I have an identity crisis about my aspergers?

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Benthedemon007
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16 Feb 2016, 6:35 pm

So this will be long, so brace yourselves.

So, my identity crisis is about whether or not to identify as an aspie. The reason I say this is because although I was diagnosed when I was 4, at this point 10 years later, much of it has faded away, and just blended with my ADHD. I'll tell you some things about me that are "aspielike" and "not so aspielike" so you can see where I'm coming from.

Symptoms of Aspergers I have:

I am stubborn at times
I have my own interests and can research them for hours (more on that later)
I am awkward
When I was little I had eye contact and personal space issues
I categorize thing in my mind rigidly
I have a high IQ, and a good vocabulary
My natural sense of humor isn't seen as funny by many people (although I've learned to be more conventionally funny, and I know how to make fun of myself when I tell these jokes)
Sometimes I can be dense
When I was younger, I would develop habits like clapping, snapping, etc.
When in a political discussion, I offend people a lot
I have an amazingly vivid imagination and am very creative.
I procrastinate a lot
I can't sit still and act on impulse.
I am right-brained

Some "not so aspielike" things about me are:

I don't get offended easily
While I have my own interests like I said, they are things like heavy metal or fighter jets, not stereotypically autistic things like cars.
I care about how I look, am fashionable, and am physically strong.
I wouldn't call myself "macho" but am more masculine than most aspies, and am not all that geeky, even if I like D&D and star wars.
I like loud music (so long as it's good music) and don't mind bright lights
I don't get meltdowns
I tend not to like to organize things, in fact I am the opposite
I am not a perfectionist
I am a good conversationalist
I don't talk in a stereotypical way
I hate being talked down to
I realize pretty quickly when someone is being mean to me, and I know how to verbally defend myself
I'm ambiverted

Basically, I don't share all that much in common with most aspies, but recognize that I technically have it, so I don't know how I should identify myself, aside from being "neurodiverse". I understand that this may offend many people, so I'll say that I recognize that many of my traits that I say are "aspergerlike" necessarily pertain to you.


_________________
Your neurodiverse (Aspie) score: 91 of 200
Your neurotypical (non-autistic) score: 122 of 200
You seem to have both neurodiverse and neurotypical traits


TheAP
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16 Feb 2016, 6:45 pm

I think it's fine to call yourself a diagnosed Aspie.



Waterfalls
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16 Feb 2016, 6:51 pm

The lists you give aren't diagnostics for or against having AS.

Maybe the main thing to think about focusing on might just be where are you comfortable, and trying to build on those strengths, and whether there are any areas you struggle with and if so, who or what you can turn to. If you really want to know you could try to get a sense how others see you....but I am not sure how much good this does.

The diagnosis is not about how one sees oneself it is about one's skills as they appear to others, though, and we don't always come across the same as how we see ourselves. And people are often not truthful about how they see you if you ask.

Do you get services in school? A place to start might be asking....for what?