On self diagnosis

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Been thinking about self diagnosis for myself as an adult with AS. I came up with a few other issues I've come across where self diagnosis has worked for me.

Run to the bathroom every 1/2 hour sit with a bucket on my lap. Can't take it anymore so I go to the dr. He says, "Yep you're sick. It's a virus, can't help you, go home and let it pass. Pay the cashier $150 when you leave."

Look in the mirror, I'm much rounder than I was a few years back. My clothes are all getting too tight. I get on the scale and it reads lots of #'s. I think I'm fat so I go to the dr, he looks at me, I'm much bigger than I was a few years back. He notices my clothes are getting too tight. I get on the scale and he reads lots of #'s. He says, "Yep, you're fat. Eat less, excersize more. Pay the cashier $150 when you leave."

The point is, does the dr's observations make what I already knew more real than it would have been without it, NO. As most of the information on AS is fairly new, I can read it just as well as my dr can. I can probably do better research because I know my condition is real and not in my head. Would it change anything for me if I paid to get the dr's slip that says, yes he believes I'm AS too. Nothing would change except I would be out way too much $$$ and there isn't really anything he can do to make my life any better. Of course there is always the chance I would get a dr who doesn't believe in AS and is just going through the motions to get my $$$.

So I think I'll stick with my own self diagnosis and do the research I need to help me learn to better live with it than I am doing now.

Just a few thoughts.

Good plan. If there is no need for a stamp of approval, why bother. That said, I want an official diagnosis for specific reasons. One is that I might be teaching art to developmentally disabled adults in January and while I feel a genuine connection to them, it feels false to say I am on the spectrum without a formal DX.

By the way. It is all in your head. Literally.

Yeah and the most important thing? It's that autism is only a useful term in that it either helps people get services (in which case get a diagnosis), or helps them understand themselves or other people or helps people understand them (in which case a diagnosis is far from necessary). It's not supposed to be an exclusive club the way some people try to make it. If it helps you, that's all you need to know.

Edited to add: And if anyone tells you otherwise, or tries to make you prove you're "really" autistic, don't listen to them. They're not worth it, and at that point in time they're just being jerks no matter what their intentions. (And some of them really do intend to wield power over you and be bullies, others just think they're committed to the truth or the "right thing" or whatever, but it's not right no matter what their reason.)

Doctor may have diagnosed a bacterial infection in the first example, completely different treatment.

Doctor may have diagnosed a pituitary gland tumor in the second case, completely different treatment.

I see where you're coming from but self-diagnosis doesn't provide the relative certainty that a professional diagnosis can offer.

I was told by different people that I have it but it's not impacting my life more than the psychosis/mood problem so there's no reason to diagnose, and by other people who said I don't have it and it would be a waste of time to try to diagnose.

But I'm obsessed with Asperger's a bit, and I don't think I will stop thinking about it.

I read the diagnostic criteria for Asperger's Syndrome the other day and know I meet the criteria. What you think of yourself is more important than the opinion of someone who just met you phd or not, after all, you've known yourself your whole life. My son is autistic and the diagnoses was mostly observational. No one who knows me thinks I'm an aspie yet - I toe-walk, shake my hands, am anti-social, can't drive a car because of sensory overload, as for social delays I didn't start dating until I was 23 (even though I had several pursuers in HS) *and that was with the help of the internet* and almost lost a few jobs because people misread my facial expressions, I didn't smile right or something. I almost joined this site a few years ago but refrained because without an official diagnosis I didn't think I belonged, now that I have an autistic child I belong regardless. I totally get not wanting to pay someone to tell me something I already know.

I'll quote what I said in the other self-diagnosis thread.

After suspecting since January 2009 that I had AS, as a result of doing the AQ Test, I got an official diagnosis last week.

The main reason I sought a diagnosis was that I wanted CBT to help manage significant sensory sensitivity problems, and I knew that CBT is done somewhat differently with people on the spectrum. I decided that I might as well establish officially whether I had AS, and then proceed with CBT on that basis. It also meant that I would be working with a specialist in ASDs, which I am really glad about.

I also think it has helped a few other people understand me more - eg my wife. She came along to the second session, and she scored me on the AQ Test (and got a very similar result to the way I had scored myself). So she could see for herself that I do have AS and was not just going overboard with self-diagnosis.

So ... I am glad I got a diagnosis because it ended the self-doubt ("Is this true, or am I just making it up?") and it is a good basis for therapy about my sensory sensitivity.

I diagnosed myself with Asperger's also. However, I doubt that I could get a positive diagnosis from any Ph.D., so I won't even try. On any objective AS or ASD test, I have a borderline score today. My score is much higher toward the spectrum than an NT, but not high enough to trigger a positive diagnosis. If I take the test as I was when I was eight years old, AS and ASD bells and sirens would be going off all over the place.

Based on the research I have done, I am completely convinced that I have Asperger's Syndrome. However, I am one of the lucky ones in that I can function (more or less) like a normal healthy human being. I have no close firends, but I have plenty of not-so-close friends and go to several group get-togethers throughout the week without too many problems. I prefer to be by myself most of the time, but not all the time. I can hold down a job, keep what passes for a social life, and take care of any chores that need taking care of. But the job has to be without stress to speak of, and the chores that aren't completely necessary don't usually get done very often. My bathroom could sure use a cleaning, for example, but I have no desire to do the job despite the fact that my bathroom looks disgusting. I can ... well, you get the picture.

What would be gained by going to a Ph.D. and getting an official diagnosis? If I obviously needed help because of my condition, it might be worth the hundreds of dollars I would need to pay for testing. But I'm getting by on my own, and I can figure out how to treat myself for the problems I have that are treatable. What would be the point?

Not long ago, I was diagnosed with diabetes. I knew what symptoms to look for, and when I had them, I tested my own blood glucose levels on three successive days and found I was on the verge of ketosis. I needed treatment, and I knew it. But I couldn't provide the treatment I needed without a prescription or three, and for that I had to have a qualified M.D. tell me what I already knew. So I went in for testing, and a week later the doctor called me and said I should come in for an appointment. "I have bad news for you," he said to me. "You have diabetes." My nearly instant tactless reply was, "I knew that before I came in to get tested. (Idiot, I thought.) The question I have for you is, what do we do about it?" I got the treatment I needed, and I'm living a relatively healthy and productive life.

The question I would have for you is, do you need help with your condition? If you think you might benefit from a Ph.D.'s ministrations, then you should go in for an official diagnosis. If not, then don't. If you do go in for a diagnosis, though, make sure you find someone who is an expert in autism spectrum disorders. A clinical psychologist friend and I were talking, and I found I knew more about my condition than she did. What was really enlightening was the fact that she couldn't tell I had an ASD, even though we have known each other for years. But not long ago I was chatting with another friend (not a Ph.D. at all) who has two boys with autism. She was able to tell almost immediately that I had Asperger's, and I found out she knew more about symptoms, diagnosis and treatment than I did after all the research I have done. She was far more helpful than my Ph.D. friend. Go figure.

If you want a cheap way to deal with your condition, try finding an organized group of people with AS and ASDs near you. You may find people in such a group are far more helpful than a room full of clinicians. - LJS

I feel the official diagnosis need only be sought by those who feel the need to get one. If the OP is satisified with the self-diagnosis, then that it is satisfactory for the OP. As for me, I wanted the official diagnosis because I just had to hear from a professional who had experience with Asperger's. Being that I probably also have OCD, I am always double checking things---and my self-diagnosis needed double checked too.

I can say that when I first heard of Asperger's and looked at the diagnostic criteria---I felt chills run down my spine. I felt like I was reading my biography. It was me. That was when I scheduled my appointment for an official diagnosis---and got the official diagnosis of Asperger's. But---not everybody needs an official diagnosis. It is a personal preference---and I respect that.