Monday, August 12, 2013

Care and Feeding of your Aspie: Part 35 - Asperger's is Real

As I have migrated "The Care and Feeding of Your Aspie" to my personal server, this entry can now be found HERE.

2 comments:

  1. I have enjoyed this series - right up until now - but what you say here is just wrong. I found out about Aspergers almost be accident, researched it myself, then got a diagnosis - I certainly would not have got this if I had not done all the leg work myself! You have no right to put down people - many who have struggled all their lives with these symptoms - who have found out about this condition themselves and have the courage to face it. This is arrogant and I am afraid downright ignorant!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I feel it necessary to point out a double standard here... I have no right to put anyone down, but you do the same thing to me... calling me arrogant and ignorant... For the record... It is arrogant to diagnose one's self... to assume knowledge and training (4 years of college, 4 years of med school and residency) that you do not posses is the height of arrogance.

      I am sorry that you feel my words are ignorant, but they are based on the opinions of mental health professionals... Not just one, but many I have interviewed over the course of my research... It is not my opinion, but theirs... Self diagnosis is nothing more than a suspicion of the individual and it requires a mental health professional to GET that diagnosis.

      I am sorry that you disagree... But I think you missed the point of the whole piece... that Asperger's is a real condition and that if you feel that you have it you should get a diagnosis from a mental health professional. As the piece states - "If these perceptions feel accurate and true for your situation, then please... PLEASE run to a trusted Mental Health Professional and procure a diagnosis." This is exactly what you did.

      For the record, I did not put anyone down... except those that are unwilling to get an ACTUAL diagnosis. Self diagnosis is no diagnosis, but it is the first step to getting one... If they are unwilling to talk to a mental health professional to follow the proper steps then it remains that... I find it insulting that people will claim to have an Autistic Spectrum Disorder without a diagnosis... It lessens my condition and my struggles to survive in an NT-centric world.

      I maintain my stance... if an individual feels that they suffer from an Autistic Spectrum Disorder, they NEED the diagnosis to secure treatment, skill training and the help they need.

      Delete