Hello there

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I'm Lucy. I decided to join because I relate to a large part of the struggles of Asperger's syndrome. My hearing is hypersensitive, to the point where I can be overloaded in things like coffee shops and shopping centres, but I am also a sensory seeker with it, meaning I enjoy a (good) club night more than most people... it helps too with playing the violin, and appreciating music in general. But put me in a room with a clock and either me or the clock will have to leave. Yesterday I got some ear defenders and they are AMAZING.

I'm also a fidgety Motherf***er. My hands simply cannot stop moving, even if I try. This is probably due to my ADHD, which is my only official diagnosis. I probably have SPD really, because I don't have the social deficits related to AS.
Most of my interests are pretty intense, but none of them special, because I'm basically interested in everything.

Anyway, I think autistic people are great, and very interesting, obviously. I think we'll get on.

Welcome to Wrong Planet!

First-of-all: WELCOME!!

Actually, this is why alot of females go undiagnosed for AS. Little girls are raised differently than little boys----they're, IMO, raised to be social (ie, raised to be nurturing, to host dinner parties, etc.). I'm thinking if you think more deeply on the matter, you might find that you have social problems----like, finding yourself really exhausted after a social event, and/or missing sarcasm, and/or not catching other things that people mean, when they say certain things, or display certain body language. You may NOT find these things----but AFAIC, this is not a deal-breaker, when diagnosing a female.


Yeah, but to me, aside from that being a "problem" brought-on by ADHD, that's a definite sign of AS, because we LIVE to learn.

Anyway, have you ever actually read the DSM-IV criteria, for AS? If not.....

http://www.autism-society.org/dsm-iv-di ... #aspergers

Again, welcome!! I hope that you find all that you are hoping to find, here.

Welcome Lucy!

I also have super sensitive hearing. Always wear earplugs because noises like a clock or things like that can just be insanely awful. With me it's because of a traumatic event but I'm sorry you just experience it out of nowhere. That is often called hyperacusis. Pretty bad and can get worse over time. I sometimes have periods where normal sounds feels weirdly pitched and deformed, shrill. Scary stuff.

Also have ADHD and am very social but still diagnosed with Asperger's so what Milady Campin_Cat said is true, you could still have ASD. Just look at actors like Anthony Hopkins who have ASD. Most actors need to be social in a way.

Have met quite a few women diagnosed with borderline or bipolar disorder who later when they met a good psychiatrist changed that to ASD. If you feel you are on the spectrum, just voice your concern, it's way more than just the social problems, it's the feelings, eye-contact, so many things.

Good luck!

Thanks



Hi. Thanks for your explanations, but I'm aware of this. I never had to consciously learn to function socially, though I am an introvert. Often I actually pick up on too much in social situations, which is probably why I am an introvert. Well, it's not that simple, but anyway. I've never had trouble getting on with people in the way that I've heard described in various youtube videos (by aspies themselves obviously). I'm rarely oblivious to motivations. Also I did say I'm an introvert, but this is not so much in the sense that I feel tired after socialising (it tends to give me a great boost) but that I need alone time, and crave it when I don't get enough. I seem to be the only one of my friends capable of meeting strangers at clubs and occasionaly seshing with them (and after that, I do feel exhausted :p ).

The DSM emphasises "Encompassing preoccupation with one or more stereotyped and restricted patterns of interest that is abnormal either in intensity or focus" which doesn't apply; there is nothing stereotyped or restricted about my interests - they're only abnormal in that I have them in the first place, and I do tend to be quite intensely interested in whatever, and often quite dedicated to it in the long run (not that this excludes a great deal of changing around; I just keep things on the back burner). I'm more inclined to think this can be linked to Dabrowski's intellectual OE, but I dunno.



Hey I never knew you could get hyperacusis from a traumatic event. Sorry to hear that.

Man, I get you with the deformity of normal sounds. Sometimes it feels like my eardrums physically jump when a certain pitch excites them, so even stirring a cup of tea can be almost painful.

I'll definitely bring up these things when my CBT starts, though I'm not sure if pursuing a diagnosis would be worthwhile, as SPD doesn't exist in the UK and I doubt I'd get a match for ASD - and besides, how would a diagnosis help me after CBT, which is personalised anyway? If I learn how to deal with this s**t, then that's that, right?