overwhelmed :(

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I have been wondering for years why I felt so different, and now I finally have an answer. And I realize it isn't only myself, but my father and my youngest sister as well. For myself I have a lot of social anxiety and depression from loneliness. It is really hard for me to make friends. When i start to develop a friendship it is difficult because I don't really know how to interact normally. I do have 1 close friend that I maybe hold too close and it can be overwhelming for him. For my dad it's fixated interests, and self-indulgence while ignoring the rest of the family's needs. My youngest sister is reclusive and is not close to the family. In fact, we are all very distant from one another and the whole family dynamic is just awkward. Us 3 do not know how to interact and be close naturally and not awkwardly with others, while my mother and middle child just seem to put up with our compulsions, habits, and odd ways. I haven't brought it up to my dad that I think that he and my sister and I may all have aspergers. In the past I was seeing a psychiatrist and she informed my parents that she believed that I had aspergers. My dad was furious with me and claimed that I was normal and just causing embarrassment to the family because he believed that psychiatry is a bunch of bull. My family really needs help. I want to be close to my mom and my sisters. I want to pursue some family therapy and personal therapy for us all. I just really don't know what to do. My dad is very authoritarian and does not like to be told anything that he doesn't agree with

That sounds very complex. As a first step you could try to get a diagnosis yourself. Then you know it about yourself whether you have Aspergers or another form of autism or not.

My parents were reluctant when I got my diagnosis of Aspergers. In fact both my parents had to fill in a few forms about my childhood, friends, school etc. And they basically either could not remember anything at all or could not remember me being different even though I could sum up a lot of different things that happened in the past.

I have my diagnosis now ( my son too ). And as autism has a strong genetic link and me being a near copy of my dad I do believe my dad is in the spectrum as well and probably one or both of my granddads too.

My parents still have not fully accepted, I think, that I have got Aspergers and my son had PDD-NOS. Let alone that my dad sees some merit in the fact that it might be his genetic contribution to me that got me Aspergers in the first place

Trying to get your diagnosis might be a very important step for yourself and might also be the starting point for your dad and sister.

Needless to say. You are absolutely not the only one

My parents actually threatened to kick me out if I didn't go and see if I had HFA. And when I was diagnosed, they were relieved as for them it explained why I was an odd one out who had stress and anxiety issues.