I, being officially diagnosed by my (not very qualified IMO) psychiatrist Aspergers decided to come here instead of the the other forums (antisocial, narcissistic, schizoid) forums to confirm my diagnosis.
Of course, of course, the "psychiatrist" has all the power and jurisdiction and is by law the only one who can diagnose me. Trouble is, we're Chinese. I am Chinese. He is Chinese. He does not speak very good English. Psychiatry was written in English, yes? Whenever I walk into his office, I answer yes or no questions similar to an online personality test and he comes to a conclusion, prescribes meds, and takes in another patient. Mind you, my insurance is not very good so they referred me to pick from the cheapest psychiatrists in my area *area edited* who are ALL Chinese.
Anyway my current psychiatrist, and the only one I've seen consistently since throughout my life since adolescence when troubles began, Dr said I had Major Depressive Disorder, then OCD, then Aspergers'.
So having cleared out the fact that he doesn't see me that often or for long enough to have an accurate perspective based on reliable information, my worry is that I may be antisocial, schizoid, or a mix of some or all of them instead. knowing myself and who I am.
So basically, the question is. Are all psychiatrists really even qualified to diagnose their patients? My experience tells me I have had more reassurance diagnosing myself (ignoring the fact I'm mentally ill, which is-- btw-- an inconveniently self-fulfilling prophecy) from reading wikipedia, psychforum posts, and the DSM V.