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Waiting for a diagnosis

goneepi

goneepi

Active Member
Hi all, I'm a first-timer here. I'm a 38-year-old guy, and I've been in cognitive therapy for about 4 years now dealing with depression, anxiety, and PTSD after a mugging a few years ago and some other stuff. In all that time, the question of autism or aspbergers never came up until a few weeks ago, I mentioned it to my therapist, that so many of the symptoms rang so true. A lightbulb went off in his head, and over the following weeks, I took a bunch of online tests (some short, some very long), and all of them cross the threshold of "you likely have aspberger's" or some such. He and I are now trying to get some kind of full assessment done by a neuro-psych, but nothing seems to be moving, like they don't want to do the testing. My therapist is technically qualified to diagnose me himself, he says, but doesn't feel he has the requisite experience in this specific area.

So I guess I'm just writing here to say hello, and to say, well, I don't know if I have it. But I so BADLY want to know, as soon as possible. Are there better/quicker ways of getting some kind of formal diagnosis? I mean, not every symptom I read about applies to me, and some apply somewhat, and some REALLY apply. I think it's true, but I don't know, and I want to know.

So really I guess what I'm asking is, what should I do?
 
Welcome to AC. I like many here are self-diagnosed. Perish the thought! But then how many gay people need a medical professional to tell them they are gay? Though admittedly being on the spectrum of autism is likely a more complex issue. Still though, there are very few people here who have investigated themselves who didn't go on to formally determine their own suspicions that they were autistic.

Apart from my own investigation and determination of my neurological profile, perhaps the most profound way I have come to accept it was in interacting with my own kind. Right here. A basic tenet of Dr. Tony Attwood as well. Talking to informed Neurotypicals about autism isn't likely to successfully allow you to relate to your own autism. But talking to your own kind...that has personally been an amazing experience for me.

The big thing to understand is that we are a very eclectic lot in terms of our traits, behaviors and comorbidity. And the varying "amplitude" of all such factors. It's what really defines us as being on that spectrum of autism. We can be much alike in some ways...and vastly different in others. Yet I seem to relate to them far easier than any Neurotypical mindset.

To discover that we are different; but not necessarily deficient.
 
I just wish I could be 100% confident, it would be incredibly meaningful to me.

I do intend to dive deeper into these forums. Though so far it's the same dynamic - lots of "ah-ha's" and a few "uh that's not me's."

I don't know anything about Atwood - I shall google. And thank you.
 
goneepi said:
I just wish I could be 100% confident, it would be incredibly meaningful to me.

I do intend to dive deeper into these forums. Though so far it's the same dynamic - lots of "ah-ha's" and a few "uh that's not me's."

I don't know anything about Atwood - I shall google. And thank you.
Click to expand...


I know what you mean. It was a long and bumpy road...full of my own denial. But I just kept at it...until I could no longer argue with so many pieces that fell together. It's liberating to know who and what I am, as opposed to socially stumbling through life assuming I was merely a jerk and introvert. Better late than never...as I didn't arrive there until my mid fifties.

http://www.tonyattwood.com.au/
 
Hi there goneepi Welcome to Central. I understand precisely your need to know, it can be like a sense of self affirmation. The very best of luck.
 
Hi.

I was wondering if there was any news on your side about diagnosis? I've got about 6.5 weeks before my 3 hour assessment.
I'm feeling the anxiety build up. Not knowing and knowing at the same time. Limbo is never fun. I have obsessively researched and done tests.
I hope you are in a good place. One thing that helped me was to make peace with my worst enemy. The enemy being me of course.
 
Thank you for asking. I lucked out, actually. I found someone in the area who is studying adult Asperger's specifically, and she bumped me up in the queue. I have my evaluation (the 6 hour testing) in a couple of weeks, then it's about a month after that until I get a final word.

I'm REALLY glad to be getting this done.

CeasarKungPow said:
Hi.

I was wondering if there was any news on your side about diagnosis? I've got about 6.5 weeks before my 3 hour assessment.
I'm feeling the anxiety build up. Not knowing and knowing at the same time. Limbo is never fun. I have obsessively researched and done tests.
I hope you are in a good place. One thing that helped me was to make peace with my worst enemy. The enemy being me of course.
Click to expand...
 
It's a relief when the pieces to puzzle start to make sense! And then the obsessive piecing together of what I remember of my life.
Good luck with your wait.... Let us know how it goes or if you want to rant!!!
I could not speak about this to natives of this planet. Nice to be able to speak to people like me. I hope you find it a relief to do so also.
Peace
 
CeasarKungPow said:
It's a relief when the pieces to puzzle start to make sense! And then the obsessive piecing together of what I remember of my life.
Good luck with your wait.... Let us know how it goes or if you want to rant!!!
I could not speak about this to natives of this planet. Nice to be able to speak to people like me. I hope you find it a relief to do so also.
Peace
Click to expand...
Hehe I often find myself referring to normal people as "humans"
 
Hi and welcome,
HFA can be hard to diagnose. It has similarities to other things. Speed would be nice but accuracy is more important when you concern is knowing for sure. If it is HFA, you are exactly the same the day you find out as the day before. Nothing really changes, there is not cure or medical treatment. But the knowledge is helpful as far as self understanding goes. Getting second opinions and more elaborate evals isn't a bad idea for certainties. Have patience and preserverence and you will get there.
 
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