Sociopath maybe?

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I was diagnosed this year as having "mild Aspergers with sociopathic tendencies". Does anyone have a clue what that's supposed to mean? Am I one, or the other, or somewhere in between? I thought you weren't supposed to diagnose ASPD until a person turns 18, and I'm still a sophmore. Psychology makes no sense sometimes! No sob stories please, just an objective answer to my question about the terms quoted above, if you will.

"Sociopathic tendencies" means you are too open with your psychiatrist/therapist. Watch what you say because in some states it can get you in trouble.

Yes, and here is the deal as I know it:

As part of our investigations in life and of life and so on, we say what we think and then listen for insights and answers ... and that scares people even when we are actually completely harmless.

Go figure.

Hey leejosepho--I used to live in Little Rock. I went to law school there, during what seems like another lifetime now.

And I agree about the therapist. There is just something about therapists in general that is unsettling to me.

This line here is an example of what can get you accused of sociopathic tendencies.

The Asperger's diagnosis means that you were diagnosed with enough of the criteria outlined in the latest edition of the DSM to be officially considered as having Asperger's syndrome. It's a long list of traits and you don't need to match all of them for the diagnosis to be made.

Little Rock to Berkeley ... quite a difference, I bet! And, "Paper Chase" used to be one of my favorite movies and TV shows.

Everybody hears and speaks through various "filters" (good or bad and including ignorance) that can help clarify as well as cloud, but I think the matter of money changing hands as a requisite for two or more human beings to converse and ponder together adds "authority mud" to the mix. Sitting and talking with "Grandma" on the porch (or even later in her room in the retirement home) used to be some of the most genuine, insightful and comforting conversation I have ever had.

Since sociopaths are supposed to have no empathy, and people with Aspergers tend to have low levels of empathy for other people, I can see where the idiot got confused.

However, they don't use the term sociopath anymore, it's just plain psychopath now (look it up!). So if you have a good look at that you'll see you probably don't fit (since you're not a maniac intent on hurting other people because it gives you sick glee, right?)

And you can be diagnosed with ASPD very early (my son was diagnosed at age 6). They don't tend to diagnose things like schizophrenia or bipolar II till you're an adult, although you can definitely have the traits of those as a kid. Before my son was diagnosed Aspie, a few counselors wondered if he "was a sociopath" simply because he seemed to be lacking a conscience. Well, he DOES have a conscience it just doesn't look like theirs... it's a lot more muted.

I don't get how you can be "mildly Aspgergers". You either are, or you're not. Then your severity of social situations would be either "severely impaired" or "struggles but survives." I'm the latter, my son is the former. So I can see how you might be called "Aspgergers, mildly socially impaired, and lacking large amounts of empathy for how other people feel," but I don't think you're a psychopath of top of it!! !

That's what I think anyway.

I get accused of it a lot, but I and any professional would know better.