Can Asperger Syndrome be triggered by stressful events?

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First thing, I haven't posted on here in ages, but I'm back again now!

Secondly, background information.

I was seen by a psychiatrist and they are putting me on the waiting list for an autism assessment, as they "strongly suspect" I have an ASD (after 6 weeks of seeing me).

In the 15 years I have lived for, I have had several stressful events, which include:

• Two lifelong medical conditions that may require surgery later in life (first diagnosed when I was 7 years old, second at 13)

• Death of grandparent who I was very close to who declined in health slowly (age 13)

• Death threats, physical bullying (age 12 to 14)

• Emotional bullying since age 6

• My half-brother left at 16 without saying goodbye to us and haven't heard from him since (I don't remember him much though as I was 6 when he left)

• School excluded me for a while last year, and I was almost expelled, which sent me into depression. I had a very strong interest with something that was inappropriate and they considered me a risk to myself and others. I now realise it was inappropriate to talk about but it took me a while to stop obsessing over it and I'm scared of getting interested in it again so I avoid thinking about the subject altogether.

I now have no friends at my school and eat lunch alone because everyone avoids me. I have symptoms of Aspergers, but I'm wondering if it isn't caused by the condition itself, but by these traumatic events... is that even possible? Or if there's something else that's presenting with the same sort of symptoms which is know to be triggered by trauma?

Also, according to my parents I had several infections and breathing problems at birth (not present now) and was born 2 months premature.

Any answers are very much appreciated.

If (repeat if) you have some form of ASD then it will always have been there.

However many of the things you list are usually the sort of things that bring the condition out into the open enough to end up with a person being assessed.

Bullying at work and two bereavements close together were my tipping point - I was diagnosed with Asperger's at the age of 41.

So there aren't any conditions that could resemble an ASD that are caused by stress?

Would it be more likely that stress causes autism to become more noticeable?

If you were already an aspie (diagnosed or not) I could see stressful life events making the symptoms worse. Or perhaps you have Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. I personally have both ASD and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, so its also possible to have both.

I'm not sure there is one 'illness' that displays exactly like ASD but it's entirely possible to have a combination of 'illnesses' that closely resemble ASD but I think it's quite rare.

These are just my observations over the last year of research.

Seems to me like you've been through a lot of trauma, so I'm suspecting you may have posttraumatic stress disorder, or PTSD. I used to be bullied in school, too, around the same age as you were. I hope you're still not being bullied. At least you may have symptoms of PTSD. Were you ever diagnosed with that or has a psychiatrist ever mentioned it to you? If not, maybe you should look into it. Not to tell you what to do, I'm just trying to help. I'm going through some things myself right now, but I always try to think positive, to look on the bright side of things. I know that's easier said than done, but it's possible. I'm not very good at giving advice or comforting people. Ok, I wish you the best of luck!

Well, there is a condition called complex PTSD https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Complex_p ... s_disorder that could possibly mimic Asperger.

But it's equally possible that much of what you experienced was caused by Asperger not the other way around. While medical conditions and death of a close person can happen to anyone it's common for Asperger to lead to being bullied at school and being emotionally abused from a young age. School expulsion is also a thing. And the lack of friends.
Also Asperger genes run in families so one of your parents might have it and their behavior made your brother run away.

And while stressful events don't cause Asperger they make the symptoms worse by triggering secondary problems. Asperger+CPTSD is a common combination as well as Asperger+Depression or Asperger+Anxiety.

Asperger syndrome itself can't be triggered by stress, but accompanying conditions, such as anxiety, depression, PTSD or seizures, for those affected by them, certainly can.

For me stress has resulted in exacerbation of my traits, at 35 I am in the process of getting a diagnosis as it has got to the point where this will help me.

I already have traits before any bullying or anything stressful ever occurred to me. Many traits are simply acceptable for a child, if one doesn't know what's underlying it.

Sure 'triggers' got me diagnosed somehow, but that's how far those trigger goes in my case. I don't have one anymore, nor had any sort of trauma.
And I don't have any stress related issues at the moment... Other than lacking too much of it.


So yes, I exist. I'm an aspie who has no anxiety, stress related, or any form of psychiatric issues or trauma.
At worst I'm just heck bored.


Said trigger was anxiety that caused my innate disposition of sensory seeking status into sensory avoider with all problems it brought that involves sensory overload.
The anxiety caused by the realizations of being different, of repeated social failures and bullying without knowing why.
My differences were scoffed me off as being 'tomboyish' and 'moody'. Adults didn't saw me as a real problem back then, as I don't usually initiate interactions, let alone start any trouble.

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