self diagnosed - should i try to get a formal diagnosis?

Thanks for this post, I find you guys very inspiring.  

Welcome to the post! :)

Hi to all,for some time I have wondered wether to seek a formal diagnosis or not, I have many reasons to want to know but as I am 54 and life is generally ok for me I feel a bit guilty using precious resources from the NHS, I cannot afford to go private. 

I feel a fraud coming on here trying to help others when I have no proof of ASD,but I share so much of what others who have formal diagnosis.I actually feel like I am gatecrashing a party. Most of my life I have not fitted in! 

I did the AQ test and it came up as 36, as I filled it in some of the questions seemed unimportant but maybe they are there to balance the result,if all the questions were autistic traits and nothing but then anyone could come out as ASD?

I have found a place near me that looks after anyone with ADHD and does testing for autism as they quite often overlap each other. I sent an email asking about cost and just what is involved.they use a phychiatrist to assess.

On the whole I think I have survived quite well in life,it has been interesting along the way but thankfully not horrible like some people have to cope with. 

About appearing to be showing autistic traits but not being autistic? Well what a surprise! I have spent 54 years myself of trying to adapt to fit in,I have found coping strategies that work,it is only by coming on here and seeing the so called out of the ordinary things we do that hit me as being about my life.

things that seemed normal or unimportant to me that are unique to individuals with ASD.

As others have said if you feel it will help you then go for it,spend time on here reading old posts about receiving a diagnosis as some it is a happy thing but others cannot cope with it. Even when I first read about a women called violet who was diagnosed late in life did I suddenly realise everything she wrote about her life was pretty much my life, I felt happy then sad then extremely angry. My head was all over the place,it took quite some time for me to stop crying.

best of luck but whatever you decide keep coming here as it is the best place I have ever been.friendly,caring and very understanding.

Thanks everyone for your answers and stories! I did all the tests today and got 36 in the AQ, 19 in the EQ and 8/10 in the AQ10. I did the one with the graph as well and it said likely aspie as well. So overall all the tests seem to agree...

Yes.  The EQ was 30, which was borderline.  RQ was 25 out of 31.  15 is around the 'norm' on that one.

Yes.  The EQ was 30, which was borderline.  RQ was 25 out of 31.  15 is around the 'norm' on that one.