Would it do any good to get tested/confirmed at my age?

I'm an adult, just turned 24, and recently graduated college. I don't have any intention of returning to the classroom. I'm currently unemployed but hopefully that won't last much longer.

I'm seeing a psychologist and a psychiatrist for treatment/management of mental illness, and both of them are pushing me to get tested to see where I am on the autism spectrum. They're both pretty sure that I've got Asperger's, and I've had several other people (family members, friends, teachers) who don't know each other suggest that I'm somewhere on the spectrum too.

It doesn't seem unlikely, really, I just don't see the point of getting tested and confirmed. I'm not in school anymore, so it's not like I could get academic help. I don't think there are any things that could help me at work.

Did you get diagnosed as an adult? Did it help you any, or was it sort of a waste of time?

Posted Apr 15, 2013, 11:14 AM UTC

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SplinterOfChaos•

If you are already seeking professional help for mental issues, and said professionals would like you diagnosed, maybe it'd help them understand how to treat you.

I remember going to a therapist once who was used to working with recovering addicts and severe depressives. He was so surprised by mundane behaviours, like reading a book for eight hours, that I never got a chance to talk about my problems. I at least know for myself that if I ever go back to therapy, I'd want to see someone with some familiarity with autism.

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nbtxdude•

You are still young enough where they possibly can give you help. I'm about 20 years senior to you and getting diagnosed relieved me from thinking that I was some freak of nature and that there is a reason why I am the way that I am...

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bellytacos•

The main reason for diagnosis all has to do with working within the medical system. It spills out into social life, and people have corrupt it by meshing psychiatry into common culture where it doesn't belong, so any perceived advantages there are corrupt, like being able to join an Aspie social club. In terms of actual benefit, it's confined to people in the medical industry.

Because you are inside that medical system, being treated for mental illness, the reason for further definition and diagnosis in that direction is all about how it improves the workings of the healthcare system for your specific needs. For example, any treatment you're receiving might be generalized, and doesn't focus on the autistic aspects, which might not be as effective in helping you with your problems. Or maybe there's some benefits in terms of how your health insurance works.

But it's not like if they chart you on the autistic spectrum they can custom-tailor a medication for you. So whatever benefits you see, if you aren't already aware of what they could be, would probably be minimal. Probably it'd be stuff like if you went to a new therapist somewhere they could quickly jump into a stereotype for you rather than being baffled about why you'd behave some way. Saying it's autism just gives them somewhere to start with.

Do a search for autism therapies to see if any specific directions they might take with you would be of service. If so, then by gaining a diagnosis you are joining a mental healthcare framework, where all your treatment will be tailored based on whatever is figured out about autism. Right now that might not be very useful, but what if in the future the knowledge grows? What if there becomes a more effective treatment? Then you'd want the diagnosis, so they could prescribe it for you.

But right now I think the medical technology to treat autism is lacking, so if you made it this far in life without it, you probably wouldn't gain any major benefit, and it could cause other complications because people in the future might jump to stereotypes that don't actually fit you.

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