Question for anyone who has knowledge of Asperger's. Asperger's is a form of autism and in my mid 30s I am only now starting to realize that I might have been living with this my whole life. For anyone with knowledge on the subject - what are the best ways to cope and live with this? I just used to think maybe I was a little different than other people my whole life but once I started reading about Asperger's I realized I have almost every single symptom that is commonly associated with it. Makes me feel good in a way that I have an explanation for why I am the way I am but also makes me a little disappointed and mad that this was not discovered much earlier in my life as perhaps knowing I had it may have allowed me to get access to professionals who could have helped with it and helped me navigate through my younger years.
Asperger's Syndrome
- Thread starter mbaileyajc
- Start date
There are different levels of Autism and Asperger's. You may fit every single symptom (that'd be rare), but even then you may fit them only mildly. A friend of my dad's has a son with Asperger's in his early twenties. But he's a real mess, being prone to fits of violent rage. He's socially awkward, lacking empathy, has no interest in the ideas/feelings of others, has a few learning disabilities, and otherwise acts oddly. He takes medication and is supposed to be following practices to keep himself calm. Such actions are useless because he regularly seems to act totally against the doctor's recommendation.
That doesn't sound like you, does it? If anything, you may have a mild case. Best to check with a doctor.
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asperger typically effects interpersonal behavior. not realizing appropriate social cues, or being unable to manage social situations, random ticks/movement, introverted personality.
medication as well as some cognitive behavior therapy does help "normalize" sometimes.
we all have some type of mental heath or behavioral issues that most people manage very well day to day, as most likely the OP has done till now.
Im not a fan of labels, they are only good on food items.
medication as well as some cognitive behavior therapy does help "normalize" sometimes.
we all have some type of mental heath or behavioral issues that most people manage very well day to day, as most likely the OP has done till now.
Im not a fan of labels, they are only good on food items.
Just get on with your life.
Once upon a time we used to accept that people were different. We said some people were shy. We said others were outgoing. We said some people were extroverts and others were introverts. It was always hand-wavy but people got by with whatever they were, and life worked out OK. Now if you are shy it's supposed to be a disease that needs treatment -- bullshit. My guess is that you will lead a happier and more fulfilling life if you don't go around trying to get a diagnosis and/or a drug for every personality quirk you may have.
You don't really need or want a drug that will turn you into a type-A ass clown. Just be yourself.
Not violent but I can get mad easily sometimes (although I do not get violent ). Socially awkward - definitely yes. Used to think I was just shy but its beyond shyness - as an example I recall when I was younger when my parents would have guests over or relatives over at the house for a get together or dinner or whatever I would basically stay upstairs in my room and close the door and avoid interaction with the guests and sometimes I wouldn't even come out of my room until they were all gone. Also have difficulty looking at people when talking to them - unless they are immediate family members or close friends. Also, I have very limited interests. Also sometimes I will take jokes literally or not really know whether something is said as a joke or not and then I'll spend time thinking about it in my mind trying to figure out whether something was meant as a joke or literally and I'll often conclude in my mind that it was meant literally even if it was only a joke.
Agree with most of what you say. The only issue is the social problems makes it difficult for me to establish / keep friendships and relationships and even makes work less pleasant. For example - sometimes at work I'll be invited by some co-workers to go out to a bar after work and I'll end up making an excuse not to go. Several weeks ago the manager at work invited all the employees over for a BBQ at his house. I made an excuse and didn't go. The people then feel that I don't like them when that couldn't be further from the truth - it is just that social situations are very stressful for me. I've been able to manage the other stuff. It is just the social aspect of things that I have had difficulty overcoming.
I hear ya.
Although not officially diagnosed I suspect I have a mild form of it. My formative years were just too rough and spent all of my 20's doing damage repair. These days I don't see it as a liability, it's part of what makes me a formidable investigator. When I talk to people I don't listen to what they say, I listen to what I hear.
Although not officially diagnosed I suspect I have a mild form of it. My formative years were just too rough and spent all of my 20's doing damage repair. These days I don't see it as a liability, it's part of what makes me a formidable investigator. When I talk to people I don't listen to what they say, I listen to what I hear.
So you suspect you may have Asperger's and come here to ask how to cope with it?
Why have you decided that you have it that you need advice on how to cope with it?
If you had it, you would not be here in the first place. Secondly, if you had it, you would not be asking how to cope with it.
Diagnosis depends on more than checking items off a list you find on the internet. This applies to anything.
As trite as it may sound, abnormal behaviour is merely normal behaviour exaggerated. This means you need to know how to define the term 'clinically significant'.
Do not attempt to self-diagnose or diagnose others unless you have the training and license to do so.
there is no set behavior to expect from every person with aspergers as each person has individual behaviors. there may be commonalities but each person is unique. I work in the mental health field and have seen many persons who have aspergers. from my own observation they do have problems making connections with others due to their unique and sometimes misunderstood behavior. at times some people with aspergers tend to make bad choices when picking relationships since they want that interaction and will often overlook/not notice that the people they wish to associate with are not positve influences. some are extremely gifted and have skills that would require less personal interaction(eg computers, mathematics, sciences).I met a client once who told me beforehand that he had Asperger's. We got along well and I'm glad he told me otherwise I would've likely been freaked out by his behaviour.
I also used to have a regular who could not pick up on social cues from those around him, behaved a bit strangely in public, spoke very quietly yet got annoyed when people couldn't hear him, etc. Do you think that is Asperger's? I once tried to tell him that he may have it and he should consider seeing a doctor/therapist but he got angry. He accused me of calling him crazy. I am no doctor but was only trying to help.
as for you regular, I have no idea. as well; like I said above Im, not a huge fan of labels. psyhcology and psychiatry are pseudo sciences that are not provable. so all the diagnosises out there are educated guesses. labeling people in my opinion gives people an excuse to not be reponsible for their own behavior and allows them to blame their label.
Talk to a doctor. This forum is not a good source of medical advice, we're all amateurs. Self diagnosis is difficult and there is a tendency to believe that you have any ailment that you might do internet research on. Talk to a professional in the field and you should get some real world advice.
Guess it depends how you look at it. Some people would look at what you described above and say you have a mild case of Asperger's. Others would look at it and simply say you are very shy (avoids others) and have self-confidence issues (take offense to jokes not meant to be offensive). And some people would say they're one and the same.
Many sufferers of Autism do have limited interests. But they excel at those few interests. Guess it's a bit of a trade-off. However, limited interests could also be evidence of Depression. Possibly brought on by lack of positive social interactions due to the above.
Just be aware that mental health issues aren't exactly taken seriously in this country (unfortunately), and diagnosis and treatment isn't clear-cut. It's still best to see a doctor though.
Normal.
Normal. Lots of teens do shit like this as they work through who they are and reject conforming to the behavior that is expected of them.
So you're shy.
This is something different. Could by a symptom of addiction, depression, or something else. You should work on this, regardless of what else you do
We are all quirky in some way.
You can go play the victim card and find an excuse to fail and a drug to validate your failure or you can pick yourself up and make the best of the hand life dealt you.
You listen to what you hear? You would do better with people when you listen to what they are sayin
There is a difference red, unless you are in my shoes you cannot understand.
When I'm speaking to people I cue in on tone, inflection and hidden impulses. I didn't ask for this, it just is. I makes things awkward and uncomfortable for me when I'm in social situations but is an absolute asset when I investigate an accident or grievance. I've done several sexual harassment cases and I know within two minutes if the person is guilty or being framed.
When I'm speaking to people I cue in on tone, inflection and hidden impulses. I didn't ask for this, it just is. I makes things awkward and uncomfortable for me when I'm in social situations but is an absolute asset when I investigate an accident or grievance. I've done several sexual harassment cases and I know within two minutes if the person is guilty or being framed.
