Practically diagnosed...

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I went to a center for people with severe mental health issues yesterday. I've been feeling really sad, flat and mopey -- I think the Paxil I'm taking for my panic attacks is partly the problem -- and thought they might be able to help. I was diagnosed with Panic Disorder and Depressive Disorder, both of which I already knew. No big deal, but here comes the cool part...

While I'm in talking to the therapist, my mom is in the waiting room talking to a woman who turns out to be a mental health therapist herself. She was there for her son's issues. Anyway, just by observing me for a few minutes and asking Mom a few questions (I got all this from Mom later), the woman therapist said that I seemed to her to be classic Asperger's, and that I should look into it. I realize that's not an "official" diagnosis based on hours of assessment and testing, but it works for me.

That's pretty much where I was a couple of years ago; several bouts of depression, anxiety, and the like and then finally I stumbled upon some stuff about Asperger's which I realised I could very easily relate to.
For now I would concentrate on reading up on it, read about others with Asperger's have a good look on WP, and read Tony Atwoods's books; that's a good starting point.
You want to get diagnosed when you are comfortable and ready, so the first step is self acceptance, then seek out confirmation.
So far as the meds; I'm not sure but I am coming to the conclusion Aspie's have a lower tolerance, and therefore should have a lower dosage for meds. I had to take Paxil (Aropax in Australia), for a number of years, and in the end it made my depression worse, though I believe it works really well for others.
Stay in regular contact with your doctor, as the side effects of the meds, anxiety, and the depression need close monitoring.
You should let the doctor know if you feel any different, good or bad, and keep track of your moods; a mood diary would be good, so you can see over time if your depression is improving, worsening or staying the same.
Remember, anxiety and depression are symptoms of Asperger's so treating the depression and anxiety is only treating the symptoms, if you want to treat the cause, it will be a longer and more involved process than just popping a Paxil daily, and in reality may be a life long journey.

All I can say is plenty of us have been there before, so you're not alone, and things will get better if you give it time and effort.

the anxiety and depression for me, were effectively relieved with a script for Strattera. it only had one side effect, GERD, and that is only with people with a predisposition for GERD, everybody else is safe from that, from what I've read.

Thanks for the kind words. The reason I found the therapist's off-the-cuff diagnosis so interesting is exactly because I HAVE been looking into it. I was reading about Asperger's Syndrome because a friend of mine has a child with AS. Like you, the more I read the more I recognized myself in the traits. I haven't gotten into the Atwood books yet -- I've been wanting to, but haven't had the funds to purchase any -- but I think I've read everything on the web there is. And I and WP are good friends. See my post count (400+). I'm a bit verbose...lol

And I agree also that the Paxil is probably making me more depressed. I'm not at all content with my life at the moment, but I wasn't so down until I started with the Paxil. I took Effexor for 6 years with good results, but it quit working for my panic attacks back in January. I guess different drugs work for different people. I knew lots of people who had good results with Lexapro and it was TERRIBLE for me -- severe chest pains, anxiety through the roof and a thought of jumping off the 5th floor of a parking garage. And you've hit on another pertinent note -- low tolerance. The Effexor I was taking (75 mg) wasn't working for me, but when I tried to take more I got a crazy case of the shakes -- so much so that my doctor dropped me back to my previous dosage. He said that he has patients who were taking as much as 300 mg a day, and I couldn't handle 150 mg.

I like your idea of a mood diary. Since my moods seem to be all over the map, it would help me talk to my doctor about whether I need to change meds again. The therapist who diagnosed my Panic Disorder and Depression recommended that I see and private therapist -- the center where I was assessed says I'm not severe enough for them to treat me. That's gonna be tough with no job and no insurance. But everything I've read says that mood disorders need medication and talk therapy in tandem for either to be effective. So I'm gonna have to find a way.

I hope that in texas this October, the OP can sign up onto the health insurance exchanges, they reduce the premiums on the cheapest plans by as much as 90%.

Health insurance exchanges? In Texas? Hmm....not aware of such a thing. Then again, I'm not surprised. Our dumbass governor Rick Perry doesn't talk about anything that doesn't involve guns, how evil Democrats are or God. I'll have to google it and find out more. Thanks for the heads-up.

if gov. dumbass doesn't permit the exchanges, the feds will step in and allow state citizens to use the federal exchanges instead.