask about sensory issues (me personally, and I self-diagnose, my sensory issues tend to be minor).

(With the obvious rejoinder of course, that we don't really know each other here, and need to be cautious and tentative in coming to conclusions. But really, the social isolation, the issues with eye contact and facial expression, Asperger's / Autism Spectrum certainly sounds like one of the things which should be considered.)



Last edited by AardvarkGoodSwimmer on 03 Jun 2011, 12:24 pm, edited 1 time in total.

AardvarkGoodSwimmer
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 26 Apr 2009
Age: 61
Gender: Male
Posts: 7,665
Location: Houston, Texas

03 Jun 2011, 12:17 pm

And I guess I am sufficiently unimpressed with the mental health profession, that I don't consider three doctors in a row to be all that unexpected. (Plus, as a sports fan, I know streaks of three in a row happen all the time)

For example, a while back, we had a post where some psychologist told a person if they’ve had even one friend in their life, they cannot be autistic (!) (!) (!) Yes, really. And this psychologist has a degree? Yes, apparently he or she does. (speaking personally, some periods in my life I have not had a friend, and during such periods it would be hard not to overtry. other times I have had a friend, other times I've thought I've had a friend but haven't, I'm learning I need to very much take it medium-step by medium-step)

Psychologists can help us. But we should not let them run the show. We need to primarily educate ourselves.

---------------------

And a less good professional, if someone walks in there saying anything, saying 'I think I have bipolar' for example, the doctor rather thinks that he or she needs to find something else in order to "earn" their money and almost takes it as an affront that the patient is doing the doctor's "job." A better professional views it as information and continues the conversation. 'Oh, why's that. Okay, alright, tell me a little bit more.' And then to summarize 'I'm going to do a complete diagnosis. And ________ is certainly one of the things I'm going to consider. But to do the best job for you, I'm going to consider a range of possible explanations' (and maybe shorter on this part, for a good professional can be both brief and respectful)



BTDT
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 26 Jul 2010
Age: 61
Gender: Female
Posts: 7,495

03 Jun 2011, 1:17 pm

Hey--that helping ourselves idea might work!

Wouldn't it be easier to identify Asperger's at an Aspie or Autism support meeting, as opposed to online?



Surreal
Velociraptor
Velociraptor

User avatar

Joined: 16 Mar 2010
Age: 58
Gender: Male
Posts: 424

03 Jun 2011, 1:41 pm

Pardon me, I could be wrong...but it would seem that one needs to establish a common thread in your life that one could follow. For instance, I would say the following (short version):

Quote:
As a kid, my mother noted that I was able to keep myself entertained for hours on end without having other kids to play with. It never really occured to me to play with the other kids. My father mentioned it one day. I went out and attempted to play with the other kids my age, it was like I was completely disoriented and couldn't keep up with what they were playing. They weren't mean to me; they just thought I should maybe try some other time. Never once did I feel abnormal as I went to our back yard to sit and watch the planes fly overhead on their way to land at our local airport. Trying to play with that many kids at one time DID feel abnormal.

In kindergarten, when recess came, I nearly always retreated to the edges of the playground unless my two mates from class came and got me. Even though I had friends, I never knew how to interject myself into hte palyground fun. This was a pattern that continued to follow me through school; it caused trouble with my ability to interact with and relate to the other kids.


Since Autism and its related disorders are determined based on observation of childhood behaviors, it would seem important, to ME at least, to establish what happened in childhood in as much detail as possible. From there, one can show how those patterns lead to the present time and how they affect life today.


_________________
<p>
I did not go looking for Asperger's...it found me by way of my Higher Power. Once we became acquainted, I found out that we had quite a bit in common and we became good friends. And then I landed on WrongPlanet!
</p>


rabidmonkey4262
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 8 Mar 2011
Gender: Female
Posts: 864

03 Jun 2011, 1:44 pm

BTDT wrote:
Hey--that helping ourselves idea might work!

Wouldn't it be easier to identify Asperger's at an Aspie or Autism support meeting, as opposed to online?
I still doubted whether or not I had AS because it seems as if the media depicts only the most profoundly affected individuals. My diagnosis was only confirmed when I went to an aspie support group and discovered how similar I was to those around me. Unlike being in the NT world, I didn't have to make an effort to fit in.


_________________
Here's to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently.