Call Me Allie

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Hello everyone. My name is Allie. Well, okay, actually it’s my nickname, but that’s what I like to be called.

Just this week a mental health professional informed me that I have “a mild case of Asperger’s.” I never thought I had anything like that, so it is all a big surprise to me. I am in my late twenties.

I am not sure how to deal with this, but thought this might be a good place to meet other people who have Asperger’s, and to learn about living with it. (Obviously, if I’ve had it all these years, I’ve already been living with it, but you know what I mean.)

I’ve always been a little different from most people. In some ways it’s nice to know that maybe I have a reason.

I’ve read a little bit about Asperger’s, but not much yet. Some of the things I’ve read fit me and some don’t. I do tend to get obsessed with my hobbies. I’ve always hated eye contact. It’s difficult for me to interact with people sometimes—I get nervous, don’t know what to say, tend to avoid situations where there is too much talking or human interaction required. I am not the best at expressing myself verbally. On the other hand, I’m very lucid in writing, and have always been; that’s easy for me. I've always really minded a lack of friends. But I am rather empathic, I think. I don't have trouble understanding other people's feelings, just in interacting. (At least in my opinion.)

(Interestingly to me, some of my favorite fictional characters through the years have at least some personality aspects that could be considered Asperger’s-like: Sherlock Holmes, Spock, Stephen Maturin. I am not sure if there are others or not, and there are also characters I like that don’t have any Asperger’s-like characteristics. Anyway that was of interest to me.)

Not sure what else to say about myself. I love writing, reading, and animals.

So, basically, hello, and this is me, folks.

Welcome, Allie! I'm in my late thirties and was diagnosed last week after researching AS and thinking that I might have it... not everything fits me either, but I'm starting to realize just how much work I've put into "fixing" the symptoms I don't have. For instance, one trait is poor handwriting, but when I was a kid, I filled notebook after notebook of increasingly perfect alphabets and handwriting practice, well outside of what was required of me in school. Now my handwriting is among the neatest of anyone I know, but I obsessed over it. One of the added things about Aspie girls/women is that we are often so concerned with pleasing others that we obsess on "special interests" that help us fit in better, rather than the more odd or unusual special interest of our male counterparts. Personally, I think it's one of the reasons women are only 20% of the diagnosed AS population... because we fly under the radar more easily.

I hope you find what you are seeking here. So far, I've found it very helpful.

Hi, Allie, welcome to WP! Glad you found us.

One of my favorite fictional characters is Reg Barclay from STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION. I may be female, but I always felt like I had a LOT in common with him.

Not every AS trait is going to fit you. Also, like RaquiGirl said, it's often underdiagnosed in females because it's not as easily recognized. Take a look at this:

http://autism.lovetoknow.com/Aspergers_in_Girls

Again, welcome aboard!

Hello and welcome to WrongPlanet Allie

Shadi

Welcome greetings, Allie, to the Wrong Planet neighborhood.

Welcome!

It is the places where you will start to think in similarities

Welcome
(and you can just call me Super )

Hi Allie, welcome to WP

Greetings Allie

Thank you, RaquiGirl and conundrum for sharing your experiences. Thanks to the rest of you also, for the welcome! I appreciate it!! And I have a feeling I'm going to learn a lot here. For once, I'm not the only one who struggles with human interaction....

Thank you so much, folks.