Can somebody explain this?

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I'm sorry if you guys have been asked to explain this a thousand times before (you probably have) but I'm really confused...

My doctor gave me a professional DX of Asperger Syndrome on November 11th 2003. This was after she met with me loads of times, seemingly doing nothing each time (just seemed to spend the time staring at me, and watching me stare out of the window in boredom and then writing down notes), occasionally she would ask me to draw shapes for her. That was it.

She seemed to think that just because I didn't have any friends - was being really badly bullied at the time, and hadn't told anyone - and spent most of the day crying, and was quite intelligent... that I had AS! I hate this fact. It seems she didn't even get to know me very well, and then slapped a 'label' on me and said 'NEXT!'

At least, that's how it feels. I mean, didn't she even CONSIDER depression (that couples with anxiety problems?)... That's the cause of all my problems, and the doctor's know that now. I've told them - and people have told them, the people I know and see daily - that I can function perfectly normally, the only problem is my anixiety which I am getting help for now (about to start a course of medication). Yet they STILL won't take away the AS diagnosis.

I'm desperate for them to - and everyone around me who knows about this is too - un-diagnose me with it, and say that I have mental health issues AKA anxiety. (Coz the anxiety is stopping me from getting a house, a job and going to more social occasions. As soon as I start this medication, I'm gonna be able to cope normally and finally be able to live my life and not be stuck in the horrible rut anymore!)

I'm thinking about going to a different doctor now...

I don't even know if it's possible to go and see a psychologist, get them to test me again and reach the 'you don't have AS' diagnosis... is it possible or not? Am I only dreaming that my problems could be sorted out?

I don't even know if you can erase an AS diagnosis. I mean... if you've been diagnosed with it, is the label stuck with you forever or can you get it removed if it was a misdiagnosis? AAAH... I'm confused.

I don't know much about AS, and psychology and anything like that... help is greatly appreciated (and needed!)...

I would get a second opionon.

Yeah, you're going to have to get a second opinion. What your doctor did doesn't sound to me at all like it would show up AS if you had it.

I got Borderline Personality taken off my record by discussing it with a psychiatrist. She at first put "rule out Borderline" on my record, and then it was taken off entirely. Probably because I am nowhere near Borderline, except for self-injury, which fits way better with autism in my case.

Your case might be a little like mine--from self-injury, they jumped right to borderline personality, despite that I didn't have any other symptoms--in that your doctor might have jumped straight from "bullied, no friends" to Asperger's; probably your tendency not to talk much helped too (but this could be a symptom of depression too). There are plenty of other reasons for social isolation. This one-symptom diagnosis does not help anybody...

I don't know enough to guess whether you're an Aspie, because you didn't tell me much about yourself. But I do know your doctor didn't diagnose you properly, and if she got it right, it was dumb luck. You need a second opinion.

BTW: Another possibility. If they confirm Asperger's, it's almost certain that you also have some other, more pressing issue as well--most likely some combination of depression/anxiety. If you turn out to have both, the only thing that AS will actually affect is that (if you are lucky) your therapist will be nice enough to put things in concrete, rational terms and skip the warm-fuzzy that seems to help typical people. Most people don't need much therapy for Asperger's in the first place, beyond social skills lessons or training in self-regulation, and if you're able to hold a conversation and don't have temper tantrums then you don't need either...

Regarding pills: If you get medication for depression or anxiety, you'll have to deal with side effects, meaning you'll want to work so you won't need the pills, or can go down to a livable dose. They aren't a magical cure, but they will probably keep you from killing yourself. Anything beyond simple survival means working to change the thought/action patterns that have gotten themselves stuck in your mind during the time you had your depression/anxiety symptoms. You have to be your own doctor... I know; I survived three episodes of major depression... Oh, and stay out of the mental ward. It's really freaking boring and they treat you like a child.

Pardon me for playing the devil's advocate here, but how do you know for sure you're not an aspie? Sounds like you do meet at least some of the diagnostic criteria.

Thanks for replying. Sorry I didn't tell you much about myself.. I guess I can now

-I was fine up until I was 11. Kids in primary school said hi to me and stuff, they liked doing art lessons with me as I could teach them stuff about how to hold a brush (painted a lot when I was younger, started in reception class and really liked doing it), and I was socially accepted. They assumed that just because I went off to the library a few times a week, I was studying for my SATs... and they were right!

- When I got into Secondary School (or high school, I don't know...) it was different. The teachers were colder towards you and because I started a couple of weeks into the term, and seemed to be cleverer than they were, they bullied me (the children i mean). It was really unfair... I had a couple of good friends though (they were really easy to make) and then one day for no apparent reason they turned on me. I later found out they'd decided to join the rest of my class in bullying me because one of them thought I'd stolen their boyfriend. Just a nasty rumor.

-I dropped out in year 8 because I couldn't take the bullying anymore. I stayed in year 8 for two weeks and it all started up again. The class went to France as part of an educational trip in the 2nd week of September term and I thought, 'wow, this is going to be a fun trip, a time to clear my head' but it wasn't. Everyone was just horrible to me again... in France.. I was so looking forward to that trip and ended up wasting my time and my parent's money on it. I wish I hadn't gone now. Worst thing is, the teachers could see it happening and they did nothing about it!

- After I dropped out i had home schooling (which is really fun!) and that carried on for two years. Unfortunately a whole other bunch of problems cropped up during those two years. I became terrifed of going out of my house (agoraphobia) because I was shopping in town and the girl who was responsible for all the bullying saw me and spat in my hair and punched me... Then my grandma died, and I'd never had any experience of that before (death). I started crying non-stop and becoming really suicidal. My parents decided to take me to the doctor, and that's where it all kicked off.

-So as well as getting diagnosed (wrongly) with AS, I had agoraphobia, my grandma had died, I was school phobic, suicidal and crying all the time. Not good!

I didn't talk much in the appointment because she didn't say anything. I would have done, she just kept staring at me... it scared me, to be honest, which is why I looked out of the window. I don't really know why my life's gone so wrong - I think with the mixture of the AS diagnosis and everything else going wrong, I feel like all my problems have ruined my life - but... oh well.

Everyone meets some of the diagnostic criteria, don't they?
People have said to me they think it's ridiculous that the professionals think I have AS just because I was bullied and had no friends at that time (boo sucks to them, I have plenty of awesome friends now! )...
Everyone is on the Spectrum somewhere, that's obvious.

I mean... look at me... I'm mostly NT according to this test and loads of other quizzes I've done (in books, online, etc...) and I still have some aspie traits...


Your Aspie score: 18 of 200
Your neurotypical (non-autistic) score: 169 of 200
You are very likely neurotypical

Have you tried the RDOS Aspie test? It may help clear you mind one way or the other...


Link to Aspie Quiz

I would agree with you there Katie. People who didn't have a speech delay will meet that one part in the criteria. People who stim might also meet that other part too in part B and what about people who are isolated, antisocial, of course they might meet the first part from part A.
I also wonder if none aspies would meet it too. That is the problem about the criteria, it doesn't say the criteria has to be met before ten years of age. Heck I bet even anorexics would meet it too. They also have social problems I read and the fact they have obsessions too, their body and weight, fat. They also tend to isolate themselves from their peers so I can imagine they won't seek interests to others. No wonder I have read in a few articles anorexia is female AS.
Even one of the Disney villains meets it too, Cruella De Vil. Shows how bull the criteria is.

Yeah! That was a fun test.. I've done that...

I got 'You are very likely neurotypical'

So why... why??.... on earth did that doctor diagnose me with AS? I really want to know now...

You're NT, and you've racked up 170 posts??

Hmmm, seems like there's a bit here that you identify with ??! !

NO! I'm not NT.. not officially..

I joined these forums BEFORE i started doubting whether I had AS or not..

It is most definitely possible to have diagnoses repented.
I've had quite a few removed

I have done everything by loads and loads and loads of research.
All my incorrect diagnoses, while there were aspects I could relate to, never really clicked with me.
Then when it was mentioned I may be on the spectrum it was like a lightbulb.
I don't know if its the same for everyone, but if you really don't think you have AS then I would agree that you should have a second opinion, even if it turns out its just for your peace of mind.
You can suffer depression and anxiety as well as having Aspergers, in fact some think you are more likely to struggle with them so there are lots of answers.
I think you should do what you can to ease you doubts though.

Why do you say you're not an NT? Do you have any other disabilties or something?

I think what she was sayig was that she is not "techniqually NT because of the current DX of AS...but she believes it is the wrong DX ?

That said, I think you should be able to get your medical records from the person who DXed you and look at their reasoning. It might help clearify it for you and you can show it to your new psychologist when you go for a second opinion<---which I would recommend. I think psychologist make misDXes all the tme because it is more subjective then medical tests.

Hmm, sounds like you need a second opinion. I think some doctors get a bit "stuck" on one particular thing and start diagnosing it to everyone. I think it can be hard, in fairness to them, because a lot of Borderline Personality Disorder traits coincide with Aspergers. It sounds to me like you became withdrawn after being bullied (same happened to me, though I have all the Aspie traits aside from that). I definitely think you should seek another opinion. This time if the person doesn't speak (that sounds seriously weird to me, sitting and staring at you) I think you should take the initiative to ask some questions about what she would like to know about you.

what? NT people can't type?...

there's never been any reason for NTs not to come here (parents and siblings, and friends...and lions and tigers and bears...oh my!)

Despite all the study, I don't think they have AS pinned down as an exact science. As with many syndromes, as it's discovered, there may be a tendency to 'overdiagnose'...

yup...2nd opinion. No matter what they're for (AS,diabetes, or heart condition), drugs are not a magic bullet, so don't let them sell you that line. They're like any tool, good for some things, but not a total solution.