My lame visit to see a "psychologist"

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First off, I'm military, so any psychologist I see will be military as well. In this case, I saw a resident (trainee) Captain who video taped our session for review with her supervisor. After well over an hour with her, her best guess was that I was ADHD with social phobia (!), and asked if I agreed to be tested. I told her I used to be suspicious of ADHD, but moved on to AS as I read more online. She said she didn't think that AS was the case. Keep in mind, she is in training, and had a reference book with her that she flipped through (to base her questions off of listed symptoms).

I just don't think she was listening to me when I stated my symptoms - my problems have been cause by fixation more so than aloof inattentiveness. For example, if I'm usually short on time, its because I can't pull myself away from what I was doing beforehand - I'm very aware of what time it is. My guess is she also arrived at her conclusion because when I said that I give people half an ear, if any at all, she must assume my mind is jumping all over the place when I tune out, but no, I'm just thinking about my end of the conversation (what I was saying, what I'm going to say next, etc). Furthermore, at no time did I suggest I was AFRAID of social interaction, per se, but I have always had a difficult time with it, especially not understanding "normal" people's need for constant interaction (I could be very alone and not kill myself over it, if you know what I mean. It doesn't mean I wouldn't feel lonely, however). I even described to her how I connect dots on the wall (usually in the shape of triangles) constantly and fixate on random objects during deep conversation. Is that ADHD?

I don't know. Maybe I'm no Aspie, but fewer things have made more sense to me after reading this forum. I'm so upset (my wife is too). I just want real answers and real help.

Try taking the Aspie Quiz - I think you'll find it enlightening at many levels, since it cuts across AS, ADD, ADHD, OCD, Social Phobia, etc.:

http://www.rdos.net/eng/Aspie-quiz.php

Sometimes we have to teach the 'experts'!

Good luck

. . . and Welcome!! !

I can relate to the lame psychologist visit. I've had a few of those too. It's good to hear that your wife is supportive though.

Took both quizzes (the 50 question one as well) and the results were very Aspie. On the 50-question one I scored 37, making me an extreme case according to its scoring system. Now, how different are online tests from the clinical tests used for diagnoses?

Oh and thanks for the welcome!

Yes she is! She believes I have Asperger's as well and hates that I'm seeing a resident. She says she's calling tomorrow to tell them how displeased she is with the way they're handling me. See, I went in early to get seen because I had a nervous breakdown this morning. These have been frequent lately. The psychologist said they're anxiety related - fair enough - but she's not grasping that they're nothing new. And reading that Aspies have semi-frequent "meltdowns" (I become incoherent, overly confused, angry and violent towards inanimate objects) it only furthers my assessment that I have AS.

Right. I think, though I'm not quite sure, that that is how the hole in my apartment wall appeared recently. My husband knows about my AS. If only they'd listen.

maybe cause it's military, they'd rather keep it to something treatable with meds? idk about that stuff

Is it possible for you to get a referal from them to see someone who specializes in accessing adults for AS? If possible ,don't accept that they put ADD DX on your official records without someone who specializes. I don't know the rules of the military but would hate to se you in a legal situation where they said you refused meds for ADD and lost possible benefits for noncompliance. There are legal reps for people with disabilitiesa and if t=you feel the military is pushing the issue, I would consider contacting one of them. Let me know what area you live in and I will see of there are resources in your area...or you could try goggle? Maybe GRASP would have resouce lists?

Welcome to WP!

I can't say to much, as it is obviously unwise to hand out diagnoses over the internet, but I hope that, whatever happens next, you are able to get an accurate diagnosis.

ADHD is similar to ASDs in many of the effects, just not as severe.

Do you have serious problems in work/socializing compared to "normal" people (there's no need to answer this; it's just a good question to ask oneself)? I doubt a psychologist would diagnose someone with Asperger's if they're married and working; they seem to keep the labels for people who're severely affected (people who cannot do both of those at once), for good or bad.

For example, the "AQ test" (the 50 questions one), if you read up on it a little, it shows that some people in the original study scored high, and some even met the full criteria for autistic disorder (the "severe" form of ASD), it's just that they weren't negatively affected by the disorder in what they could achieve (this is the part they didn't meet). There's no way these people would be given an autistic disorder diagnosis.

I think you are probably right Daniel but I wonder if this is a very scientific approach to trying to understand autism? I mean, if the only people who are given the DX are the most severly disabled by it, then it could be over looking how some one "once" was more disabled by it and learned some kind of coping skills or had an environment that was helpful or something.

I "hang out" on WP with a bunch of older aspies here and they all seem higher functioning then me...many married with kids have jobs that are "adult"..I want to know "Scientificly", why? I know we are all at a different start points, but is there more to it then that?

And to the original OP. When I went through my DX, he really stressed not just how I functioned "now" because we do make some adaptions....but what was I like as a kid. Did your interviewer ask much about your chidhood related to AS traits? DO you have any family they could give them input on this area?

Well, if someone is undeniably on the spectrum, but they're functioning reasonably well at the time of diagnosis, one could perhaps bring up why they're functioning so well (perhaps the external environment is far more accommodating); it'll take several visits to probably get all of the information out to the professional. If it's all objective, and it fits to how you were, and perhaps how you "appear" now, I cannot see why one wouldn't be able to receive a diagnosis. It'll take some work however.

Or if one is just too "high-functioning" for the AS label, one could ask for an "atypical Asperger's" label, which is a subtype of PDD-NOS. Again, this is if they're undeniably on the spectrum.

The military?

I can see how the military can be accommodating for some individuals with AS, depending on how the symptoms manifest that is; if the military is an "interest", I can see how one would put all of their thought to doing it.

A special interest can overcome many obstacles that are "impossible" if it wasn't [an interest].

And there are many, many "NT" women out there who're attracted to the quiet "aspie", for many reasons; they become the "lead" in socializing, and also the executive.

"Functioning" can be a tricky word. I've been in the military for almost 9 years now, and I'm sure if it was a civilian job I would have been fired by now. In fact, promotion has been slow going for me. If it wasn't for people willing to ultimate let me slide on alot of things, I wouldn't have made it this far.

As far as my wife, we met online. She was my first actual "girlfriend" prior to marrying. Need I say more?