I have Asperger's syndrome.

Usually associated to aspergers is obsession to something, like, MAJOR obsession. This doesnt sound too obsessed, but who knows.

 

Good job! Talking to counselors about mental health is more effective than a google search.

 

When I found out I was happy I finally had a word for myself, now I would advice that you do see a professional and get professionally diagnosed but a self-diagnosis can often be the first step. Now I wouldn't go running around and using it as an excuse to not do something, just be who you are and be honest. I wish the best of luck to you.

 

It seems like everyone's an 'Aspie' these days...Have you actually been diagnosed with this by a psychologist, or are you just thinking this on your own?

Either way, I find the whole thing rather dubious; the "symptoms" of Asperger's describe pretty much every shy socially awkward outcast who likes to play video games and hang out on the internet and become preoccupied with some bizarre obsessions. If it exists, it's way over-diagnosed.

This tendency of pathologizing any behaviors perceived as different from society's ideals is rather disturbing in my opinion, but not surprising. Being introverted is like being homosexual, it deviates from expected social norms; in both cases society has historically tried to attribute these differences to mental illness as an explanation, rather than to acknowledge and accept diversity in human behavior.

Western society, and especially American society, glorifies extroverted personality traits as the only normal, healthy pattern of behavior, though it never makes an objective case as to why such traits are superior. Just as society once treated heterosexuality as the only healthy sexual orientation, while classifying homosexuality as a mental illness.

 

I completely agree. Nowadays people decide not to listen to professional words and decide to self-diagnose. If I listened to everything the internet told me, I would have stomach cancer, severe-depression, mental disorder, tear addiction, and cutting addiction.

 

I was diagnosed probably about 20 years ago. At that time, I was probably fairly severely affected, and they tried all sorts of meds to "fix" me. However, as I grew up, I didn't need them anymore. I was able to adjust and know what's different about me, what makes me tick.

Being an Aspie is part of who I am, just like being gay (which BTW, I think there is a statistically significant higher percentage of Aspies who are LGBT. I've read on here - and it makes sense - that it's especially prevalent among FtM transgendered people), having brown hair, or being 5'10". I wouldn't trade it for the world, I wouldn't be nearly as successful as I am in what I do without it I'm convinced.

There are plenty of advantages, believe me - and plenty of disadvantages. Our intense focus is why I'm so great at what I do. I have a knack for learning new things, a skill that's absolutely required in what I do. I think logically through any problem, perhaps overly so sometimes. Everything can be solved with enough logic, and if it's not logical, you're not looking at it correctly and you might need some fresh perspective. I can recognize that and look at things from angles that other people might not.

Some things that I suck at are organization (my apartment is a complete pig sty, and I could care less since I live by myself, I just never bring anyone over), task management of things that I really don't want to do - I'll routinely forget about stuff (but you can compensate for that by writing it down), which brings me to another point - anything that doesn't come easily to you as an Aspie, for the most part, can be learned and forced. I have to consciously think about if I'm having eye contact with someone in a conversation (which BTW is *extremely* uncomfortable for me) and other things. If you do these things enough, they eventually become second nature to you.

I just took an Aspie quiz (the results are in another thread here), and they both rated me as borderline, not the "I need medication" person of my youth. I'll never be an NT, but I've done a reasonably good job of suppressing my Aspie traits, I think (and maybe suppressing is the wrong word there - more like "compensating for")

I also agree that self-diagnosis is dangerous. The symptoms need to have been present from a young age, and observed by other people. There's a whole litany of tests that people have for this.

 

I have to agree with this. Google can be a first step but it should definitely be taken with a grain of salt.

 

"Hey! Looks like Little Jimmy has a bad case of leukemia again! Google said so!"

 

But there is no harm in researching something you think you might have, then going to a mental health professional to talk about it and get a diagnosis if necessary.

 

I'm not saying you shouldn't do research on conditions, what both of us are trying to say is that you shouldn't assume what you found on the internet is what you actually have. Words from a doctor should be taken more seriously than words from a local interneter, who could be anybody.

 

But you shouldn't discount either.

I realize I carry a lot of the child developmental issues that come with. I read an article that was exactly like my life as well.

And I think it's unfair for people to say that it should be taken with a grain of salt.

 

I've tried to self-diagnose myself on several different occasions and each has ended in disaster--with me hyperventilating because I thought I was dying. I'm not even kidding. One time, while I was on a home stay in france, I was sure that one of my organs was exploding inside of me and told the maid I needed to go to the hospital.

Ended up being nothing. Oops.

Not to discredit the internet because it's definitely a powerful tool, but I'm always pretty careful with it when it comes to ANY sort of medical advice.


Moral of the story: @OP, double check with a professional.

That is all. c:

 

As someone else has said, just because you've 'discovered' a term to help categorise your behaviour, it doesn't make you any different to how you were yesterday.

I reckon I had some of the symptoms but I'm certain I've mostly grown out of it now. I'm
on the socially-awkward side of things, even if there's no reason to be, and introverted at times. Whatever.

 

I have Asperger's Syndrome too, most people grow out of it (minimize its effect on their lives) as they grow into adulthood. There are several books on the subject, many of which I own, that can help you cope with having it. Even if you don't have it, some of the advice can apply to just plain socially awkward people.

There is also a forum (I don't think I can name it due to the security policy on EC...) that is specifically for people with Asperger's Syndrome. You can find it if you Google "aspie forum".

Being diagnosed with Asperger's is similar to discovering that you are gay, all that changes is your understanding of who you are.

 

I think lumping Aspergers and autism together as one disorder is ridiculous! I think that although they stem from a similar point, they are both very different. I heard at one stage of them trying to take Aspergers out of the mental problem list altogether and not diagnosing it as a disorder. I like that idea

 

I believe the only classification difference between "Asperger's" and "high-functioning autism" was based on what age a child started to speak, a rather arbitrary distinction, when otherwise they are supposed to present the same way after that... so they decided to drop "Aspergers's" as a separate diagnosis.

But whether you want to consider Asperger's a mental disorder or not is your own decision. Whether you even want to believe Asperger's exists or not is up to you as well. Psychiatry is not physics.

 

I have a partner whom is extremely extroverted and our relationship is very strong and very connected. And I have aspergers not autism [could go on a rant right now].

I am in a similar situation:
My partner has Aspergers..and I am the extroverted guy..
it's not easy though

 

Hey, I have ASD (austism spectrum disorder). Join the group

 

I agree with this. Loads of people think they may have autism, but are no where near autistic. It's a very difficult diagnosis to make, and involves lots and lots of conversations with mental health professionals and lots and lots of tests, and even then a lot of the time -- especially in the case of Asperger's --, there's still no clear diagnosis (pretty much the reason why for example Asperger's now falls into the broader category of "autism spectrum disorder").
That isn't to say you do not have it, but the best way to find out is go to a professional.

And also, yes, people with Asperger's are pretty much impossible to go unnoticed by parents.
However, for friends, other family members, and random strangers, nothing may seem wrong at all.

If it does turn out you have Asperger's or any other form of autism, that's not the end of the world. In fact, you should be happy you have a name for it now, as that will only help you understand yourself more and receive proper help and treatment.