Step One?

[George Newman]

I am grateful for the privilege of being a part of this community. AC is literally the only outlet I have to interact, learn, and understand what being autistic is.

One concern I have is how many state “after comparing myself to the autism trait list I think I am on the spectrum” or “we are pretty sure he/she is on the spectrum and we are experiencing the following troubles”.

Now if one is loosing the use of ones leg one is not going to guess as to the prognosis and then go about trying to do the best one can to function. He/she is going to go to a doctor and get to the specifics of what is wrong with their leg and establish a treatment strategy that will result in the best outcome.

If one thinks they or someone close to them is on the spectrum they should seek out a professional and establish a concrete diagnosis, yes? Once this is complete then one can move on to address life’s complications in a well established context.

Am I wrong? My desire is to spark dialogue based on what I am thinking. Does this make sense? Is this helpful? Would a concrete professional diagnosis bring process and a bit of peace to life?

We are so fortunate to have this forum. I am grateful for the opportunity to participate.

 

[Streetwise]

if you are a boy or a Man then diagnosis might be easier for women it's been near impossible for decades and it's still very hard for a lot of women !they are diagnosed with borderline personality disorder !because psychiatry is still groping in the dark !so no I personally think diagnosis isn't the answer to everyone who needs an answer .

 

[Progster]

I agree that it is beneficial to have an official diagnosis, but many people don't, and often those people have good reasons for not doing so:

- Some older adults weren't diagnosed in childhood because at the time, only very severe cases were diagnosed. Those people realise later that they are on the spectrum, but they don't have the funding for the diagnosis - going through the diagnostic procedure can be lengthy and stressful.

-They feel that a diagnosis would stigmatise them, or they feel that they have good enough coping mechanisms and wouldn't benefit from the diagnosis, so don't seek it.

-They are autistic, but subclinical. They have good coping mechanisms, and need little if any, support. under these circumstances, a diagnosis may not be given, but they may be prescribed medication or offered treatment for autism-related conditions such as depression or anxiety.

- Some people want and need a diagnosis, but their insurance won't cover it and they can't afford to pay for it privately.

- Some countries have huge waiting lists for assessments because adult diagnoses are not high priority.

- Some countries/regions don't even recognise conditions such as Asperger's or mild autism, or don't have services available to diagnose autism.

So, for these reasons, it is unreasonable to expect that all those who suspect that they are on the spectrum to seek and/or receive an official diagnosis.

 

[As sweet as-pie]

I think that getting a professional diagnosis is definitely helpful if you need support so that you can access services. But it's not needed for everyone. However, I support self-diagnosis and I think that if someone is autistic, it would be a shame if they went their entire lives not realising. Also, I suppose it's worth noting that as it's hard to get a diagnosis without encountering difficulties in life, this just perpetuates the stereotype that all autistic people need support and continues this patronising view society has of us. Many people will only take a diagnosis seriously if it's professional, so although I think there may be downsides to a diagnosis if not absolutely necessary, I don't think that should be the case and I think that in order to challenge stereotypes, the range of people getting professionally diagnosed should be increased.

 

[George Newman]

if you are a boy or a Man then diagnosis might be easier for women it's been near impossible for decades and it's still very hard for a lot of women !they are diagnosed with borderline personality disorder !because psychiatry is still groping in the dark !so no I personally think diagnosis isn't the answer to everyone who needs an answer .

Is it felt that the psychiatric community as a whole confuse autism spectrum traits with “bourderline personality disorder” in women or is it felt that it varries from clinician to clinician? Clearly this is a gap and one that needs advocated for. I think if I were a girl/woman seeking professional help seeking confirmation of an autism spectrum diagnosis, I would be well versed in the difference between autism and personality disorder.
Let’s talk thru my simplistic hurt leg example a bit. If one is convinced he/she has a broke leg and upon initial evaluation the doctor feels the problem is a pulled tendon, does one accept this diagnosis or does one seek out a second opinion? If two or three doctors feel the leg has a pulled tendon then would one feel safe accepting the diagnosis?
If a person is convinced he/she is on the spectrum and upon initial evaluation he/she is diagnosed with borderline personality disorder should one not seek out a second and third opinion then accept the consensus? Please note that I am posting this from North America USA and in my local area (300KM radis) I am not sure I could get three evaluations due to the lack of specially trained experienced professionals. So my hypothesis may be impractical. Three cheers for AC.

 

[VioletHaze_03]

I went down the chaotic, disorganized rabbit hole of professional diagnosis so many times, and i can honestly say that my own opinion was far more accurate. I was never diagnosed with anything outseide of nld, depression, or anxiety. I can't say that i've heard the misdignosis of borderline being common, or at least i don't hear of that a lot. Maybe it is common and i've just never heard of it. What i've seen more is women not being diagnosed at all. This is not because we're not doing our research, it is because we can blend in and mimic being an nt to the point that a professional wouldn't notice any ASD traits, so to professionals we sound like we're making things up because they don't notice our struggles. BPD is completely out of the question for me, and my other high functioning friends (all girls) act nothing like girls i've met with it. We're not impulsive, we don't take risks, and our moods don't rapidly fluctuate (unless in case of meltdown, which is different from the emotional outbursts of BPD). Borderline and ASD have completely different symptoms. I haven't heard of BPD being a common comorbidity, maybe it is. Mostly, nts have mistaken my disorder for OCD or anxiety. Unless one has an undiagnosed co-morbidity, i doubt someone would be misdiagnosed with it. Either that or their psychologist is questionable.

 

[Streetwise]

Is it felt that the psychiatric community as a whole confuse autism spectrum traits with “bourderline personality disorder” in women or is it felt that it varries from clinician to clinician? Clearly this is a gap and one that needs advocated for. I think if I were a girl/woman seeking professional help seeking confirmation of an autism spectrum diagnosis, I would be well versed in the difference between autism and personality disorder.
Let’s talk thru my simplistic hurt leg example a bit. If one is convinced he/she has a broke leg and upon initial evaluation the doctor feels the problem is a pulled tendon, does one accept this diagnosis or does one seek out a second opinion? If two or three doctors feel the leg has a pulled tendon then would one feel safe accepting the diagnosis?
If a person is convinced he/she is on the spectrum and upon initial evaluation he/she is diagnosed with borderline personality disorder should one not seek out a second and third opinion then accept the consensus? Please note that I am posting this from North America USA and in my local area (300KM radis) I am not sure I could get three evaluations due to the lack of specially trained experienced professionals. So my hypothesis may be impractical. Three cheers for AC.

I think it's the psychiatric community as a whole ,I think they're still stuck with the prejudice that boys are autistic and girls are not, that's why they diagnose borderline personality disorder because they are blinded to autism in girls .
and if you're not standing in the room flapping your hands or sitting on the floor rocking you can't possibly be autistic and if you're relying on the government for diagnosis the amount of therapists who diagnose it are limited.

 

[tducey]

I enjoy this forum as well. I think it's beneficial to be actually diagnosed. You can benefit from services that you wouldn't be able to sans diagnosis.

 

[George Newman]

I agree that it is beneficial to have an official diagnosis, but many people don't, and often those people have good reasons for not doing so:

- Some older adults weren't diagnosed in childhood because at the time, only very severe cases were diagnosed. Those people realise later that they are on the spectrum, but they don't have the funding for the diagnosis - going through the diagnostic procedure can be lengthy and stressful.

-They feel that a diagnosis would stigmatise them, or they feel that they have good enough coping mechanisms and wouldn't benefit from the diagnosis, so don't seek it.

-They are autistic, but subclinical. They have good coping mechanisms, and need little if any, support. under these circumstances, a diagnosis may not be given, but they may be prescribed medication or offered treatment for autism-related conditions such as depression or anxiety.

- Some people want and need a diagnosis, but their insurance won't cover it and they can't afford to pay for it privately.

- Some countries have huge waiting lists for assessments because adult diagnoses are not high priority.

- Some countries/regions don't even recognise conditions such as Asperger's or mild autism, or don't have services available to diagnose autism.

So, for these reasons, it is unreasonable to expect that all those who suspect that they are on the spectrum to seek and/or receive an official diagnosis.

Progester, it would appear that due to my somewhat selfcentered view I only considered pursuing a professional diagnosis based on my current situation. I can certainly see the perspective of each instance you shared.
Thank you for expanding my perspective on this.

 

[George Newman]

I think it's the psychiatric community as a whole ,I think they're still stuck with the prejudice that boys are autistic and girls are not, that's why they diagnose borderline personality disorder because they are blinded to autism in girls .
and if you're not standing in the room flapping your hands or sitting on the floor rocking you can't possibly be autistic and if you're relying on the government for diagnosis the amount of therapists who diagnose it are limited.

This prejudice must be overcome, Streetwise. Given your information above there certainly are women who could benefit from a positive diagnosis if not just for the peace that comes with knowledge. Thank you for alerting us of this imbalance. I’d like to learn more about this scenario.

 

[George Newman]

I think that getting a professional diagnosis is definitely helpful if you need support so that you can access services. But it's not needed for everyone. However, I support self-diagnosis and I think that if someone is autistic, it would be a shame if they went their entire lives not realising. Also, I suppose it's worth noting that as it's hard to get a diagnosis without encountering difficulties in life, this just perpetuates the stereotype that all autistic people need support and continues this patronising view society has of us. Many people will only take a diagnosis seriously if it's professional, so although I think there may be downsides to a diagnosis if not absolutely necessary, I don't think that should be the case and I think that in order to challenge stereotypes, the range of people getting professionally diagnosed should be increased.

As sweet as-pie. I concur. It seemed to
me that if someone is going to say, “after comparing myself to the autism trait list, I think I am on the spectrum” or “we are pretty sure he/she is on the spectrum and we are experiencing the following troubles” then they would desire a professional diagnosis prior to addressing trait-based issues.
I’m not sure why it is such a big deal to me other than at 47 and having difficulties all my life; difficulties that only Autism Spectrum could account for thru extensive testing, several interview hours, and a professional diagnosis. It was a releaf even though I felt that AS might be the source. Peace. An answer. A place to restart from. It also gave those around me answers too (and a reason to walk/run away).
Thank you for commenting. I agree that if more people were definitively diagnosed by a professional, stereotypes would be challenged. So all this seems reasonable to me. Am I thinking correctly?