I have to go for another diagnosis

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It's BS! My doctor said that my psychologist was not qualified to give a diagnosis, but I remember her saying that she was. Clinical psychologists can't give a diagnosis for AS?
I had such an overwhelming rage that I felt like punching everyone out in the doctor's office, which included my doctor and my mum.
And they just kept talking and I was just staring at a sheet of paper, trying to block them out.
I was having sensory issues so bad that I felt like destroying the doctor's printer and phone.

So, now I have to see a psychiatrist and probably pay them a shedload of money to be diagnosed with something I already know I have.

I only got diagnosed to get assistance with working, but I can't see me ever working or living on my own.

I guess I should have posted this in the haven but I'm just too angry I can't even think properly.

So your last diagnoses doesn't count so it's useless to get help?

Yeah, pretty much. There may be some way to work around it though.

I have a 'may have Asperger's' on my medical certificate.

My doctor just annoys me. He laughed when I said I don't have anxiety anymore. Well, I think I'd know if I had it or not.

First, I thought only a psychiatrist could give an Aspergers diagnosis? That is what I was told when I went to my GP and talked with him about it, anyway. (I am still waiting for my summons.) But it might be different in other countries.

Second, if your doctor does not take you seriously and actually laughs at you, maybe you should consider going to another doctor in stead.

It may depend on the rules of your country. In the US diagnosing is usually done by neuropsychologists or psychologists with a phD. Sometimes GPs and neurologists will diagnose too.

If your psych diagnosed you so you could get help with work then why is your medical doctor meddling in this? In the US medical doctors generally don't get involved with Aspergers in their patients unless asked to by the patient.

Neuropsychologists are the specialists in Autism spectrum disorders.

MY neurologist, psychiatrist and psychologist have not dared to run the tests on me. IT may be due to the fact that I have access to a neuropsychologist and that I am going to the University here for these things.

Canadian here, for sake of clarity.

Last edited by Xelebes on 13 Jan 2009, 11:56 pm, edited 1 time in total.

I was diagnosed by a psychiatrist.

i am from OZ. that is crap. just not correct. CLinical psychologists here in australia can diagnose. all the people who work out of MInds and Hearts (Attwood's clinic) are clinical psychologists.
you just have to make sure they are up on the info required to evaluate and assess you.

good luck

Yeah, a clinical psychologist diagnosed me as well, and he said his diagnosis was official. My psychiatrist disagrees with the diagnosis (thinks I'm psychotic ), but doesn't dispute its officiality.

I needed a medical certificate from him so I could go on CRS (work assistance). He did give me one, and that's when he said that my psychologist wasn't qualified to give a diagnosis of AS. Maybe I'll tell my psychologist and just work on my skills through her.
A psychiatrist may be too expensive and I don't want to have to pay a lot of money just for a label if I can get help in other ways.

That sucks. I don't trust many doctors and Gp's here in Australia. Its like as if they DON'T want to diagnose anyone to be on the autistic spectrum because theirs not alot of medication they can assign them too and make more profit out of a diagnosis like that. They'd rather diagnose you with a personality disorder and put you on anti-depressants. My doctor already basically told me he wants to rule out Aspergers in me. I kinda went a little cranky at him. Especially after having shown him 3 documents of covering my IQ over the years at school (verbal/non-verbal/overall). You'd think they'd understand that ranking in the 1 percentile for comprehension surely is an issue in it self. But ofcourse they'd rather try blame the family and school for your issues, rather then considering maybe you had just been born with processing difficulties.

We got my child's through a Neurologist on a referral from the regular doctor. I'd talk to the psychologist and check her credentials, if she says her word is good then see if she has some extra qualifications in her pocket or something that gives her the right to say she has the right to give diagnosis. (if that makes any sense.)

Repeat Dx topic

My GP does not dispute my Psychologist's Dx but has added that I am "depressed" because of my AS. (Actually I am happy because now I know. )

I am in the same predicament. My psychiatrist thinks that I'm psychotic, too. It's hard to explain to him that my so-called "paranoid ideations" are a by-product of my AS. He insists that I'm delusional. I am by no means characteristic of someone who is psychotic (my psychologist even agrees). The only thing about me that is even close to being psychotic is my "paranoid ideations," which I don't even consider delusions, they are just OCD thoughts that cause anxiety, which are hard at first to distinguish between the truth, but after talking about them I am able to refute them. They are not firmly held beliefs. And furthermore, they ARE based in reality, and they are not bizarre or far-fetched. I often fear that people will insult me or are insulting me behind my back. That isn't a bizarre belief when you consider my social difficulties and general tactlessness in social situations, which people (namely NTs) these days are SO quick to poke fun at.

First of all, my psychiatrist doesn't ask me enough questions to know more about my condition, and I'm not going to tell him about it unless he asks because I don't know what he wants to know. Second of all, he is too old and needs to retire.

I have experienced exactly this problem also.
It is my experience that in regards to ASDs many physicians see no need whatsoever to adhere to standards that require them to not practice outside the limits of their competency (whatever qualification they hold).
Psychiatrists who have any business making differential diagnosis (including exclusion) of AS, or of practicing on people who have AS, communicate very differently to other psychiatrists (I have interacted with) when doing so. This makes sense given the extent to which AS entails communication impairments.

My doctor has on several occasions mentioned that I should be on anti-depressants. He wasn't quick to reject that one psychologist misdiagnosed me with depression. How would you like it if someone said you had severe depression and you didn't feel the least bit suicidal? That's when I went to a new psychologist who said I barely fit the criteria for depression, but that it was more likely to be social anxiety, which was developed from having Asperger's.