Hi, and opinions needed please :)

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Hi, I am new to this site. I recently watched a programme on TV where it mentioned taking a test online if you thought you might have Aspergers, so off I went... because I never felt that I was the same as everyone else, and found a 50 question quiz, where I scored 33... it said above 32 may be AS... so for the past few days I have had mixed feelings... in some ways it feels like a huge relief to think there may be an actual name for me being so.. odd?

Anyways, today I did some more digging, found this site.. and the 150 question quiz. My results on that were 100/200 AS 114/200 NT and it said I have both traits. This has shook me a little, and I am wondering if it's even worth going for a diagnosis as it seems I am right at the low end of the scale, if I am even on it at all? I don't know how to feel... so, so many traits of AS are me.. and my husband is astounded at things I read to him... my tendency to go on and on, I talk loudly, rock a lot... never make friends (never have) and hate social situations. I struggle with my relationships with my family because they find my opinions offensive and they avoid me like the plague. I have been told countless times that I need to be more tactful, but I don't mean to upset anyone!! I have anxiety and depression problems and am highly senstivie to light, loud noises and pain.

OK, to the point... does it sound to you like I have AS and I should go to the docs, or am I wasting my time? Maybe I don't have it at all... I actually think that would be disappointing for me as it seemed like I finally had some answers. I am sorry if that comes across wrong :-\

You are in almost an identical situation to me.

I realised a couple of months ago that I may have Asperger's while listening toa radio discussion whilst driving.

I am considering a visit to my doctors at some point.

I'm not married, however.

Thank you for your reply Have you taken any of the online tests? I do wonder what benefit there would be to knowing for sure, especially as it seems I am quite low on the scale, but that doesn't change how I feel in myself!

The parts I bolded* are blastingly Autism Spectrum. Other things can cause them -individually- but combined, well, that's what spectrum means.
Besides, we're not looking for "only the exactly right" answers, we're looking for what best answers/explains the symptoms.
*(Add in how thoroughly you 'analyzed' this, and how many angles you look at it, instead of just saing, "Looking at the sun hurtz my eyes, am I autistic?")


iirc Average for men is 15-16 out of 50, for women a couple points lower.

33 is NOT the low end of the scale. It's the 'point' at which the symptoms are clinically significant.

In real people terms 'clinically significant' means: It's been making life really suck for you.

I'd suggest asking your husband to take the test for you - what he observes/thinks/guesses your answers should be.
My own was 46/50, my (ex) Opposite Gender Significant Life (temporary) Partner's 5 year observation of me was 44/50.
Pretty tight spread.

I suspect a similar type alinement for you, he might even go higher than yours.

___________________________________


Umm, how should I put this?
Aspies don't much like ambiguity and are probably going to get annoyed with my opinion based on 'limited' information.
Plus I'm not a doctor (of medicine).
Does 'Fuck Yes' give any clue as to my opinion on this question?

Last edited by 1401b on 10 Jul 2012, 12:00 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Oh ok.. so 33 is significantly higher than average. I am going to get hubby to do the quizzes as you suggested.. it would be interesting to see the results, especially as he maybe notices things I do more than I do. Thank you

I am not officially diagnosed either. My plan was to wait about 3 months or so reading about other people's issues on this forum and asking a few questions about how to cope with the issues that I have. After two months or so, I strongly believe that I have AS. I don't mean to be rude, but of you are married and are no longer continuing your education and are getting on well in every day life, I see no need to immediately seek an official diagnosis if ever. In some cases, I believe that depression can result in AS like symptoms (although AS often results in depression, this is a two way street). Think about what you where like when you where younger, this is likely what the doctor will go by. Also ask your parents about your early in particular and the various stages of your development. The autistic spectrum is a large spectrum of disorders and you may ver well fall on the less severe end of this spectrum, it is important to understand that this is a spectrum and not one disease. Also make sure you see a Neurologist who specializes in the Autism Soectrum rather than a general Neurologist. From experience with my autistic brother, a general Neurologist will take 10-20 minutes with you and write you a prescription for an SSRI, that's about it. A specialist will sit down and discus your various symptoms and how to cope. On a personal note, I now realize that I am different from everyone else. I am not looking for an excuse but rather a treatment so that I can make the most out of my life. I believe that AS should be treated by symptom rather than as a general disease.

Yes, I have taken a couple of online tests that would seem to suggest that I have Asperger's, but I don't know how accurate they are, really.

I also wonder what possible benefit there could be to a positive diagnosis. I'll start the ball rolling on that soon, though.

This realisation that I may have this thing has already made me feel much better, generally.

I hope it will make you feel better too.

Chris

LOL Thank you... that helps. I am scared to go for a diagnosis in case they tell me I am wrong. Like I might not be able to explain well enough how many of these traits are me. I have some thinking to do. I guess in some ways it should be enough that I know myself how likely it is that I have Asperger's but I do like things to be official.. especially as my family have a tendency to not take me seriously at the best of times.

In answer to your question abstract, I have no real reason to get a diagnosis for help reasons. More as a way to accept myself as I am... to know that I am not a bad person. I am still haunted by the feelings I had as a child being ignored by all the other kids. I went through a phase of attention seeking through the ages of about 10-12 and made up stories to get people to show an interest in me. I have beaten myself up about this my whole life because I see myself as being a liar and a bad person during that time. My family belittle everything that I go through and avoid my company... maybe an official diagnosis would help them, and in turn help me.

Mirrorwars... I know what you mean about the tests. But it was a doctor on tv who recommended them, so can't just be 'for fun' ? I found whilst taking them, that they made me aware of things I do that I have always accepted as just being quirky old me... when in actual fact they point to AS

I took the AQ and got 44. When I told my husband he didn't believe it. So I had him do it for me. The score was 40. It was interesting because I thought I did a pretty good job of hiding the "odd" stuff about me, even with my husband. Turns out ... I suck at it ... and when I got my diagnosis about a year later, the few people I told all said "I always knew there something different about you" or "I'm surprised you didn't know ... I always thought you had a diagnosis", and the diagnosing psych said he knew from when he first met me (although the diagnosis took place over a period of 3 months). Like I said, I clearly don't hide my oddness anywhere near as well as I thought I did!

Incidentally, I had my husband take the test too - I thought that although there was a point at which AS was suspected that in reality everyone who took that test scored high. My husband has several traits that could indicate AS. Yet when he took the test he scored only 20. When I took it for him, I scored him at 22. I was surprised how low he scored but it leads me to believe that test might be quite accurate ....

Would a diagnosis really make a difference to you? If you happy that you have a possible explanation and are more comfortable with yourself as a result then you may not need one. For me, I was having significant difficulties particularly in my working life so I sought diagnosis. I also was uncomfortable with "self-diagnosing" and wanted an independent opinion from someone without an agenda.

Thanks for your reply yellowbanana. For me, self-diagnosis falls right in with my family's opinion of me being a hypocondriac... which I am actually not. I am a lot of things, one being that I am honest with myself... and I am nothing like a hypocondriac. I really think people shove that label onto anyone who has more than one thing wrong with them. Anyway, I digress...

Yes, for my family and my only friend, I feel self-diagnosis just wouldn't register... :-\

My hubby took the AQ test too, and got 21... how weird! I thought he and I were so alike but evidently not. He believes I am right in my self-dx but that I can't say I am an aspie unless I have proof. I worry after all I have read here that proof might be hard to come by, and if I don't get a dx, then how can I live my life thinking I have AS if the 'official's think I don't?

Sorry for the rambling.