Condition: Unknown...But Willing to Talk

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On the advice of a dear friend, I've come to these forums. My actual condition is something I have yet to confirm, but the common suspicion is that I have Asperger's. Please note that I said "suspicion" as opposed to "educated guess". The people doing the guessing in my life mean well but don't always understand that the easiest answer is not always the correct one. There are some similarities, yes, but I just...don't...know. I truly hope that won't be a problem.

Greetings and salutations!

So what is the biggest reason that makes you think you may have aspergers?

The two biggest things are the sometimes "inappropriate" responses to social situations and my, shall we say, "unique" way of listening to people.

I understand well enough what is considered the appropriate response to some social conditions but there are times when I've veered strangely off-course. At the wedding of a friend, though I wasn't one of the preeminent invited guests (I was considered peripheral in the extreme, though I dearly loved the girl getting married), I took my seat at the front and center of the pews. It was a social faux pas that I don't think the bride's mother ever forgave me for. When I got similarly snide condescending remarks from one of the guests about the unwrapped nature of my gift, I picked up on the insult but I didn't feel anything about it, not even humiliation. It's like...I was missing something that would have helped me to understand (and probably get hurt, which is why I was glad for my lack of understanding). A lot of the conversations I've had has been complicated by this.

My mother once complained how I could hear so good when I wasn't supposed to yet blotted out people when they were talking to me directly. This isn't an all the time thing, mind...I wouldn't be able to function at all if it were. But I find myself picking up more on what others are saying around me rather than AT me, if that makes any sense. It's not a conscious decision, just something I do.

I understand what You're on about, it seems You may have Asperger's by the sound of it, not ticking in to social norms and difficulty tuning in to people are giveaways.

I have Asperger's so I understand what You may be feeling.

If You are really that curious, take this test
http://rdos.net/eng/Aspie-quiz.php

Alot of people here have and it seems to fit there suspicions.
I am one of the lucky ones here, having got diagnosed when I was just 5, however theres many people here who have gone decades without knowing they have Autism or Asperger's.

Thanks for the test, Fisplen! It came back with a 128 out of 200 for the Autism scale, so I'd say that we're both onto something with this. When I was a kid, this condition was known, but not yet widely accepted. All anyone knew was that I didn't fit and they actually tested me for dyslexia at one point. It got complicated by some possible PTSD from living with an abusive father until my senior year in high school (my mother and little sister were fellow travelers on that road), which has led me to some borderline paranoia that has been exacerbated by my still having to deal with my father and his family to this day.

Mostly, I just feel kind of lost, you know? It's been like this for decades now.

Welcome to Wrong Planet!