Aspies For Freedom - Therapist *******?

Anyone else had a therapist/psychologist/psychiatrist avoid mentioning the words "Asperger's Syndrome" despite you (the patient) mentioning tons of things consistent with the condition?

I talked about myself extensively with my last therapist, and this was before I even knew what Asperger's Syndrome was. I brought it out in the open that I had nightly rituals that I had stuck to for years, and still do. He still didn't mention AS.

He didn't mention it when I talked about my complete difficulty with social situations, compulsive avoidance of "normal everyday life", and completely inflexible and stubborn point of view.

Anyone else been to a therapist on a power trip, who "decides" it's better not to mention Asperger's than give the patient, in their words, "another excuse to stay behind in life" ?

The bastards.

Pakrat Wrote:

Oh, I could have suggested a job in a call centre. That would be just the ultimate pits!

That's sorta what I meant.  While I don't intend to demean chergh or anyone, I thought a mild barb that addressed his "alleged proficiency" with the gritty social world would be a taste of his own medicine.

A call center would be complete hell for me and most Aspies, indeed.  What I got from chergh was an air of "superiority" that he can transcend situations normally tough for Aspies, and that if you don't make strides to get past these obstacles, you're like a little kid.  That's how I interpreted it, anyway.

And if that suspicion is correct (I fear it may be), then it doesn't sit well with me.  Hence, my rebuttal.

Noetic Wrote:

Batman55 Wrote:

AFAIK a lot of Aspies, especially the more socially troubled ones, have found a "niche" and eventually manage to do quite well.

I feel I need this approach because everything I've tried to help me be a social animal--medication, therapy, counseling, has not worked. I am not able to "one of the crowd."

I hate the acting involved and it overwhelms me.

I do hope you manage that, and I guess diagnosis does help because it means you really *know* rather than suspect (which can often be biased), and it helps many aqccept themselves better.

Certainly for me, the social bis never really bothered me that much but they did sometimes, and the executive functioning problems bothered me too, and learning to accept that I really do work different has helped me change my expectations and adapt my self-help strategies accordingly.

For example I have stopped expecting myself to remember all these different things I have to do, I have stopped trying to stick to a schedule (because if my brain is not in the right mode I *can't* force myself) and have changed to using visual cues for a lot of things, and I have a phone which can be used as a calendar/task list which REMINDS me to do things because I am soooo good at making elaborate plans and schedules, and then promptly forget all about them & never looking at them or even remembering them.

That's why I think getting an official diagnosis, to confirm that the source of many of my difficulties is Asperger's, would help.

Then I would be able to understand why I'm so bad at things other people do quite easily.  And then I can figure out "alternative ways" to get around those annoying things.. as you know autistics do things differently than most NTs.

And if I knew I have AS, I wouldn't feel so pathetic for not having had a girlfriend or for not having a "great career plan with my first kid to arrive by 30 years old, etc"...

All that is good and well but it's not my primary motivation.  I'm just not interested in the social world as much as others.  I prefer doing things my own way, on my own terms.

Wouldn't it make sense that a diagnosis of AS would provide some understanding of self, seeing as I haven't been able to be any kind of "normal" person, not even on the most basic level?

I don't know why everyone thinks a diagnosis would be a "stupid magic label" or an "excuse", for me.  I happen not to be doing well now, but perhaps part of the reason is that I don't know *why* I'm different, yet.  A diagnosis would provide that reason.

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