Are you diagnosed?

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Are you officially diagnosed with as or self diagnosed?
I'm offically diagnosed, but I don't think just because someone isn't offically diagnosed doesn't mean they don't have as though.

I was locked up for years because I had (and still have) HFA. How's that for diagnosis? Screw self-diagnosis. I don't mean it in a bad way but they don't know how it's like to walk around with people locking you up, poking you, writing reports on you and telling you that you'll never succeed in life, not being able to tell people what school you go to or why you have to take certain pills because your parents' culture taught them to be ashamed of mental differences and growing up feeling that you are 'officially' inferior because of your autism.

I was diagnosed at 12 by a professor in psycology.. or something.

self diagnosis is sometimes the only way, tali. i stand very little chance of being diagnosed for years yet, if ever.

i can't imagine what it's like to have the experiences you describe, thank goodness. but it doesn't mean that i don't have my own negative experiences.

how much mileage is there in a hierarchy of AS, according to how "severely" one has it, and whether or not one is diagnosed? i've never been made to feel inferior or unwelcome on WrongPlanet before, either because i have managed several decades before realising i have AS, or because i am self-diagnosed.

V

Are you deliberately trying to piss people off Tali? while I sympathise with your experiences, those of us diagnosed later in life or self diagnosed have often had some lousy ones too. I wasn't aware this thread was a pissing match. I suspect that many people who self-diagnose (as I did before being dx'd) do so after years of not fitting in, being discriminated against for their innate differences, being tormented at school and abused by people. An official diagnosis doesnt provide a monopoly on misery. i suggest you re-read your post and decide if it is a fair comment.

dunc

I agree with vetivert and Duncvis.

As vetivert has said, sometimes it is not possible for someone to get a diagnosis. I do not know for certain if I have AS, but I went to see a counselor recently, and she told me she didn't think I had it since I was able to interact with her fairly well. Had she seen me in Jr. High school, I imagine her opinion would have been rather different. I have come a ways since then, mainly due to the criticisms and guidance of the people around me.

I don't think that anyone would self-diagnose themselves with AS without a good reason to do so. And I think that one would have to have a certain amount of difficulty in the related areas in order for one to even consider the fact that they may have it.

I am sorry to hear you went through that, Tali, but just as there is no way for us to completely understand what you've been through, you also do not know what we've been through, either. Many of us who self-diagnose have wondered for a long time what might be "wrong" with us. Without any explanation, it can make things extremely difficult, both when dealing with others and when reflecting on oneself. While you may have felt "officially" inferior, I have always felt inferior on my own. I did not need a doctor to tell me that I am not like many other people, and that there are things that I either can not do or have a lot of difficulty with. I sometimes wish that I had, though, so that I could atleast explain to my parents why I am so different, why I am not growing up to be the daughter that they probably expected.

ah.. Thanks for explaining this stuff to me. I didn't mean to make people angry, I just meant to let off some steam. Sorry if I offended anyone. I guess self-diagnosis has its advantages as well. BTW I'm not AS, I'm HFA. I'm sorry if I offended anyone, I love all you guys <big hug> and don't want to make anyone sad

This is my own opinion and I am not pretending to speak for anyone else.

Tali, I think that you had every right to write this. I am not diagnosed, and I never went through the experiences that you described. Does the latter make me lucky? Yes, it does. I had my own problems, but nothing of that magnitude. Maybe I would like to know earlier why I was such a misfit, but not if it meant going through your experiences. I do not feel angry or offended by your words.

You did not make me angry. I was merely explaining myself.



I agree with this, as well.

That's ok Tali, I get it.

Your post came across to me as insensitive and ignorant of what others had also been through, which is why I reacted with annoyance (possibly over the top a bit, heh). I can see though that being treated that way leaves a mark, so I can definitely understand the need to rant....

dunc (hot head cooled down a bit)

Yes, I was diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome (PDD/NOS*) in my early 20's in the late 1990's.

*PDD/NOS: Pervasive Developmental Disorder - Not Otherwise Specified

I am very new. I have never been diagnosed I have just always felt difforent like the rest of the world was totally ignorent. I noticed this most strongly in 8th grade it seemed that I was the only one whop cared about what was going on. Every one else had their heads in the clouds. I left in the middle of 8th grade and went to a community collage (this was only a few months ago).

i was 7 years ago