Trying to find someone to help me with diagnosis

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Hello,
i have been on here for years but never really got diagnosed. The challenge is i am nervous about going to sit down with a complete stranger and spill all my life's troubles out. Most of my life I have just wanted to be "normal" and tried to avoid anything that would make me not like the average person. I think I have aspergers, and I think I may be asexual. I was diagnosed with ADD as a kid and was in some special ed classes to help me learn better when i was real young. There's a lot more to me but im fast forwarding to recently... Recently i met someone new who said he thought he had aspergers but he went and got tested and they said he just has social anxiety. He said he thinks I have social anxiety too, just worse than his. He suggested I go and see someone for help, and one of my friends recommended someone he sees regularly, but I am still nervous to go. I have not seen a regular doctor in about 10 years, and have not seen a therapist since i was a very young child. Im nervous that they will find all sorts of things wrong with me and fill me with medications again...I guess the biggest thing is i feel uncomfortable really expressing my true feelings to someone i dont even know.

Anyway has anyone else struggled with this before?? Any pointers?

Hi,
I'm trying to get diagnosed as well. However, I have started going to a psychologist already. She doesn't necessarily think that its of any benefit to me to get diagnosed since I've been managing a job and living on my own. (Not necessarily always managing it well, but I'm alive and I've learned to manage my finances.) I've read about a lot of people getting diagnosed and it seems that it is often a challenge for adults to find someone willing to diagnose them and we have have to just keep fighting the good fight.

As far as talking to a stranger though... the hardest part is making the initial phone calls. I started out by asking my general practitioner for a referral and calling my health insurance to see what they would cover. (I am fortunate that I have health insurance.) It was really tough saying over and over to strangers, "I've been doing a lot of research and I think I may very likely have asperger's. Even if I don't, I'd really like to get evaluated and have the peace of mind of knowing for sure."

After that it was A LOT easier though. Once you have your initial meeting with your psychologist/therapist, they are not a stranger anymore and they are trained to help you break the ice and ease into conversation. I now find it much easier to vent to my psychologist than almost anyone else and I'm working on techniques to manage my stress and anxiety. Regardless of whether you are an aspie or have severe social anxiety, that could be helpful, right?

Remember that you are the customer and that if you don't feel comfortable spilling to your doctor or if their techniques aren't helping that you are entitled to find a different one.

Readymade arguments for a personal interest in being diagnosed (always hard to think out being stressed about it).

http://wayshelter.com/Cabinet/MWW_Asses ... s_Need.htm

Thanks, Jensen. Good link. I will use that.