Do you have Asperger syndrome ?

So…. I’d like to be sensitive, and please feel free to call me out if I’m not.

A cursory google search brought back 1-2% of people on the autism spectrum and .05-.02 with aspergers, yet the poll is saying the prevalence here is somewhere between 23-43%.

Without making anyone who identifies as Neuro-diverse uncomfortable, is it worth asking if this hobby draws a particular group? Is this a known thing that I’m just unaware of?

I never forget a face. But I remember the names of all the dogs in the neighborhood but people? Forget it. Dogs are the superior species anyway!

I'm definitely diagnosed. ADHD along with it. Adderall worked until I started taking all 3 in the A. M. instead of spacing them out. Boom! Addict. No Adderall for you.

You're not alone-I'm pretty much the same. "Modernizing" the flashlight fleet is a case in point. Thank God I can do paperless on credit cards..

Energy is always an issue. Wife: What did you do all say?! Me: silence. (drinking enough coffee to kill a horse to try to get a kick start, that's what!)

Oh, and about wives.. wait'll she gets menopausal. That's when I started doing my own thing. I can't deal with the nagging over bullshit stuff any more.

Necrobump!

I now believe that I do have Asperger Syndrome.

My family thinks that I do, too.

It was their concern that led me to research the syndrome.

I haven't been diagnosed, but I will see my doctor in about three weeks and tell him that I think I have it.

How would he check? See if your pee has a nasty stank to it?

:stuck_out_tongue:

That’s asparagus syndrome

Mmmm, I knew it was one or the other.

I don't know if my doctor will try to diagnose me or not.

For example, when I told him I thought I was non-24, he wasn't all that interested.

I think he's a great doctor, but he clearly doesn't care about every little thing.

“…. hear more about Asperger’s and autism…”

well, i answered no, only because i have met/known people with both.
this is what i know only through my experiences.

1. Autism. of course, it is referred to as a “spectrum”.
the ones i know require constant supervision.
as in, “danger to themselves and others”.

2. Asperger’s. sort of a mid-range diagnosis,
but that classification is fading away.
some people think of the movie Rain Man
as a fictional representation of symptoms.
personally, Asperger’s means awkward
and/or VERY inappropriate public behavior,
which appears to come-and-go suddenly.

3. High-Functioning Autism. in my opinion,
that depends on your definitions of High and
Functioning. the ones who i came to know
were fine in public as long as distractions
were minimized. i would not ride in a car
with them driving, even though two had
driver’s licenses in the recent past.

in all 3, repetition and resistance to change
are evident. i can vouch that these two symptoms
are definitely on a sliding scale or “spectrum”
which can range from silence to violence.

There’s nothing fun about ASD’s and seeing a bunch of random people uneducated on the topic writing stuf like “self diagnosed” is just sad. Not being a social person doesn’t make you “asperger”, stop it.

I looked up the symptoms of Asperger Syndrome, and I have a bunch of the symptoms, so I think I have it, thank you very much.

I see three fallacies in your post, nobody said that ASD was fun, from the data available in this thread you can’t infer that self diagnosed people are uneducated on the topic, and nobody said that having social anxiety means you have Asperger, to have Asperger you have to go to the grocery store as far as i know.

Thank you, JamesB!

You are much more articulate than I am, and I agree with your assessment.

@Mraz:

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There are treatments for the syndrome, but I don't think there is medication for Asperger Syndrome.

If someone has the syndrome, and wants to improve their situation through treatment, then being diagnosed might be a good idea.

So I am being rude for saying ASD’s are no laughing matter and that they CAN NOT be self diagnosed but people making fun of mental disorders on first page are OK?

Any and every disorder can only be diagnosed by trained professionals after testing, not by internet polls and google. That is the fact and personal opinions and feelings don’t change that.

My wife is one of those trained professionals that work with mental disorders every day and even she is reluctant to diagnose someone without checking twice and making sure her colleagus agree and all this time she could’ve just google the simptoms? I think not.

@Mraz: This topic isn’t the main concern, it’s a matter of being polite and not arguing. I’m not condoning the posts earlier in this thread either, but those were from a long time ago and never came to my attention, so please focus on your own posts. And please avoid this thread from now on.

Mraz, I don’t like the phrase ‘self-diagnosed’ but I think you are making some unfair generalisations. I suspect many people diagnosed with ASD as an adult essentially ‘self-diagnose’ before going through the formal process.

I answered ‘I don’t know’ to the poll. I have a child diagnosed with ASD and as we went through the process I realised that I share pretty much all the traits that led to their diagnosis, although possibly to a lesser degree (it is a spectrum after all). There are a few other factors that I won’t go into (just to keep this post shorter) but I think it’s not uncommon for a parent to be diagnosed with ASD after their child is.

I do feel that identifying as a ‘self diagnosed’ autistic is potentially disrespectful to those who have a definite diagnosis. However, considering my life in the context of ASD has helped me make sense some things in my past and better manage some current issues.

I think it’s possible that I could be diagnosed but perhaps I would be below the threshold. Either way, applying strategies for understanding and managing ASD to myself has been beneficial. At this stage of my life I don’t think having a diagnosis would be of much benefit.

While I wouldn’t encourage ‘self-diagnosis’, I would encourage anyone who thinks they might have some of the traits of ASD to look into it. You may benefit from the the understanding even without a a diagnosis.

I think the above applies to some other conditions like ADHD too.

I did a Zoom meeting with my new psychiatrist today.

I may have Asperger syndrome, but because my mood is pretty stable, I don't really have to do anything to treat it.

I could do some therapy, but I probably don't need it.

She honestly didn't seem that concerned, but since I'm not that concerned about it either, it works out fine.

Asperger’s is just the current favourite ‘excuse’, just like how most of those who comment on their ‘OCD-ness’ or who claim to have dyslexia generally don’t have such things.
Asperger’s being the ‘genius’ disorder and featuring symptoms or traits common among many successful entertainers and artists just makes it even more fashionable.

The thing about self-diagnoses is that many people will indeed exhibit _traits associated with _the disorder, but that does not mean they have the actual disorder itself - A disorder is where the traits and symptoms are so severe that you cannot function as a normal human being in basic daily life, to the point where you cannot even dress yourself, cook a simple meal safely, or be trusted to cross the road on your own. Often they will not even be aware of the issues, which is why an actual diagnosis of disorder must be done by a certified professional.

Take a quick read through DSM-IV and on average you will find between four and ten mental health disorders for which you (appear to) exhibit the typical traits… yet I seriously doubt anyone is genuinely psychotic *and *bipolar with five different ASDs *and *a helping of OCD on the side.

Being aware of certain personality traits is one thing, and often a good thing as it can help you understand yourself better. That’s a big element of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy… But going round claiming to have a disorder based solely on self diagnosis, especially when you are not a trained and certified professional in the field, is rather dishonest… like entering the Paralympics with a broken finger.